First Year Engagement Associate

Columbia/Barnard Hillel

Role Overview

Columbia/Barnard Hillel is seeking a personable and accessible professional to join our team as our new First Year Engagement Associate. An ideal candidate has strong interpersonal skills, always knows how to make room at the table for a new face, and understands that engagement in Jewish life on campus is a journey that looks different for everyone. This professional will be passionate about connecting with students who are under engaged or not yet engaged in Jewish life on campus, and may come from backgrounds that often make it hard for people to find their place in Jewish communal life. 

If a candidate brings a passion for social justice and social change, engaging with students around those topics will also be an integral part of the portfolio. 

The First Year Engagement Associate will report to the Senior Director of Engagement and will work closely with the Engagement Team and broader Student Life Team to reach our goals of engaging all Jewish students on campus in ways that are meaningful to them. 

What You’ll Do

• One-on-one Engagement: You are first and foremost an engager! Meet students on campus for coffee, tea, or a snack in order to build authentic relationships and to help connect students to friends, community, and experiences. While you will meet with students from varying backgrounds and lived experiences, your focus will be on first year students who are under engaged or not yet engaged in Jewish life on campus.
• Campus Engagement: Spend time on campus regularly and on Jewish holidays, offering ways for students to connect with Jewish life without needing to walk into the Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life.
• Depth Engagement: Staff immersive travel experiences such as Birthright Israel and alternative breaks. Deepen students’ Jewish experiences on campus by creating an educational opportunity for students from all backgrounds to engage in learning experiences specifically for Jewish first year students as they transition to college. 
• Hillel-Wide: Serve as an active member of the broader Student Life Team by staffing Kraft Shabbat Dinners and other Hillel-wide experiences.
• Social Justice: The portfolio for this position may include social justice and social change related initiatives, including an ongoing fellowship for deeper learning and helping students plan community service projects in the neighborhood.

What You’ve Accomplished

Bachelor’s degree required and 0-3 years of relevant work experience

What You’ll Bring to the Job

• Passion for connecting with people from different backgrounds with the goal of building authentic and meaningful relationships
• Excellent communication and active listening skills
• Commitment to Hillel’s pluralistic vision of Jewish life
• Proactive and entrepreneurial approach toward cultivating relationships with under engaged and not yet engaged Jewish students on campus
• Capability to work both independently and as part of a team

What You'll Receive

• Competitive salary in the non-profit marketplace. The salary range for this role is $50,000-55,000, commensurate with experience.
• A comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, Group Supplemental Retirement Annuity (GSRA), pension plan, life insurance, Long Term Disability (LTD), Flexible Spending Plan, generous vacation/sick time, and parental leave
• Great professional development, mentoring, and skill building opportunities
• Travel regionally and abroad
• Dedicated and fun colleagues who will support you along the way

About Columbia/Barnard Hillel

Columbia/Barnard Hillel is an exciting, fast-paced, intellectually rigorous work environment. We are a high energy, dedicated team of professionals committed to enriching the Jewish experience of our students. Columbia/Barnard Hillel serves the undergraduate and graduate Jewish communities of Columbia University, Barnard College, and The Jewish Theological Seminary. There is a large and very active Jewish community based in the Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life and around campus. 

Columbia/Barnard 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.