Careers

Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School is distinguished by its commitment to academic excellence, talented faculty, and learning that is joyful, engaging, experiential, and enduring. MILTON is a warm, vibrant, pluralistic Jewish day school where students, families, and faculty mirror the diversity of Jewish practice in the community. The school serves 475 students at our Kay and Robert Schattner Center Campuses - the beautiful South Campus for Early Childhood students in Grades PK-1, and the newly renovated and expanded North Campus for Elementary and Middle School students in Grades 2-8.

The Position

Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School of the Nation’s Capital in Washington, DC seeks a dynamic and forward-thinking Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to manage Milton’s finances and accounting functions. The CFO will report to the Head of School and work directly with the Board Treasurer, audit committee, and investment committee. The CFO will manage the Head of Facilities and Security as well as have the opportunity to hire a financial administrator. A successful CFO at Milton must be a strong communicator who can work closely with school leadership, parents – including the parents’ association – and board members.

The CFO is essential to helping Milton achieve its mission and live out its core values. Through thoughtful and detailed budgeting and financial planning, the CFO will provide strategic financial leadership with a focus on both daily accounting details and long-term financial planning. The CFO will strengthen our ability to support a diverse range of students, teachers, and families in a vibrant tapestry of Jewish community. The intelligent and student-centered allocation of financial resources supports innovative teaching, joyful learning, and educational excellence at our school. 

Financial Management and Analysis 

• Provide oversight of an annual budget of approximately $15M as well as endowment and reserve portfolios totaling over $15M.
• Analyze and make recommendations related to all financial matters to the Head of School, Board Treasurer and relevant Board committees.
• Evaluate and improve internal financial controls, processes, and procedures.
• Work closely with external audit firm that reviews financial accounts and reconciliations on a regular basis.
• Manage relationships with parents and financial intermediaries with sensitivity and discretion, especially with regard to tuition assistance and collections.
• Lead annual Tuition Assistance process and implementation.
• Manage Annual Budget process, including the development of departmental budgets in collaboration with department heads. Regularly meet with department heads to discuss and review budgets throughout the year.
• Maintain strong cash management systems and controls as well as continuously updated cash flow projections.
• Model Annual Compensation budget, including the salary scale and increases for non-scale staff.
• Create and maintain five-year forecast model including capital expenditures planning.
• Financial Compliance and Reporting
• Prepare and present financial data and reports on a regular, scheduled basis with Head of School, Board Treasurer, the Board, and school leaders.
• Work closely with Finance, Audit, and Investment Committees.
• Prepare documentation for annual audit and 990 tax filing - includes schedule of Functional Expense, Pledges Receivable, Salary Accrual, Tuition Receivable/Deferred Revenue Accounts.
• Prepare/review monthly reconciliation process for all accounts including donation reporting, expenses, and payroll.
• Lead all accounting and payroll functions including inputting all necessary data into financial systems, updating the chart of accounts and system reports, and ensuring timely reconciliation of bank statements.
• Ensure compliance with federal and Washington, D.C. legal reporting and permitting requirements. 

  The ideal candidate for the Chief Financial Officer position possesses the following competencies:

• Interpreting and applying understanding of key financial indicators to make better decisions.
• Applying knowledge of business and the operating environment to advance the organization’s goals.
• Seeing ahead to future possibilities and translating them into breakthrough strategies.
• Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Developing and delivering multimode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
• Building strong stakeholder relationships and delivering targeted solutions.

The ideal candidate will have a hands-on attitude with at least 7-10 years of experience in finance and accounting at another school, educational institution, or non-profit.

 Other ideal qualifications include:

• Demonstrated experience of leading and supporting a well-functioning team.
• Prior experience running business operations for an organization (e.g. security, transportation, and/or facilities, etc.)
• Willingness and ability to manage forward thinking work as well as detailed minutiae of a business office.
• Prior experience working with or preparing reports for board committees (e.g. finance, endowment, investment, audit).
• Hands-on with a willingness to roll up their sleeves and complete any task. 
• A “no job is too small” attitude.
• Solutions oriented.
• Highly collaborative and accessible leader, able to build relationships across the organization.
• Prior experience using financial and accounting software systems such as Bill.com, Paylocity, Quickbooks, Clarity, and/or Blackbaud.
• Familiarity with Jewish culture and educational values     

Work Environment

Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School is a highly collaborative community organization and prioritizes in-office work. Milton Gottesman prioritizes in-office work five days a week.In addition, presence at occasional evening and weekend events will be required.   

Benefits

10 days of paid leave per academic year in addition to 8 Jewish holidays and 8 federal holidays. Additionally, the School’s offices are closed for Winter Break, Passover Break, and for several other ‘school holidays.’Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance. HSA and FSA eligible plans offered. Significant tuition benefit (30% remission) for full-time employees with children at Milton A 403(b) retirement plan, with 3% match after two full years of employment at Milton 50% employer contribution, up to a maximum of $50/month, for a SmarTrip MetroPass 100% employer paid basic life and AD&D insurance, 100% employer paid long-term disability.       

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School provides equal opportunity in employment for all persons and prohibits unlawful discrimination and harassment in all aspects in the administration of its educational, admissions, and personnel policies, financial aid programs, or athletic and other school-administered programs because of age, color, disability, family responsibilities, gender identity or expression, genetic information, housing status, marital status, matriculation, national origin, personal appearance, political affiliation, race, sex, sexual orientation, veteran’s status or any factor prohibited by law.    

Interested candidates should apply at this link: https://drgtalent.com/career/chief-financial-officer-milton-gottesman-jewish-day-school/  

Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School, is seeking a dynamic, skilled, and creative  part-time science teacher to teach Middle school science and collaborate with a collegial and skilled team of faculty. The Middle School curriculum includes an emphasis on experience-based learning: students participate in hands-on/minds on projects and intensive class discussions that help build critical and creative thinking skills. Preference will be given to candidates with deep knowledge of and appreciation for teaching science and the flexibility to teach a range of science topics. A qualified candidate will also possess a strong enthusiasm, deep knowledge of and familiarity with middle school students, and a sense of humor.

This is a part-time role for the remainder of the 2024-2025 school year. There may be opportunities to transition to a full time role for the 2025-2026 school year.

MILTON is a school characterized by miracles. From the earliest days when its students could be counted on two hands to today with close to 500 students, miracles abound and the school is filled with miracle makers, young and old(er). Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School of the Nation's Capital is an independent, community Jewish day school that offers a dual curriculum of General and Judaic Studies for students in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 8. The school is distinguished by its commitment to academic excellence, nurturing its students, growing its talented faculty, and creating a child-centered environment where learning is joyful, engaging, experiential, and enduring. MILTON is a warm, vibrant, pluralistic Jewish day school where students, families, and faculty mirror the diversity of Jewish practice in the community. The school serves our community at our Kay and Robert Schattner Center Campuses - the beautiful South Campus for Early Elementary students in Grades PK-1, and the newly renovated and expanded North Campus for Elementary and Middle School students in Grades 2-8.

MILTON’s Advancement Office

Although MILTON was only founded in 1988, its constant growth over those years has meant that the development efforts and approach resemble that of a much more veteran institution. Since its beginnings in borrowed space at Adas Israel Congregation, MILTON has raised more than $35 million in capital funds to purchase and renovate two campuses on the 16th Street corridor, establishing itself as the only Jewish Day School in the District. The annual campaign raises up to $1.5 million annually and the school completed a $10 million endowment campaign in 2021. The advancement team also includes our communications work which serves a critical need for the school community. Communications include weekly tactical parent emails, a monthly magazine, and sharing our stories on social media on a daily basis. The advancement team also manages our burgeoning alumni and alumni family program and hosts many of our major community relations events. The Advancement Office works closely with Admissions as the external relations arm of MILTON, and is deeply integrated into the fabric of the school. Advancement manages relationships with foundations and is a key partner in advancing our five year strategic plan.

Chief Advancement Officer

The Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) is responsible for envisioning, planning, and managing outreach efforts intended to advance MILTON’s mission, amplify the educational and communal impact of the school, share the MILTON story, and secure short and long-term philanthropic support to support the school’s growth.

Responsibilities include:

• Provide vision and leadership for all fundraising and community engagement efforts, including but not limited to The MILTON Fund, capital campaigns, endowment and legacy giving, communications, and community events
• Lead MILTON’s dynamic Advancement team, maintaining a high-performance team culture focused on leadership and accountability at all levels, continuous learning, collaboration, measurement, and goal achievement
• Effectively coach team members and provide supportive and developmental feedback to enhance performance. Ensure that team members develop the technical, leadership and professional skills to be successful
• Serve as partner and advisor to the Head of School on long-range strategic priorities related to organizational advancement and managing her role in Advancement efforts, using her time strategically and including portfolio management and participation in community-wide and development events
• Be an active member of the school’s professional Leadership Team within school and out in the community; Represent the school at community events and meetings.
• Strengthen adherence to fundraising best practices and developing a donor-centric and data-driven program to generate increased revenue to fulfill MILTON’s ambitious goals
• Serve as lead support to the Board of Trustees on matters related to development, governance, and succession
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major donors and major gift prospects, with a focus on current parents, trustees and foundational donors
• Develop a comprehensive communication strategy for the school, to include careful, consistent, intentional positioning of the school in all channels. 
• Integrate brand management and strategic positioning in all materials and outreach to advance strategic and operating objectives and maintain mission aligned communications.
• Manage a robust group of lay leaders as partners in development work, ensuring committees are managed effectively, with clear direction and support
• Partner with the Chief Financial Officer to maintain best practices in record keeping, developing opportunities to show the impact of philanthropy and generating additional revenue
• Work with the Board of Trustees to implement the strategic plan and to identify opportunities to generate revenue and demonstrate impact 
• Develop a roadmap for increasing revenue and donor acquisition over time, while also implementing the short-term strategies that address immediate strengths and weaknesses of development efforts
• Oversee development of printed and online materials related to stature-raising and overall advancement, including annual report, community messages,, newsletters, and articles
• Maintain connection to broader educational, Jewish, and development professional communities to ensure awareness of trends, best practices, and major players
• Step in to support other areas of school as required. As a small school, we pitch in where and when needed, whether to take on new tasks or to support a temporary need

The successful applicant should be:*

• Experienced as a communications and/or fundraising specialist, 10+ years 
• An excellent manager of teams, systems, and processes
• Experienced in a non-profit organization or similar environment
• Motivated and with the ability to solve complex problems
• Passionate about Jewish education and community
• Well-versed in  the Washington, DC Jewish communal landscape and national Jewish and educational grant-making landscape
• Passionate about philanthropy and giving community members the opportunity to invest in MILTON’s strategic priorities
• Committed to being a team player
• Thorough, responsive, and with a keen eye for detail 
• Self-motivated and comfortable in an empowerment-oriented workplace 
• Fun-loving and committed to the growth of children in a Jewish environment

*We recognize that no candidate will meet every qualification - MILTON encourages you to apply and share with us how your skills, experience, and expertise can help move our team and mission forward. 

Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School of the Nation's Capital is an independent, community Jewish day school that currently offers a dual curriculum of General and Judaic studies for students in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 8. The school is distinguished by its commitment to academic excellence, talented faculty, and learning that is joyful, engaging, experiential, and enduring. MILTON is a warm, vibrant, pluralistic Jewish day school where students,families, and faculty mirror the diversity of Jewish practice in the community. The school serves more than 475 students at our Kay and Robert Schattner Center Campuses - the beautiful South Campus for Early Childhood students in Grades PK-1, and the newly renovated and expanded North Campus for Elementary and Middle School students in Grades 2-8.

We are seeking Hebrew & Judaic Studies Teachers for the 2024-2025 school year in our Early Elementary Division.

The ideal candidate will implement multiple approaches to the Hebrew language and must possess advanced, superior, or native speaking Hebrew skills. The ideal candidate will possess outstanding teaching skills, be familiar with best practice in teaching Hebrew studies including a proficiency approach, as well as have experience with a diverse population of learners and be able to instruct using differentiated instruction. The Hebrew teacher will work together with a team to develop an exciting, innovative, and creative curriculum. 

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 3 years of teaching
• Education/Certification:
• BA required
• Master’s degree preferred but not required.

Special Knowledge/Skills:

•  Familiarity and experience in teaching Hebrew with the proficiency approach is preferred.
•  Knowledge of future-ready/21st century skills and success in focusing on them in the classroom 
•  Familiarity with best practices for student engagement and classroom management 

Serving as a teacher at MILTON means more than showing up in a classroom to deliver instruction. Rich mission-aligned content, creative pedagogy and authentic relationships are essential components of a MILTON classroom, as much as working collaboratively with colleagues and placing the students’ interests and experiences at the heart of the MILTON experience are also essential components of the job. We expect our teachers to provide developmentally appropriate and scaffolded opportunities to challenge students academically, physically, and artistically and to establish authentic relationships with the children in and beyond the classroom. We also expect that teachers will engage with colleagues in a collegial, collaborative, and community-minded manner, striving towards a respectful environment that encourages and supports the best in adults and students.