IACT Birthright Engagement Coordinator
UMass Amherst Hillel
Role Overview
Enrich the lives of Jewish students as the IACT Birthright Coordinator at UMass Hillel, as an integral member of a dynamic and caring staff team at a top employee-rated Hillel. IACT (Inspired, Active, Committed, Transformed) is an initiative that builds on the success of Birthright Israel by offering support and inspiration to students before, during, and beyond the trip. You will oversee a comprehensive engagement strategy dedicated to creating community at the University of Massachusetts Amherst that includes building one on one relationships with students, staffing trips to Israel, and connecting students to Jewish opportunities on campus.
The IACT Coordinator will utilize the experience of travel to Israel to empower students to explore their Jewish identity and find inspiration, connection, and meaning in Jewish life and community. In this role you will meaningfully engage Jewish students from a diverse range of backgrounds, with a special focus on those with little current connection to Hillel and/or Jewish life. You will work with them prior to and after their travel experience to further their personal and professional growth as well as engage them in Jewish life, encouraging them to become involved as leaders and participants in student-organized Jewish programming and groups, and facilitating their participation in existing opportunities on and off campus. You’ll wake up each day (or at least most) genuinely enthusiastic to help students explore, experience, and create vibrant connections to their Jewish identities. This is so much more than your average 9-to-5!
With the evolving war in Israel/Gaza, plans for Birthright trips and the associated roles and responsibilities of the IACT Co ordinator will be adapted as needed. In the event that a trip cannot take place, your work will continue to focus on engaging a diverse range of students on campus, and supporting their exploration of Judaism and Israel, as well as developing a “pre-trip community” that enables students interested in Birthright to connect with each other.
What You’ll Do
- Expand the number of Birthright Israel trip participants from UMass through relationship-building and robust creative recruitment and marketing strategies.
- Engage participants in Jewish life both before and after the trip in the areas of Israel education, community service, and Jewish life and learning. Develop personalized follow-up and individual engagement plans with alumni to deepen students’ connection to Jewish life.
- Work with the UMass Hillel student life team to leverage Birthright Israel participants as a core group through which others are engaged and brought into Jewish activities, thereby helping to transform campus Jewish life.
- Contribute as a full member of the UMass Hillel staff team, including advising and overseeing the activities of student groups, mentoring student leaders, and developing and supporting Jewish student programming.
- Develop and implement creative initiatives to engage students on the margins of Jewish life, meeting them where they are. This could include facilitating ongoing learning, reimagining Shabbat dinner experiences, and partnering with new students to develop their ideas and passions.
What You’ll Bring to the Job
- 0-2 years professional work experience
- Bachelor's degree
- Sales or recruitment experience, either through a job, campus organization, or as a volunteer
- Natural ability to connect with a wide range of students
- Team player and clear communicator
- Ability to manage projects, with many moving parts, to set timetables and adhere to deadlines
- Proven leadership skills
- Interest in professional growth in a team environment
- Comfort presenting in front of groups, outgoing and personable
- Prior travel experience in Israel, and depth of personal connection with Israel and Judaism
- Excellent organizational, written, and verbal communication skills
- Experience with Jewish education and outreach
- Knowledge of Israeli society and culture
What You’ll Receive
- Great professional development, mentoring, and skill building opportunities
- Competitive salary in the nonprofit marketplace, the salary range for this position is $40,000-$45,000
- A comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, Flexible Spending account, generous vacation/sick time, and parental leave
- Travel regionally and abroad, particularly to Israel
About UMass Hillel
UMass Hillel is a vibrant active Hillel, located at the edge of the UMass Amherst campus. We empower students through the vitality of Jewish life to cultivate purposeful, healthy lives and relationships that better our community and world. With over 10 Jewish student groups and a fun and dedicated staff team, UMass Hillel offers a huge range of meaningful programming and opportunities to engage the 2000+ Jewish students of UMass and beyond. We are located in the beautiful college town of Amherst in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts.
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 more than 550 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.
