Director of Graduate Student Life at Boston University Hillel

Hillel International

Hillel International

Boston, MA, USA
Posted on Monday, December 19, 2022

Role Overview

Make your mark on Jewish student life by joining Boston University Hillel as its Manager of Graduate Student Life and Gifts and Grants. This is a big, exciting job for BU Hillel, working on two main pillars of our mission at the largest private university for Jewish students in the world. This senior position will be in charge of 1) the graduate student life pillar of BU Hillel, serving 2,000 Jewish graduate students, and 2) administering gifts and grants to power BU Hillel with vital funds and resources to support our mission. We welcome candidates who are thirsty for being in relationship with Jewish people – from students to alumni, parents, donors, and other partners. If you’re team-oriented, never give up, and truly believe that you must “be the change you wish to see in the world,” then this is the position for you! This position reports to the Managing Director and works closely with the Executive Director and Sr. Director of Finance and Operations. BU Hillel is a Zionist organization that is focused on putting students in relationship with the state, land, and peoples of Israel. With the current ongoing crisis in Israel, we are focused more than ever on fighting hate and antisemitism.

What You’ll Do

Graduate Student Life Work (75% of time during school year, 25% of time during winter and summer breaks): The role brings a professional with talent, passion, and skills to Boston University to imagine and implement Jewish graduate student life. As the Manager, you will serve as the both architect of a developing a comprehensive strategic, robust graduate engagement plan and the solo practitioner implementing this plan with 2,000 Jewish graduate students. You’ll have the opportunity to impact thousands of students - Boston University is home to 16,000 graduate students, 373 graduate programs, and 17 graduate schools thirsty for resources, engagement, and care from BU Hillel.

This position has significant responsibility overseeing basic religious activities such as Shabbat services/dinner, holiday programs, Israel events and more. You will lead the teaching of Jewish learning seminars as well with Jewish text at the center of each class. You will partner with BU Hillel’s senior rabbinic leadership on strategy and content for each of these programs, and receive guidance.

You’ll receive training from BU Hillel and Hillel International professionals, and learn from Jewish leaders on how to seamlessly weave Judaism into your work as a Hillel engagement professional. Each day you will be charged with empowering students to engage in meaningful and joyous Jewish lives, weaving in Jewish values, texts, and history.

Student Engagement and Outreach

  • Manage Grad Hillel’s marketing and outreach to all 17 graduate schools – working with individual college partners and student groups
  • Handle all outreach and relationships with graduate students conducting daily 1x1 initial and follow-up meetings
  • Strengthen and support student leadership cohorts, such as Coffee Crew Engagement Interns
  • Mentor various students in their desire to bring passion projects to campus
  • Grow Hillel’s capacity to meet engagement goals through detailed management and analysis of CRM Database
  • Drive key insights on graduate student engagement and population for further growth of the program

Jewish Life and Learning

  • Develop, lead, and recruit 2-3 Jewish learning fellowship classes per semester.
  • Serve as lead educator in Jewish learning fellowship classes
  • Weave Jewish education into social and cultural programs across campus.

Religious Life

  • Organize monthly Shabbat dinners at Hillel and within student apartments/homes
  • Organize holiday services, meals, and celebrations for graduate students ranging from High Holidays to Sukkot, Chanukah, Purim, Pesach and beyond.
  • Serve as Jewish leader of rituals like kiddush, motzi, leading Shabbat services, supporting holiday rituals, etc.

Development Work (25% of time during school year, 75% of time during winter and summer breaks):: You will plan and execute all operational and administrative tasks related to our fundraising efforts under the leadership of the Executive Director, Managing Director, and Senior Director of Finance and Operations.

Individual Donors

  • With direction from the Managing Director, organize the BU Hillel Development Plan.
  • Manage major prospect research: careers, philanthropic interests, assets, etc.
  • Manage preparation, reporting, management of meetings for Board of Directors, Board committees and giving circles
  • Provide staffing support (e.g., scheduling, development of materials, taking minutes) for Board of Directors and various other lay leader groups.
  • Manage a portfolio of donors and prospects through cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. Personally soliciting annual gifts of $500 - $1,000.
  • Execute tasks in BU Fundraising database, while also supervising part-time student intern
  • Manage the organization’s full donor and prospect lists.
  • Organize donor meetings and plans for Executive and Managing Directors

Grants and Foundations

  • Track all revenues, reports, and communication for foundational grants
  • Conduct research for grant proposals with direction from Managing Director
  • Research, write, and track grant proposals from $1,000-$100,000+.
  • Administer and report on grants
  • Manage stewardship of foundation partners

What You’ll Get Out of It

  • High-level professional development to help develop core skills and gain expertise from changemakers, engagers, and Jewish life experts.
  • Mentoring and career coaching to help you during and after your position
  • A network of terrific colleagues from across the Hillel movement.
  • Travel opportunities, both domestically and internationally, multiple times per year.
  • A comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, Tax Deferred Retirement Plan, Life, AD&D and Long Term Disability insurances, Flexible Spending Plan, generous vacation/sick time, and parental leave.
  • A salary of $75,000-$100,000 depending on level of experience

On a day-to-day basis you will complete tasks such as:

Graduate Student Life

  • Meeting with a group of students or individual students over coffee or a meal to understand which issues are most important to them and developing a plan of action together.
  • Designing and executing a strategic engagement plan for graduate students, including planning educational, social, cultural, holiday, or Shabbat programs across a wide variety of graduate schools, students, and disciplines
  • Participating in a conversation with graduate student leaders of all types of faith, ethnic, and racial backgrounds to build key relationships and partnerships
  • Develop key insights through 1x1 conversation in how to create an engagement program with high levels of reach and depth
  • Working Shabbat, holidays, and otherwise supporting the rest of your Hillel team - some times on nights and weekends.
  • Participating in a professional development webinar.
  • Teaching and facilitating Jewish learning through a graduate student lens.

Development

  • Recruiting for an upcoming graduate student programs and internships.
  • Execute research on potential supporters of BU Hillel
  • Track all donor plans in a timely manner, setting key reminders
  • Track and prepare for Executive Director’s and Managing Director’s solicitation and stewardship meetings.
  • Track and manage grant proposals and reports for individual donors, foundations, Jewish Federations, Hillel International, and other funders.
  • Serve as a liaison between BU Hillel and select stakeholders, including CJP, other Foundations, and Hillel International Development Staff.
  • Report timely and accurate information to the Executive Director and the Board.
  • Work closely with Executive and Managing Directors to provide necessary documents, follow-up, support on their donor relations efforts
  • Plan and organize logistics for Board of Directors, Board Committee and various giving circle meetings

Who You Are

We are most interested in someone who is organized, driven, and mission focused. The most important experience we are looking for is the ability to be a Jewish leader, organize people and projects, and the ability to inspire commitment and action. In terms of prerequisite requirements, we are open to candidates with the following:

  • Significant Jewish communal life experience in any of the following: Hillel, Jewish nonprofit, Jewish camping, Jewish education, Rabbinic leadership

and/or

  • Significant experience with relationship-based work in areas such as: student engagement, community partnerships, nonprofit management, corporate social responsibility, arts management

and/or

  • Significant experience with for profits that is relatable to this work, who also has very strong Jewish lay leadership background

Additionally, we are looking for:

  • 5-7 years of experience
  • Bachelor degree required, gradate degree preferred (could be rabbinic, Jewish education, business, social work, or other relevant to this work)

About Boston University Hillel

Boston University Hillel is at the hub of a thriving city of Boston, right near Fenway Park. Home to 4,000 Jewish undergraduates and 2000 graduate students, BU Hillel’s mission is to inspire, educate, and empower BU students to lead meaningful and joyous Jewish lives. Boston is a vital center for Jewish and young adult and family life. More than ever students need us, and we need to stand with them and to stand with Israel. Here are a few key resources and videos we are sharing with our community:

Boston University Hillel is affiliated with Hillel International. Hillel International enriches the lives of Jewish students so they may enrich the Jewish people and the world, and envisions a world where every student is inspired to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning and Israel.

About Hillel International

In 1923, Rabbi Benjamin Frankel started Hillel with humble means, a noble mission and a breathtaking vision: to convey Jewish civilization to a new generation. Today, Hillel International continues to enrich the lives of Jewish students and is the largest Jewish campus organization in the world at more than 550 colleges and universities across North America and around the world. As Hillel evolves as an organization, the mission remains steadfast: to create lasting connections with every Jewish student that foster an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning, and Israel and train them to become the next Jewish leaders.

Hillel is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an accepting and inclusive environment for all.