Director of Student Life at Northwestern Hillel

Director of Student Life

Northwestern Hillel

Role Overview

Make your impact on Jewish student life by joining Northwestern Hillel as the Director of Student Life! In this leadership role, you will think big, empower students, and ensure that Jewish life at Northwestern is engaging, inclusive, and vibrant. You will oversee a dynamic Student Life team, partner closely with student leaders and colleagues, and coordinate complex programs that bring Jewish community to life—from Shabbat and holidays to signature campus-wide events. You will help shape a cohesive student journey that supports students’ growth as leaders, learners, and community members.

Northwestern Hillel is located in the heart of campus in Evanston, Illinois, along the shore of Lake Michigan, just 20 minutes north of downtown Chicago. Northwestern is a world-class university with a diverse, talented, and highly-engaged student body, and Jewish life on campus is thriving.

Core Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Vision

• Lead the strategic vision, implementation, and assessment of all student programs and experiences.
• Partner closely with the Associate Director to translate institutional goals into a high-impact student engagement and programming agenda including long-term planning, calendaring, and resource allocation related to student life.
• Develop a cohesive student life strategy that integrates engagement, programming, relationship-building, learning, immersive experiences, community-building, and Jewish ritual across the academic year – from first-year onboarding through senior leadership and alumni transition.
• Develop and track metrics to evaluate program impact and student leadership growth, using data and feedback to refine offerings and guide future planning aligned with Hillel’s mission.

Student Leadership & Empowerment

• Steward a strong student-led, staff-supported culture that centers student ownership, creativity, and responsibility.
• Supervise and mentor the Hillel (Student) Executive Board, providing structure, coaching, and accountability and support leadership pipelines that build students’ skills.
• Determine overall strategy for and guide and support student-led initiatives and groups across diverse interests, including spiritual life, wellness, Israel engagement, arts and culture, community service, and identity-based communities.

Staff Management & Team Development

• Supervise, mentor, and support a multidisciplinary Student Life team, including the Director of Engagement, Experiences Associate, Israel Fellow, and Chef, and assist with their direct reports as needed, fostering a collaborative and high-performing culture.
• Align staff roles, workflows, and communication to promote clarity, accountability, and effective collaboration across the Student Life team.

Program Oversight & Integration

• Serve as the logistics lead for major Hillel campus-wide programs, including MegaShabbat, the annual Celebrity Speaker event, High Holidays, and Passover, including timelines, budgets, space planning, vendor coordination, staffing, and implementation.
• Provide administrative oversight of Shabbat, holiday, and signature programs, ensuring they are welcoming, well-executed, and aligned with institutional goals, in close collaboration with the Campus Rabbi.
• Ensure that student programs reflect institutional values around inclusion, accessibility, and belonging.
• Help to plan, lead, and implement key educational programming including Jewish Learning Fellowships and other cohort experiences.
• Staff and support immersive experiences including Taglit-Birthright Israel and Alternative Spring Break (ASB) trips, and manage/implement pre- and post-trip engagement and reunion programming.
• Attend and help staff major Hillel student programs, including Shabbat (1–2 times per month), holiday celebrations, and large-scale campus events.

Food, Hospitality, & Jewish Learning Through Food

• Supervise and partner with the Chef to ensure Shabbat and holiday meals and all other food-based programming fulfill Hillel’s overall goals of organizational excellence and advance community-building and Jewish learning.
• Support the development of Jewish educational content and curricula connected to food, ritual, and culture.
• Ensure systems are in place for staffing, food safety, budgeting, and operational sustainability, as well as upholding Hillel’s standards of kashrut and religious observance.

On a day to day basis you might

• Meet with student leaders or a member of the Student Executive Board to coach them through planning a major initiative.
• Have a coffee chat with a first-year student who has expressed interest in becoming more involved in Jewish life on campus.
• Work on a run-of-show and logistics plan for MegaShabbat or the Celebrity Speaker event.
• Coordinate with University partners on room reservations, set-ups, and approvals for upcoming programs.
• Collaborate with colleagues to align engagement strategies, leadership development, and upcoming experiences.
• Spend time in the Hillel building welcoming students and helping cultivate a sense of belonging.

What You’ve Accomplished

• 3–6+ years of professional experience in Jewish communal life, higher education, experiential education, or a related field.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree a plus.
• Demonstrated success in:
  • Building inclusive, pluralistic Jewish communities
  • Mentoring and developing college-aged student leaders
  • Managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders
  • Building strong partnerships within campus environments

What You’ll Bring to the Job

• Passion for working with emerging adults and investing in their growth as Jewish leaders.
• Commitment to pluralism and comfort serving as a Jewish role model and mentor.
• Strong project management, organizational, and communication skills.
• Comfort navigating ambiguity and adapting in a fast-paced campus environment.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with students, colleagues, and partners.
• Strategic thinking and the ability to translate vision into execution.
• A systems oriented mindset and comfort owning a broad functional portfolio.
• An approach that balances a deep commitment to our mission and work with a ready sense of humor.

What You’ll Receive

• Salary Range of $70,000-90,000.
• Time off: 22 days of paid time off, 11 sick days, 8 paid federal holidays, up to 13 paid Jewish holidays, and 6 weeks paid parental leave.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) plan with match and a 403(b) plan.
• Additional health and wellness benefits, financial benefits, professional training, tuition reimbursement, and much more.
• Great professional development, mentoring, and skill-building opportunities as part of the global Hillel movement.
• An ample supply of purple Hillel swag!

About Northwestern Hillel

Northwestern Hillel is a fast-paced, inspiring work environment with a new building at the center of campus. Jewish life is thriving, and Hillel is the center and catalyst for Jewish community at Northwestern University. The professional team is committed to supporting students as they create meaningful Jewish experiences for themselves, their peers, and the broader community.

Northwestern Hillel is part of the Hillels of Illinois, a department of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago (JUF), and 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.