Director of Graduate Student Life, Boston University Hillel

BU Hillel

Are you interested in a career filled with meaning and purpose, with opportunities that will stretch and grow you as a professional and leader? Join Boston University Hillel as Director of Graduate Student Life and embark on a structured development plan and career progression designed to prepare you for senior leadership at BU Hillel or elsewhere in the nonprofit world. BU Hillel serves more Jewish students than any private university in the United States. In this growth-oriented role you will lead the graduate student life pillar, serving roughly 2,000 Jewish graduate students across BU’s 17 graduate schools and 373 programs. This position is ideal for someone passionate about advancing our mission and ready to develop into a senior leader (Assistant Director, Associate Director, or Executive Director) within BU Hillel or the broader Jewish organizational world.

This role reports to the Executive Director and works closely with the CEO and COO.

Growth, coaching, and professional development We are committed to your growth. You will receive:

• Weekly 1:1s with the Executive Director.
• Regular coaching and mentoring sessions with the CEO and COO.
• Access to a professional coach in year two of your tenure.
• Introductions to mentors across the Boston Jewish community and within the Hillel movement globally.
• Ongoing training from BU Hillel and Hillel International in programmatic, educational, and leadership skills to prepare you for senior roles.

What you’ll do 

Graduate student life strategy and execution

• Build and implement a comprehensive strategic engagement plan for ~2,000 Jewish graduate students across campus.
• Serve as both architect and solo practitioner: design programs, run day-to-day work, and evaluate impact.
• Oversee religious life programming: Shabbat dinners and services, holiday programs, Israel-related events, and ritual leadership.
• Teach and lead Jewish learning seminars, centering Jewish text and values; collaborate with senior rabbinic leadership on curriculum and content.
• Receive training and mentorship to prepare for advancement into senior leadership.
  
  

Student engagement and outreach

• Lead marketing and communications for BU Hillel student life team (emails, social media, website) and supervise interns.
• Own outreach across all 17 graduate schools and partner with college staff and student groups.
• Conduct daily 1:1 meetings with graduate students for onboarding, retention, and relationship-building.
• Recruit, mentor, and support student leadership cohorts (e.g., engagement interns).
• Guide students in launching passion projects and campus initiatives.
• Manage and analyze CRM data to measure engagement and inform growth strategies.
  
  

Jewish life and learning

• Develop, recruit for, and teach 2–3 Jewish learning fellowship classes per semester.
• Integrate Jewish education into social and cultural programming campus-wide.
• Organize monthly Shabbat dinners at Hillel and in student homes/apartments.
• Plan holiday services, meals, and celebrations for graduate students (High Holidays, Sukkot, Chanukah, Purim, Pesach, etc.).
• Serve as ritual leader for kiddush, motzi, Shabbat services, and other practices.
  
  

Day-to-day examples

• Meet students for coffee or meals to learn priorities and co-create plans.
• Design and run engagement programs across diverse graduate schools and disciplines.
• Convene conversations with student leaders of diverse backgrounds to build partnerships.
• Use 1:1 conversations and CRM insights to scale programs with depth and reach.
• Work evenings/weekends for Shabbat and holiday support as needed.
• Participate in professional development and lead Jewish learning sessions.

Who you are

We seek an organized, driven, mission-focused professional with experience leading Jewish community engagement, educational, or programmatic initiatives, strong project and people management skills, and the ability to inspire commitment and action. We welcome candidates from a variety of backgrounds—Jewish organizations, higher education/student affairs, philanthropy, community organizing, social services, and for-profit sectors. This role is especially well suited to professionals from the for-profit sector who enjoy fast-paced, results-oriented environments and seek more meaning and purpose; applicants from nonprofit and Jewish communal backgrounds are also strongly encouraged to apply.

• 3–5 years of professional experience preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree required; graduate degree preferred (e.g., Jewish studies, rabbinic training, education, social work, business, nonprofit management).
  
  

What you’ll gain

• High-level professional development and leadership training to prepare you for senior roles.
• Mentoring and career coaching during and after your tenure.
• A broad network of colleagues throughout the Hillel movement and the Boston Jewish community.
• Travel opportunities domestically and internationally.
• A comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, Tax Deferred Retirement Plan, Life/AD&D and Long-Term Disability, Flexible Spending Plan, generous vacation/sick time, and parental leave.
• Salary: $60,000–$80,000, depending on experience.
  
  

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 graduate students. Demonstrated ability to support and advance BU Hillel’s mission is important in this role.

Hillel is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an accepting and inclusive environment for all.

How should candidates apply? Email a cover letter and resume to

esobel@bu.edu

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, natural or protective hairstyle, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, or because of marital, parental, or veteran status. We are a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.