Job Description

Assistant Director

University of Kansas Hillel

Role Overview

Make your mark on Jewish student life by joining KU Hillel as our next Assistant Director. This senior staff member is a passionate Jewish leader who prioritizes creating student-led, innovative, and meaningful programs, experiences, and communities on campus. You will inspire students and staff to dream big, as you empower them to make those dreams a reality. You’ll have meaningful ownership over strategy and implementation across all aspects of our student-facing operations. KU Hillel strives to foster a pluralistic community where students explore and own their Jewish journeys.

The University of Kansas is an exciting melting pot of undying school pride— be that through sports like KU Jayhawk Basketball, love for our beautiful campus up on the hill, or connection to the micro-communities they see as family. KU Hillel staff meet students where they are, building Jewish community all across campus life. We seek a proven professional who leads with passion, empathy, and curiosity and who approaches the world with nuance, humor, and always puts people first. We welcome candidates from student affairs, higher education, nonprofit leadership, religious education, and other related fields. 

What You’ll Do

Strategy & Leadership

• In partnership with the ED, develop and drive a strategy for expanded student engagement.
• Develop a broad-spectrum approach to student leadership with multiple entry points for engagement.
• Be the leading voice and active model for building authentic relationships with students and fostering a welcoming, pluralistic environment that celebrates the Jewish students who call KU home. 

Communication & Education

• Champion Jewish learning and identity exploration through student-driven experiences.
• Oversee and implement a communications & marketing plan to creatively reach students in as many ways as possible. 
• Oversee organizational communications, marketing, and program calendars.

Supervision & Management

• Supervise a team of 2-3 employees and 8-10 student interns. Support staff in leveraging their strengths and interests into new opportunities.
• Support staff in leveraging their strengths and interests into new opportunities.

Operations & Administration

• Oversee and manage a six-figure program budget and support grant opportunities.
• Help maintain financial accountability by helping with daily operations and monthly financials. 
• Contribute to grant writing, development planning, and campus partnerships.
• Improve systems and operational efficiency.

Who You Are

• You’re A Relationship-Builder: You thrive on meeting new people, understanding their interests, and forging meaningful connections.
• You’re A Mentor & Role Model: You mentor and develop emerging leaders with empathy and clarity.
• You’re an Educator & Facilitator: You facilitate thoughtful conversations and learning spaces.
• You’re A Creative and Bold Thinker: You reimagine the ordinary, think big, and embrace a risk-taking, entrepreneurial spirit.
• You’re an Organized Self-Starter: You are organized, proactive, and detail-oriented, while still taking time to dream about new opportunities. 

What You’ll Bring to the Job

• Bachelor's degree required. Master’s degree or relevant certificates preferred. 
• 3-5 years of experience in leadership development, relationship-based engagement, or Jewish educational programming, or adjacent fields. Transferable skills make a difference!
• Experience supervising professional staff/teams and/or facilitating leadership development for young adults.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to effectively communicate with a variety of stakeholders.
• Commitment to pluralism and comfort in engaging with Jewish life and community.
• Ability to work some evenings, weekends, and Jewish holidays to support student life.
• Primarily in-person in Lawrence, KS, with limited remote flexibility during the academic year. Staff frequently choose to live in nearby Kansas City. A monthly transportation stipend is offered to help offset expenses.
• Familiarity with Google Suite, Canva, and social media marketing platforms is a plus.

What You’ll Receive

• Competitive salary in the nonprofit marketplace. The salary range for this role is $70,000-$80,000 , commensurate with experience.
• Monthly transportation stipend. 
• Monthly cell phone stipend.
• Relocation support of up to $2500 for those moving to the area
• 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.
• High-level professional development to help develop core skills and gain expertise from changemakers, engagers, and Jewish life experts.
• Mentoring and career coaching to help you during and after your position
• A network of terrific colleagues from across the Hillel movement. 
• Travel opportunities, both domestically and internationally, multiple times per year.

About KU & Lawrence, Kansas City, and Our Community

KU Hillel proudly serves more than 1,000 Jewish Jayhawks with a dynamic professional team and strong community partnerships. KU Hillel is a student-centric, data-informed team committed to dreaming big, entrepreneurial thinking, and creating new and exciting opportunities to build student leadership, provide pre-professional training, and build a sense of belonging on campus.

Kansas City and Lawrence are incredible places to live:

• Kansas City is a major metropolitan area with a population of over 2.2 million, while Lawrence offers a true college-town atmosphere with about 100,000 residents, blending cultural energy with a more relaxed pace of life.
• Both Kansas City and Lawrence are highly livable communities, featuring all the cultural amenities of a big city, with the midwestern hospitality that makes you feel at home.
• Kansas City is a cultural hub for the arts and museums, and home of the very best barbecue in the world. Kansas Citians are passionate about our hometown teams, the beloved Chiefs and Royals, and KC is considered the Soccer Capital of the USA. 
• Lawrence is home to the University of Kansas, where we “bleed crimson and blue” every day. The place where basketball was born, you can travel the world in Jayhawks gear, and be proudly greeted with “Rock Chalk Jayhawk,” a welcome sign that you’re in good company.

**Interested candidates willing to relocate to Kansas are encouraged to use Jewish Federation’s See KC program as a resource to learn more about living in Kansas City and our incredible Jewish community. Kansas City boasts a thriving Jewish community of more than 20,000, including an incredible group of young professionals living in and around the KC Metro Area.**

The University of Kansas (KU) is centered in Lawrence, Kansas. Today, Lawrence remains a crossroads of culture, celebrating the artists and innovators that populate its history and create an unmistakable identity.  So, too is the spirit of the Jayhawks that powers KU. KU is the state’s flagship institution, home to innovative research and the constant pursuit of knowledge. 

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.

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