Director of Student Engagement

Hillel of Buffalo

Role Overview

Hillel of Buffalo is searching for a Director of Engagement who will spearhead the next chapter of success for Jewish students in Buffalo. The ideal candidate will be familiar with the work of Hillel and be passionate about creating community, engaging students, and developing leaders. Reporting to the Interim Campus Director, the Director of Engagement is responsible for ensuring the strategy and execution of student engagement and program development for Hillel of Buffalo. This position will create meaningful and diverse opportunities for Jewish expression, cultivate and mentor student leaders, develop marketing strategies, and consistently promote a lively, pluralistic Jewish community.

Nestled in the second-largest city in New York, Buffalo has high level academics, great food, music and culture, along with proud residents, where people have put down long-term roots. Who wouldn’t want to live near Niagara Falls, take advantage of all four beautiful seasons, and enjoy major league sporting events (Bills and Sabres)?  You’ll meet students on campus for coffee, volunteering at local agencies across Buffalo, or running in Delaware Park. 

This is a full time role which may include some nights and weekends. 

What You’ll Do

• Mentor student leaders in their Jewish growth through individual meetings and group experiences to cultivate a Jewish community that is caring, diverse, welcoming, and actively inclusive. 
• Design and implement an engagement plan to strategically build relationships. 
• Contribute to program development, manage logistics, and collaborate with student leaders to ensure the execution of Shabbat, holiday celebrations, and small to large-scale events. 
• Collaborate with other university departments and community organizations that support the broader Hillel of Buffalo community. 
• Supervise student leaders and consult with committees who are responsible for engaging their peers in Jewish life on campus. 
• Advise student leaders and student groups in planning, publicity/marketing, implementing, budgeting, and assessing programs and events.   
• Create and oversee all Hillel of Buffalo communications and social media.
• Maintain program attendance records for measurement and ongoing evaluation purposes. 
• Manage and facilitate the Jewish Learning and Kol Yisrael Fellowships.  
• Prepare and write grants for specific Hillel initiatives.
• Other responsibilities as assigned.

What You’ll Bring to the Job

• Bachelor’s degree and 2-4 years of full-time professional work experience. Past experience with the 18-24 demographic or higher education is a plus.
• Confidence in developing and running initiatives and comfort in asking questions. 
• Desire to motivate student leaders to engage their peers, deepen their Jewish identities, and think innovatively about program content and marketing. 
• Exemplary time management skills, including the capacity to juggle competing priorities and deadlines, and to remain flexible within an ambiguous, fast-paced environment. 
• A commitment to pluralism and comfort with your Jewish identity so you may act as a role model and mentor for emerging Jewish adults. 
• Strong interpersonal skills and the desire to work with colleagues across campus in a collaborative way to benefit students. 
• Owning your unique Jewish knowledge and experiences and inspiring others to be on a Jewish journey. 
• Strong written and verbal skills.

What You’ll Receive

• The salary range for this role is $45,000 - $55,000,  depending upon skills, qualifications, and experience.
• Retirement plan, life insurance, long term disability (LTD), vacation/sick time, and parental leave. 
• Professional development, mentoring, and skill building opportunities.
• Generous vacation and sick time. 
• Opportunities for travel throughout the U.S. and to Israel.
• A supportive and committed board of lay leaders.

About Hillel of Buffalo

Hillel of Buffalo is an exciting, accessible, multi-faceted hub of Jewish student life that enhances students’ success with opportunities to gain professional life skills, to learn, grow, and make a difference in ways they find meaningful- all within a culture of acceptance and inclusivity that celebrates the cultural, religious and social aspects of Judaism.

The Hillel office and lounge is on campus, centrally located in the UBCommons, right near Starbucks for easy coffee conversations with students. The staff offices are furnished to accommodate students who stop by to meet with friends, chat, have a snack, attend a program and much more. Of the total enrollment of 30,000 at University of Buffalo, there are approximately 1,500 Jewish students on the beautiful campus in Amherst, NY. Hillel of Buffalo also welcomes Jewish students from the many local colleges and universities in Western New York, including Buffalo State College, Daemen University, Canisius College and Medaille University.

A flagship institution in the State University of New York system, University at Buffalo is the largest and most comprehensive campus in the 64-campus SUNY system. UB is a premier, research-intensive public university dedicated to academic excellence. Its Research, creative activity and people positively impact the world. Like the city we call home, UB is distinguished by a culture of resilient optimism, resourceful thinking and pragmatic dreaming that enable it to reach others every day.

Buffalo’s Jewish Community consists of 10,000 people, nearly 10 synagogues, a robust Jewish Federation, two large Jewish Community Center campuses and a Jewish day school.  Most of the Jewish population now resides in the Buffalo suburb of Amherst, which is home to UB’s main campus, and, which Money magazine named in 2019 “the best place to live in NY state.”  There are many reasons to move to the Buffalo metropolitan area, including restaurants, breweries, hiking, access to two Great Lakes, world-renowned symphony orchestra, a top-rated art museum, several drama companies, and two major league sports teams. Plus, it’s where Buffalo wings were invented! 

Hillel of Buffalo 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.