Director of AJC Abu Dhabi: The Sidney Lerner Center for Arab-Jewish Understanding, Center for a New Middle East

About AJC 

American Jewish Committee (AJC) is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. We create trusted partnerships with leaders around the world to ensure Jews and Israel are safe and thriving.

With an unparalleled reach spanning six continents, AJC engages leaders in more than 110 countries through 40 offices and dozens of partnerships with Jewish communities worldwide. Wherever the Jewish people and Israel need us, AJC is there—empowering leaders in government, education, partner communities, and the private sector to counter antisemitism and act as allies. 

The challenges we face are global. AJC is leading the global response. Join us. 

Your Department 

AJC’s Center for a New Middle East (CNME) utilizes AJC’s unparalleled global advocacy network to foster deeper diplomatic, economic, and civic ties between Israel and its Arab neighbors. It builds upon AJC’s historic success in cultivating trust and opening doors to all levels of government across the Arab world. Drawing upon the relationships AJC has nurtured since its initial visits to Morocco in the 1950s, and expanded since the Madrid Peace Conference of 1991, AJC pursues programs across three principal sectors: diplomacy, business, and civil society. AJC actively promotes U.S. commitment to Israel’s security and its full integration in the Middle East and North Africa, regional business collaboration, and interfaith dialogue to advance Israeli-Arab understanding. This holistic approach, combined with AJC’s global architecture—with 15 international posts, including offices in Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi, and a range of government contacts and communal partners around the world—uniquely positions the Center to advance AJC’s policy and institutional agendas.   

By bringing together decades of trust, international architecture, and multifaceted programs, the Center for a New Middle East can do things that no other organization can accomplish. The Center will have the power to convene the best and brightest from across the world to build bridges, shape policies, and instill the hope needed to truly create a new Middle East

Your Impact

Incumbents in this position provide leadership, management and vision to AJC Abu Dhabi: The Sidney Lerner Center for Arab-Jewish Understanding in carrying out the initiatives and work of the organization. The Director ensures that AJC’s interests are appropriately represented in the Gulf regions, and that AJC is the “go-to” Jewish communal organization for the governments, foreign ministries and thought leaders therein. 

This position makes an impact at AJC by planning, overseeing, and developing work with significant impact on the organization's mission and goals; including managing a country regional office and staff team. Works with significant latitude to solve complex problems and make strategically important decisions impacting the department. 

The Director also helps support AJC CNME’s mission and operations by fundraising and friend-raising directly for the department/institute and for AJC at large.

Your Role 

Promote AJC’s mission and programs as they relate to strengthening diplomatic, economic and civil society relations between Israel and the Arab world; in particular, promoting Emirati and Bahraini bilateral relations with Israel and attitudes toward Israel; and leading AJC’s efforts throughout the region to counter antisemitism, radicalism, and extremism. The Director serves as a front-line observer, analyst, and voice on Gulf regional strategic affairs of concern to AJC. The Director is responsible for, and is the public face of, AJC’s -- and, specifically, CNME’s -- advocacy and programming efforts in the region. The Director is responsible for all matters relating to execution of AJC’s mission in alignment with the priorities and strategic plan of CNME in the region, and the operations of the assigned office(s). 

Specific Responsibilities:

Diplomatic Outreach 

• Cultivate meaningful and long-term relationships with senior government officials, rising political figures, business and civil society leaders, and other thought and policy leaders and influencers, including diplomats from the U.S. and relevant countries, assuring AJC access to the highest levels of government in the region
• Communicate regularly with government officials on issues salient to AJC, as they arise
• Be the AJC “expert” on political affairs in the geographic area and provide analysis to CNME and broader AJC leadership
• Serve as liaison between AJC and local Jewish communities.
• Ensures that AJC's interests are appropriately represented in the UAE and in the Arabian Gulf, as they relate to deepening Muslim-Jewish, Arab-Israeli, and U.S.-Gulf understanding.

Team Leadership and Management 

• Lead and manage the office staff in conducting meaningful engagements and programming in the region, and be prepared to expand staff if and when growth demands and budget is available
• Collaborate in close partnership with the VP, Center for a New Middle East, and other AJC senior leadership in executing the strategy of CNME and the broader mission of AJC in the region
• Oversee local office protocols and assure their alignment with AJC policies and protocols
• Ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations
• Lead planning and execution of AJC-related travel and programming in the region
• Work in close collaboration with other international directors, and Global Affairs colleagues globally, on shared agendas and strategies
• Support and assist in developing agendas for and recruiting of Project Interchange participants from the country/region
• Work with Marketing and Communications to develop branded materials for the region, as needed and agreed
• Engage in public speaking opportunities
• Publish blogs, essays, opinion pieces, Op-Eds, letters, and other media in consultation and partnership with the VP, CNME, and the Marketing and Communications department
• Develop/maintain online/social media strategy to advance AJC’s agenda 

Leadership Development and Fundraising 

• Identify potential donors and help raise money to support operations and programming, and recruit existing and prospective donors and lay leaders to engage in Global Forum, AJC missions, and other national events.
• Offer relevant regional analyses and insights to the CNME Board co-chairs, vice chairs, and members, and cultivate strong working relationships with VP, CNME, on same. 

Supervisory Role

Small office/team of 1-3

Education, Training, and Experience

• Bachelor's degree (Master's degree preferred)
• Minimum of 10 years of related work experience, advanced job skills and knowledge, and proficient leadership skills
• Fluency in Arabic is highly desirable but not required. Proficiency in Arabic is required. Fluency in English is required.
• Prior experience leading and managing a team required
• Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate an extensive network of professional diplomatic and/or business contacts throughout the region, and to explain how they can leverage these networks to advance AJC CNME’s mission.
• Prior experience living and /or working in the Arab Middle East is required.
• Candidates must demonstrate understanding of U.S. and Israeli strategic interests in the broader region, and be prepared to advocate on behalf of those interests.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Passion for the mission, goals, and objectives of AJC
• Committed to AJC’s core values: respect, accountability, integrity, innovation, and collaboration
• Strong managerial skills and the ability to motivate, and develop individuals and/or teams
• Demonstrates professionalism and high standards of conduct
• Ability to work collaboratively with individuals from diverse backgrounds
• Excellent communication skills (written, verbal, and listening)
• Strong organization and project management skills, including the ability to set priorities and meet deadlines
• Capacity to multitask and work in a fast-paced and changing environment
• Willing and able to work outside of standard working hours, including early mornings, evenings, and/or weekends
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and Outlook), Google Suite applications, and Zoom
• A high regard for, and knowledge of, diplomacy and diplomatic protocol
• Success in fundraising and “friend-raising

Physical Demands 

Office employees: 

• Remaining in a stationary position, often sitting or standing for prolonged periods
• Repeating motions that may include the wrists, hands, and/or fingers
• Communicating with others to exchange information
• Moving about to accomplish tasks or moving from one worksite to another 

Disclaimers 

The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position. The job description does not constitute a contract between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and the requirements of the job change.

Please submit your application to: https://ajc.hire.trakstar.com/jobs/fk0zj7f?source=

AJC is an equal opportunity employer.