Engagement Associate

Northwestern Hillel

Role Overview

Make your mark on Jewish student life as the Jewish Life Associate for Engagement at Northwestern Hillel. You will build relationships with students and help inspire them to make a commitment 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. 

As the Jewish Life Associate for Engagement, you will draw out stories from people and help them make connections between their Jewish identity and their passions. You’ll build community through connections with students by way of intentional conversations and creative experiences, and you will think and act strategically, both independently and as part of a team. You will serve as a Jewish young adult role model for our students, and they will be drawn to your approachable, dynamic, and engaging personality and outstanding interpersonal skills. Your talent for active listening will empower others to create their own connections to Jewish life that are meaningful to them. 

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 engage and interest them.  
• Develop and supervise cohorts of students along affinity groups such as LGBTQ+, Greek Students, Athletes, and more.
• Reach currently untapped and underserved populations of Jewish students on campus. 
• Be present at as many events and activities on campus as possible (in and out of the Hillel space) to engage with students on the ground.
• Lead campus-wide recruitment and post-trip engagement for our two (winter and summer) annual Taglit-Birthright Israel trips. You will staff at least one Birthright trip a year.
• Participate as a member of the Hillel staff team in planning and staffing Shabbat and holiday programming.
• Collaborate with the Engagement team to create and implement high-level, meaningful experiences for Jewish students.
• Utilize your personal skills and passions to enhance Hillel’s experiences.

What You’ll Bring to the Job

• 0 -2 years’ professional work experience
• Bachelor's degree
• A strong sense of flexibility, empathy, creativity, and humility.
• Ability to connect with someone no matter how quiet or loud they are, what their Jewish knowledge is, and what they think they know about Hillel.
• Motivated toward fulfilling our mission of connecting every Jewish student at Northwestern to Jewish life and community.
• Flexibility, including the ability to work some nights and weekends as needed.
• Desire to continue developing your own relationship to Judaism.
• Willingness to admit what you don’t know, and excitement to learn in those areas.

What You’ll Receive

• Competitive salary in the nonprofit marketplace. The salary range for this role is $46,000-$48,000.
• Time off: up to 22 days of paid time off (starting with 15), up to 11 sick days (starting with 7), 8 paid federal holidays, up to 13 paid Jewish holidays, and 6 weeks paid parental leave.
• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Prepare for your future: 401(k) plan and a 403(b) plan.
• Additional Benefits: 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.

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 nearly 1,000 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.