Boston University Springboard Innovation Fellow

Role Overview

Do you dream of a job where you get to design and create new strategies, while making a meaningful impact in the world? Become an Innovation Specialist as part of the Springboard Fellowship, a project of Hillel International! Boston University is home to 4,000 Jewish undergraduates. Make your mark on Jewish student life by joining Boston University Hillel as its Springboard Innovation Fellow. The Fellow will focus most mentoring BU Hillel’s 190+ student leaders, planning its signature events welcoming 2,500 students per year and mentoring specific internships. This position reports to the Managing Director, and is part of a cohort of six other engagement focused staff Fellows. This position asks for a 2-year commitment to this position and BU Hillel. Reimagine — and redesign — Jewish life on campus.

As an Innovation Specialist, you’ll be trained in the Design Thinking methodology to spark new ideas, to connect with students, and to infuse creativity into all aspects of Hillel’s work. In this role, you need to be a creative thinker who embraces challenges, takes risks, fails, and learns from the past, while maintaining your passion and sense of humor.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!

As an Innovation Fellow, a typical day may include:

• 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.
• Meeting with a group of students to understand their backgrounds and work with them to radically reimagine and redesign Jewish life on their terms. 
•  Hosting a brainstorming session on the sidewalk outside the student center in order to develop ideas that fill the gap in Hillel programming on campus. 
•  Prototyping a new way to arrange the Hillel building in order to make it more welcoming for students. 
•  Mentoring a student club, group, or leader on an upcoming initiative/event/program
• Participating in a professional development webinar.
• Teaching and facilitating Jewish learning through our award winning Jewish Learning Fellowship classes

Who you are:

• You’re always reimagining the ordinary and thinking about ways to repurpose or make things better.
• You think big and creatively – to you, everything is a possibility and nothing is too big to tackle.
• You’re a relationship builder and can’t get off an airplane without meeting someone new and learning a lot about their interests and passions.
• You are comfortable with pivoting and being able to look at something, realize that the direction you were going was completely wrong, and adapt your plan.
• You’re a risk taker who thrives on solving problems with an entrepreneurial spirit and not being afraid of trying something new.
• You are a recent college grad with professional, extracurricular or volunteer experience, or an educational focus in innovation, entrepreneurship, design thinking or a related field.
• You’re passionate and excited about Jewish life & college students, and understand why some students might not want to get involved with Jewish life.
• You thrive on learning and have a proven track record of entrepreneurship and risk-taking.

What you’ll get out of it:

• High-level professional development to help develop core skills in experiential education, including learning from some of the most innovative organizations in Jewish education today.
• Intensive Jewish summer and year-long learning experiences that will provide you with the knowledge, passion, and critical tool kit to fuel your work building our Jewish communities.
• Mentoring and career coaching to help you during and after your Fellowship.
• A network of terrific colleagues from across the Hillel movement.
• Travel opportunities, both domestically and internationally, multiple times per year (if permitted following COVID-19 safety guidelines).
• 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 base salary of $42,000 in year 1 and $44,500 in year 2

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 2,000 Jewish 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.