The Forward is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, citizenship status, color, race, national origin, disability, gender, pregnancy status or lactation accommodations, gender identity, sexual orientation, domestic violence victim status, marital, partnership or familial status, religion, creed, prior arrest or conviction record according to applicable law, veteran or military status, or genetic characteristics.
The Forward is committed to hiring employees with perspectives from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences.
Vice President, Development
The Forward seeks a Vice President, Development to lead an ambitious fundraising program at a pivotal moment for the American Jewish community. Reporting to the CEO, this role is a key member of a collaborative executive team and will guide the development program into its next phase of growth—expanding major gifts, strengthening foundation support, and diversifying revenue to support bold new initiatives, editorial priorities, and audience engagement.
This is a singular opportunity for a strategic, relational, and results-driven leader to build on recent momentum and elevate the Forward’s presence within Jewish philanthropy and among funders of independent media. The Vice President, Development will serve as a visible ambassador for the organization, balancing high-level strategy with hands‑on donor engagement while leading and inspiring a small, high-performing development team.
Key Responsibilities
- Activate a multi-year strategy to grow revenue through major gifts and foundation support.
- Partner with the CEO and senior leaders to identify fundraising priorities, targets, and timelines.
- Elevate the Forward’s visibility within Jewish philanthropy and among independent media funders.
- Engage the Board of Directors in fundraising efforts and staff the Development Committee.
- Direct and grow a portfolio of major donors and foundations, with a focus on increasing average gift size.
- Lead annual major gifts fundraising campaigns, including challenge and matching gifts.
- Design and oversee effective moves management from cultivation through stewardship.
- Support donor engagement events with fundraising components.
- Lead, mentor, and support a high-performing development team of three.
- Set clear goals, priorities, and expectations; support professional growth and accountability.
- Partner with Finance, Membership, and Communications teams to strengthen fundraising systems and donor pathways.
Experience, Skills, and Qualities
- At least 10 years of fundraising leadership experience, including five years managing teams.
- A proven record securing five‑to‑seven‑figure major gifts from individuals and foundations.
- Strong knowledge of Jewish philanthropy and donor communities.
- Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Experience building compelling cases for support and coaching others to do the same.
- Strong financial and project management acumen.
- High emotional intelligence, cultural sensitivity, and collaborative leadership style.
- Integrity, warmth, diplomacy, and disciplined execution.
Compensation
The budgeted salary range for this role is $210,000 – $225,000, commensurate with experience, with a comprehensive benefits package.
Working Location
This role is based in New York City with a hybrid schedule of 2–3 days per week onsite, and limited travel (approximately 5–10%).
Managing Editor
The Forward seeks an experienced, versatile Managing Editor with sharply honed editorial skills to be an integral part of leading the nation’s foremost Jewish journalism.
Candidates should have a proven track record of assigning and editing news and feature coverage in a digital environment, managing fast‑paced production and working collaboratively with a small team, with an orientation toward impact and public service. We’re seeking candidates who have a commitment and sensitivity to covering the spectrum of Jewish life and are ready to inspire and mobilize an enterprising newsroom, facilitating relevant, meaningful journalism that informs and connects.
The Forward’s newsroom is in New York City, with a generous and flexible hybrid work policy for area residents; we are also open to qualified candidates who work remotely from other locations with visits to New York as needed.
Ideal Candidate Attributes
- Impeccable news judgment and journalistic ethics.
- Instincts for assigning and editing aimed at breaking new ground and finding the fresh and unexpected.
- Comfort with sensitive stories and attention to details of sourcing, attribution and legal review, working with both staff and freelance contributors.
- A track record of producing work that resonates with audiences and leads to tangible results.
- Skill in shaping headlines that cut through the noise.
- A collaborative and resourceful approach suited to a small nonprofit newsroom.
- Understanding of Jewish cultures, concerns, sources and storylines.
Key Responsibilities
- Oversee a core team of news reporters.
- Assign news coverage to staff and freelance contributors.
- Edit news stories and newsletters.
- Field opinion and cultural coverage as needed.
Compensation
Salary range is $90,000 – $125,000, depending on experience, with generous health benefits and PTO.
Audience Deputy Director
The Forward seeks a Deputy Director of Audience to help grow our next generation of loyal fans, followers and supporters by piloting promising new initiatives and developing meaningful engagement efforts.
The person in this role will collaborate across the organization to:
- Identify and maximize opportunities for richer interactions among readers, viewers, newsletter subscribers, and members so they feel a greater sense of community, belonging, and connection to the Forward.
- Shape experiments that test the most promising ways to build on these ongoing relationships, tracking and assessing the effectiveness of these efforts so the Forward learns in real time which ones are most likely to lead to continued engagement and support.
- Support our editorial presence on social platforms as part of real conversations about issues of Jewish interest.
- Provide input and coordination for select in‑person programs.
- Contribute to an audience‑centered culture that relies on data, analytics and insights.
Responsibilities Include
- Posting to a few social networks daily – Instagram and Facebook initially – and to another (e.g. Reddit) a few times over the course of the week for real engagement.
- Build community engagement through member comments, book groups, in‑person events, Discord, WhatsApp groups, AMAs, gaming, and/or other means.
- Coordinating and collaborating on audience research, from one‑on‑one user testing to large‑scale surveys for insights into our impact and opportunities.
- Contributing inputs and insights to daily and monthly reports on audience growth and engagement.
- Supporting newsletter audience growth and other digital engagement.
Compensation
The Deputy Director of Audience will be a member of the News Guild, with a salary range of $70,000 – $75,000 depending on experience, and generous health benefits and PTO. The position will report to the VP of Strategy and Audience and work closely with the Editor‑in‑Chief.
Social Video Producer
The Forward is seeking a Social Video Producer to collaborate with reporters and editors to tell compelling, distinctive visual stories that drive engagement and discussion on Jewish news, culture and community.
The person in this role will play a key role in growing the Forward’s visibility and engagement on social media through their work as a writer, producer, editor, and sometimes on‑camera host.
The ideal candidate will have produced social‑first videos that have reached large audiences on major platforms and will have experience in producing video in connection with journalism. They will have used platform‑native analytics to help drive decisions about audience development.
Skills and Responsibilities
- Write scripts, integrate graphics, produce, edit and post distinctive videos that grow our audience, and collaborate with others to do the same.
- Brainstorm video ideas and create content that informs and resonates.
- Support colleagues who appear in video content, mentoring them as needed.
- Work with speed and accuracy to deliver on schedule.
Compensation
The Social Video Producer will be a member of the News Guild, with a salary range of $70,000 to $80,000 depending on experience, and generous health benefits and PTO. The position will report to the Editor‑in‑Chief and work closely with the VP of Strategy and Audience.
Yiddish Producer
The Forward is seeking a Yiddish speaker to help us serve more people who are interested in watching, hearing and reading about the language and its importance in Jewish cultural life.
The part‑time role will focus on producing short videos and writing that speak to lovers of Yiddish, whether they’ve just discovered the language or heard their grandparents speak it. That work will involve monitoring social media for conversations about Yiddish, tracking cultural updates on music, theater, film and literature related to Yiddish, and engaging the Yiddish community generally to generate ideas and stories.
The ideal candidate will be comfortable writing personal essays in Yiddish or English, interviewing people on camera, reporting on cultural events, and generally tracking and covering new developments in the Yiddish world. The job does not require perfect fluency in Yiddish, but does require a solid grasp of style and grammar in both languages. Knowledge of Yiddish literature, songs and traditions will help.
Compensation
Pay $25 an hour. The role is a member of the News Guild and will report to the Yiddish editor.
Jews of Color Fellowship
The Forward is seeking a talented journalist to join its fellowship program, aimed at diversifying the pipeline of individuals who work in Jewish media. The Forward’s year‑long fellowships, supported by the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, are full‑time roles in the newsroom at the leading Jewish journalism organization, with professional development and mentorship.
Applicants should specify the area of journalism or nonprofit media they would most like to work on, such as:
- Reporting and writing news and/or culture stories.
- Multimedia storytelling.
- Working directly with the editor‑in‑chief on strategic projects.
- Audience engagement, analytics, and social media.
- Commissioning, editing, and creating opinion pieces.
- Data reporting and visualization.
Successful applicants will be curious about our diverse Jewish communities and have relevant experience, strong communication and analytical skills, entrepreneurial spirit and team orientation; multimedia, data and social media fluency are pluses.
Location: Fellows in the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut Tri‑State area will work in person at the office in Lower Manhattan twice a week; others may work remotely.
Compensation and Benefits
Annual salary of $46,000. Fellowships are News Guild positions, with generous health benefits and paid time off for holidays.
Internship Opportunity: Digital Reporting and Writing
The Forward is seeking one or more beginning journalists passionate about digital and audience, for paid internships reporting and writing news items. The position is supported by the Sy Syms Endowment for Journalistic Excellence, an exclusive gift from the Sy Syms Foundation to support recruitment and development.
Interns will work up to 29 hours a week for $17 an hour. The initial term is 10 weeks but may be extended up to a year. The internship offers a fast‑paced, reader‑facing role in which interns will report, write, and publish frequently on a broad range of subjects.
- Report and write stories across sections, including breaking news on politics, culture, and more.
- Scour the Jewish internet for news, conversation, opportunities and ideas.
- Support colleagues in reporting and writing stories.
- Quickly source appropriate photos or other art.
- Use social‑media and other platforms to develop a robust readership.
- Use audience tools and analyze traffic patterns to optimize story selection and framing.
The ideal candidate will have a keen eye for stories that resonate for Jewish readers and be able to apply a sophisticated lens to the world. They must be able to work well under pressure and collaborate with colleagues, and be eager to grow and be responsive to editors’ feedback.
Compensation
Salary: $17 per hour for up to 29 hours per week. Initial term 10 weeks; may extend to a year.
Freelance Pitches
The Forward is an independent Jewish news organization looking for freelance pitches for news and news features (not analysis). Proposals can cover trend stories, series, multimedia and video projects.
Compensation will be highly competitive for the right pitch.
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