Director of Engagement at Brody Jewish Center, Hillel at the University of Virginia

Director of Engagement

Brody Jewish Center, Hillel at the University of Virginia

Role Overview

Make your mark on Jewish student life by joining the Brody Jewish Center, Hillel at the University of Virginia, as the Director of Engagement. As Director of Engagement, you will be responsible for the development and implementation of the overall student engagement strategy for the BJC, which seeks to connect students at UVA to the Hillel at UVA community. 

You live and model a passionately Jewish life, are a master relationship builder, understand the makeup of the Jewish community at UVA, possess extremely high emotional intelligence, and thrive being “in it” with those you’re serving. You will utilize these skills to supervise our Springboard Innovation Fellow, coach student leaders through engagement work, and actively develop relationships with the wide breadth of Jewish students at UVA. 

You will be the primary staff member responsible for embracing and implementing our values of:

1. Knowing every student by name and story.
2. Creating pluralistic, welcoming, and inclusive communities
3. Fostering students' intellectual, social, and emotional growth

As Director of Engagement, you’ll drive Hillel forward by applying relationship-based engagement, positive energy, passion, and creativity to your work. You’ll develop and oversee the implementation of the Brody Jewish Center’s engagement strategy, supervise student interns, coach them in their engagement goals, and contribute to the overall vision for supporting and growing our student community. 

What You’ll Do

• Develop and manage the implementation of the Brody Jewish Center’s overall engagement strategy, bringing in various staff members to help move the strategy forward throughout the year. 
• Manage data collection and analysis to better understand the BJC’s impact on students month-to-month, sharing that data with staff to help direct their efforts to engage students.
• Oversee the First Year Experience (FYE) Cohort of student interns, ensuring that the BJC continues to grow a robust incoming/first year student experience and develop an engaged, consistent, and vibrant class that will sustain connection all four years.
• Supervise the Springboard Innovation Fellow, coaching them as a new professional and helping them test innovative strategies that will help meet engagement goals of the BJC, specifically in the less engaged student demographics. 
• Manage special events throughout the year with a focus on breadth programming and engaging new and less active students, often in collaboration with other staff and student leaders. These projects might include large-scale Shabbat experiences, Bagels on the Lawn, Welcome Week, Camp WaJew, Lawnukkah, Matzo Ball, etc. 
• Work with the Director of Israel Engagement & Global Jewish Experience to carry out the recruitment plan for Immersive experiences, understanding that immersives are a major entry point for engagement. 
• Engage in meaningful one-on-one and small group conversations focused on getting students to feel comfortable and excited about participating in BJC events and programs. 
• Provide leadership in marketing, public relations, and promotional activities as appropriate, including student social media engagement, to help more students connect with the BJC.

On a day to day basis you will

• Meet 1:1 (or in small groups) with students on Grounds, focusing outreach and engagement on those who have been seen 0-3 times each year. 
• Mentor, manage, and support the Springboard Innovation Fellow, helping them to connect their day-to-day responsibilities with the larger BJC engagement strategy and ensuring that their work is consistent, professional, and strategic. 
• Coach, train, and advise FYE interns so they, in turn, build a strong first-year class that is connected to the BJC community. 
• Lead the charge on large-scale event preparation, bringing in necessary student interns and staff members to collaborate on projects and ensure the timely execution of each major event
• Oversee student operations systems (RSVP system, catering, and communications), and manage social media engagement via student newsletters and social media accounts, highlighting the relationships, events, and opportunities available to the student community and larger community. 
• Direct team members on weekly social media engagement opportunities unique to their professional platform and hold team members accountable for virtual engagement strategies.  
• Routinely track and assess student participation data using the HEART database system, and use this information to tell a story about where staff and student interns can be making an impact on less engaged students.

What You’ll Bring to the Job

• 2+ years of experience in Jewish nonprofit, student engagement, events management, or a related field.
• Being a master relationship builder and connector. 
• A generative and strategic mind! You’re prepared to look at student impact data and trends and use that to drive student engagement strategy forward. 
• A deep passion for building pluralistic Jewish communities and creating a welcoming, vibrant, and deeply enriching Jewish environment on and around campus 
• A genuine curiosity about people and a desire to understand who they are and what they find meaningful
• An ability to be agile and to change course as needed with a positive attitude. 
• Comfort managing and executing multiple projects at once. 
• Clear and concise spoken and written communication skills. 
• Willingness to mentor and help student leaders grow, and an eye for cultivating student leadership. 
• Comfortability with working as part of a dynamic team as well as independently

What You’ll Receive

• Competitive salary in the non-profit marketplace. The salary range for this role is $60,000-$65,000
• A comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, Group Supplemental Retirement Annuity (GSRA), pension plan, life insurance, Long Term Disability (LTD), Flexible Spending Plan, generous vacation/sick time, and parental leave.
• Great professional development, mentoring, and skill-building opportunities, attending at least one professional conference a year
• Flexibility in scheduling and during student breaks
• Opportunities for international travel at least 1x a year.

About Brody Jewish Center

BJC seeks to empower Jewish students to engage with their tradition in relevant and meaningful ways and to inspire a lifelong relationship with Judaism and the Jewish people.  BJC serves more than 1,000 undergraduate Jewish students, and more than 500 Jewish graduate students at the University. The Jewish community at the University of Virginia is thriving. BJC is an organization for students and run by students. Students at BJC are actively involved in visioning and programming, and they are true partners in the work of creating Jewish community at UVA.

Brody Jewish Center 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.

About Charlottesville

Just a 2-2.5 hour car or train ride from the DC area, and nestled at the foot of the Shenandoah National Park, Charlottesville is a great place to live for those looking for local charm, a lower cost of living, friendly people, access to the outdoors, all while still offering a small city feel . UVA is one of Charlottesville's biggest attractions, with excellent and accessible sporting events, a vibrant graduate student community, and rich history, but the city has so much else to offer. Known for its wineries, breweries, food scene, coffee scene, book and film festivals, run clubs, historical landmarks, hiking, and other recreational activities, it’s easy to spend a weekend in Charlottesville getting a little taste of everything! 

Charlottesville’s Jewish community is small but active and offers a local synagogue, a Chabad House, Hillel, a Jewish preschool, a young adult Jewish community, and more.