Program Director

Northwestern Hillel

Role Overview

Make your mark on Jewish student life by joining Northwestern Hillel as the Program Director. You will drive Hillel forward by thinking big, empowering students, and creating a warm and inclusive environment for Jewish life on campus. As you lead people and programs you’ll help every student on campus connect to Jewish life. Northwestern Hillel is located in the heart of the Northwestern campus in Evanston, Illinois, situated along the shore of Lake Michigan just 20 minutes north of downtown Chicago.

Northwestern is a world-class university and is renowned for its schools of journalism, theater, business, and law; its Big Ten athletics; and its bright, talented, and diverse student population. Northwestern students are committed to building a well-rounded college experience, balancing their extracurriculars with their academics in strategic and meaningful ways.

The Program Director will serve in a manager role, supervising student leaders, as well as professionals. You will work closely with student leaders to plan our big-scale programs such as our pre-orientation program Schmooze; our annual celebrity speaker event (past speakers include Beanie Feldstein, Monica Lewinsky, and Josh Peck); our big Chanukah bash, Hillel’s annual formal, and MegaShabbat. You will serve as a mentor and role model for Jewish life to students who are already engaged and active in Hillel.

What You’ll Do

• Mentor student leaders in their Jewish growth through one-on-one meetings and group meetings, in order to cultivate a caring and actively inclusive Jewish community
• Oversee all programming that takes place inside the building, in partnership with colleagues and student leaders
• Serve as an advisor for our various Hillel student groups including: ShireiNU a capella, Jewish Theatre Ensemble, Ga’avah Queer Affinity Group, Kadima Social Justice Group, First-Year Students of Hillel, and Challah for Hunger
• Develop key relationships with campus professionals and student organizational partners

On a day to day basis you will

• Have a coffee date with a first year student who has expressed interest in becoming more involved in Jewish life on campus.
• Meet with your colleagues to discuss the challenge of getting the word out about our weekly Shabbat dinner.
• Work on a plan for what social media will look like for an upcoming speaker at Hillel.
• Collaborate with students and other Hillel staff to help shape and develop MegaShabbat.

What You’ve Accomplished

• 4-6 years professional experience in Jewish, experiential or higher education.
• Bachelor’s degree required; Advanced degree is a plus.
• Proven success in:
  • 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 area

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.
• Ownership of your unique Jewish knowledge and experiences and ability to inspire others to be on a Jewish journey.
• Familiarity with higher education and campus settings
• Comfort working independently and collaboratively.
• An entrepreneurial spirit - 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.

What You’ll Receive

• Competitive salary in the nonprofit marketplace. The salary range for this role is $60,000-65,000.
• Time off: Up to 22 days paid time off, up to 10 sick days, 8 paid federal holidays and up to 13 paid Jewish holidays, and 6 weeks paid parental leave.
• Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision insurance. 401(k) with base contribution and Additional health and wellness benefits, financial benefits, professional training, tuition reimbursement, and much more.
• Great professional development, mentoring, and skill-building opportunities as part of the global Hillel movement.
• Reduced summer hours to accommodate for the fast pace of the academic year.
• An unlimited supply of purple Hillel swag.

About Northwestern Hillel

Northwestern Hillel is an exciting, fast-based, inspiring work environment with a brand-new building in the center of campus. Our team, which earned the Hillel International 2018 “Great Place to Work” Award, is a high-energy, dedicated, student-focused staff of professionals committed to enriching Jewish life on campus and beyond. Jewish life is thriving at Northwestern University, and Northwestern Hillel is the center and catalyst for Jewish life on campus.

Northwestern Hillel offers a wide array of opportunities for Jewish students of all backgrounds and interests to connect with Jewish life and their own Jewish story and journey. The professional staff supports students in creating meaningful Jewish experiences for themselves and their peers while they enrich the Jewish community at Northwestern, the campus community, and the world beyond.

Northwestern Hillel is part of the Hillels of Illinois, a department of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago (JUF). JUF is the one organization that impacts every aspect of local and global Jewish life, providing human services for Jews and others in need, creating Jewish experiences and strengthening Jewish community connections.

Northwestern 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.