Director of Jewish Student Life

Mizzou Hillel

Role Overview

Make your mark by joining Mizzou Hillel as the Director of Jewish Student Life. You’ll create meaningful impact through our Hillel by supporting efforts to connect people and resources to our mission. Jewish students at Mizzou are actively engaged in all aspects of campus life and you will have an opportunity to connect and work with students from diverse Jewish backgrounds as they explore both their individual Jewish identities and their connections to the broader Jewish and campus communities. As part of a small, three person staff you will have opportunities for personal and professional growth and development and to take your place as a Jewish professional leader in the community.

In addition to guiding students as they envision and implement both social and Jewish learning programming, you will also reach out to and engage un- and under-involved and new-to-campus Jewish students and work as a mentor for student leaders at Mizzou Hillel. Your genuine enthusiasm for creating an inviting place that inspires students to explore, experience, and create vibrant Jewish lives will allow you to succeed. 

What You’ll Do

• Develop one-on-one relationships with Jewish students by meeting them where they live, work and/or study, utilizing creative methods to reach and connect them to Jewish life.
• Mentor student leaders in their Jewish growth, through individual meetings and group trainings, in order to cultivate a Jewish community that is caring, diverse, welcoming and actively inclusive.
• Supervisor and guide the Springboard Fellow.
• Work with students and staff to implement a wide range of programs, including Shabbat and holiday celebrations, social opportunities, social justice projects and Jewish learning opportunities.
• Lead campus-wide recruitment, staff, and provide post-trip engagement for Taglit-Birthright Israel trips.  

On a day to day basis you will

• Develop formal and informal training programs for student leaders.
• Advise Jewish student group boards with their regular meetings and student program planning
• Have a coffee date with a first-year student who has expressed interest in becoming more involved in Jewish life on campus.
• Work on a plan for what social media will look like for an upcoming speaker at Hillel.
• Lead a lunch discussion program focused on Jewish values and social justice.

What You’ve Accomplished

• 3-5 years professional experience in Jewish, experiential or higher education.
• Bachelor’s degree required; Advanced degree is a plus.

Proven success: 

• Building pluralistic Jewish communities and creating a welcoming, vibrant, and deeply enriching Jewish environment
• Inspiring, mentoring and motivating college age students through traditional, but also experiential education
• Strategically networking and building partnerships with young adults and leaders
• Managing multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining quality across all areas

What You’ll Bring to the Job

• A passion for working with emerging adults and investing in their growth as Jewish leaders.
• A commitment to pluralism and comfort with your Jewish identity so you may act as a role model and mentor for emerging Jewish adults.
• Owning your unique Jewish knowledge and experiences and inspiring others to be on a Jewish journey.
• Familiarity with higher education and campus settings
• A self-starter who is comfortable working independently and collaboratively.
• Supervisory experience with staff or students.
• Ability to be flexible and adapt - things may not always go according to plan, but you understand that ambiguity is part of developing great new opportunities.
• Strong written and verbal skills, effective at communicating with a variety of stakeholders including students, parents, alumnae/i, and university partners.
• Experience with photography, social media management, and/or graphics creation is a plus!

What You’ll Receive

• Competitive salary in the nonprofit marketplace. The salary range for this role is $48,000 - $52,000
• A comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, retirement plan, Life, AD&D and Long Term Disability (LTD) insurances, Flexible Spending accounts, generous vacation/sick time, and parental leave.
• Great professional development, mentoring, and skill building opportunities
• Travel regionally and abroad, particularly to Israel 
• Plenty of Hillel and university swag

About Mizzou Hillel 

Mizzou Hillel works with students at the University of Missouri main campus in Columbia, MO. Serving 800 undergraduate and graduate students on campus, Columbia is also home to Congregation Beth Shalom, a URJ affiliated congregation. Jewish students are active in all aspects of campus life and many also teach at the local congregation. Columbia, MO, is known as an ideal college town, combining small-town comforts, community spirit and low cost of living with big-city culture, activities and resources.  Home to nationally renowned public schools and other colleges and educational centers, Columbia is packed with restaurants and entertainment venues and hosts more than a dozen annual cultural festivals.

University of Missouri, Columbia 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.