Job Description for the Director for Jewish Life position. Review job description, requirements, and qualifications. Apply or register interest for the position.

Title: Director for Jewish Life

Position Type: Staff Full-Time

Days Per Week: M-F

Hours Per Week: 40

VP Area: Student Life

Department: Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life

Position Summary

The Director of Jewish Life provides visionary and instrumental leadership for a comprehensive, vibrant Jewish Life experience at Elon University. The Director builds and sustains a Jewish community at Elon where all students feel welcomed, included, and valued for the diverse backgrounds and experiences they bring within and beyond Elon. The priorities for this position include:
• Developing and implementing the strategic mission and goals of Jewish Life at Elon
• Supervising, mentoring, and developing Jewish Life staff team members and student leaders
• Ensuring the financial sustainability of Jewish Life by overseeing fundraising campaigns and the stewardship of the Jewish Life Advisory Council (JLAC)
• Partnering with administrative leaders across the institution in furthering university initiatives and priorities to strengthen inclusive excellence, wellness and well-being, leadership and civic engagement, the first-year experience, student success, and the residential campus experience
• Advocating for the safety, security, and vibrancy of Jewish life on campus

Benefits of Working at Elon

As an Elon University employee, you’ll join an internationally acclaimed university with a commitment to fostering a thriving community. Ranked among the most innovative, creative and best-run universities in the nation, Elon’s personal approach to education extends to employees, whose growth, professional development and success is a hallmark of our training and advancement opportunities.

Elon University’s home is the charming town of Elon, North Carolina, a small, friendly community located a short distance from the beach and the mountains, and among the vibrant cities of Greensboro, Raleigh and Durham. In addition to the beautiful canopy of historic oak trees iconic to our campus, you’ll find boundless opportunities for family-friendly recreation, cultural events and outdoor activities. Hiking, water sports, fine dining and entertainment are just a few of the many happenings in the Elon area, making the region one of the nation’s premier travel destinations.

Employees at Elon enjoy a generous and comprehensive benefits package that includes:
• 28 annual days off, including holidays and vacation
• Immediate tuition remission for undergraduate courses
• Tuition remission for approved graduate-level courses after 12 months of employment
• Retirement plan with an 8 percent contribution from the university
• Immediate eligibility for health, dental and vision insurance, along with free acute care and lab services at our onsite Health & Wellness Clinic
• Free use of campus fitness facilities
• Free admission to musical and theater performances, guest speakers, religious and ethnic observances, recitals, art exhibitions, entertainment and our Division I Phoenix athletics
• Eligibility for tuition remission at Elon for spouses, qualifying domestic partners and dependents begins at two years of service. After two years of employment, eligibility begins for participation in the Tuition Exchange, a national scholarship exchange program that enables dependents to enroll in nationally recognized partner colleges and universities.

Elon values and celebrates the diverse backgrounds, cultures, experiences and perspectives of our community members. As an equal opportunity employer, Elon’s principles of diversity extend to race, gender, age, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, religion, and other aspects of one’s identity. At Elon, our employees respect human differences, have a passion for lifelong learning, emphasize personal integrity, and are committed to an ethic of service.

Elon is proud to have been named to the list of Most Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs each of the past five years. For additional information about working with the Division of Student Life, visit: https://www.elon.edu/u/administration/student-life/about/work-with-us/

Minimum Required Education and Experience

A bachelor’s degree and minimum of 7 years professional experience, preferably in the Jewish community, is required.

Preferred Education and Experience

An earned master’s degree and experience in a college or university setting are both preferred qualifications.

Job Duties

• Departmental and Administrative Oversight 
  • Create and promote a dynamic and innovative mission and vision that guides Jewish Life at Elon University in partnership with all stakeholders, including students, staff, faculty, the Jewish Life Advisory Council (JLAC) ,alumni, parents, and Hillel's Schusterman International Center 
  • Serve as an advocate for and representative of the Jewish community on campus and work cooperatively with appropriate departments and faculty to strengthen Jewish campus life and to fulfill the University's strategic goals of diversity, inclusion, and multifaith engagement 
  • Develop and implement effective departmental meeting and communication structures. 
  • Develop, facilitate and implement effective weekly meetings and communication structures 
  • Serve as a clearinghouse for resources, education, and programming related to Jewish Life 
  • Serve as the key university liaison for the Hillel Israel Fellow and the affiliated ministers who support Chabad, and administer university policies for community ministries related to Jewish Life 
  • Oversee all aspects of facility operations for the Sklut Hillel Center, including student access and building policies 
• Staff and Student Development 
  • Supervise, recruit, hire, train, and assess the job performance of assigned staff – two assistant directors, Jewish educator, associate chaplain for Jewish Life (joint report to the University Chaplain), and student employees and volunteers – which includes developing training experiences and supervision strategies that provide skills, knowledge, and dispositions required to effectively meet established goals and objectives. 
  • Fulfill the mission of Jewish Life at Elon to prepare students for life beyond college by serving as an informal and formal mentor for students and the Jewish Life staff team 
  • Work with staff to develop student leadership and to develop Jewish Life traditions that reflect Elon's unique and particular community 
  • Partner with staff and students to ensure that pluralistic, inclusive, innovative Jewish community and programming is available and accessible on campus and support meaningful Jewish experiences, including holiday and Shabbat observance, Taglit-Birthright Israel trips, alternative spring break service experiences, educational programs, social justice opportunities, etc. 
  • Work with Jewish Life staff to develop student leadership through the Hillel Student Board, SoupWorks, ChallahWorks, the engagement internship program, Jewish Learning Fellowship, and other student organizations, groups, and programs 
• Communications, Marketing, and Admissions
  • Sustain and grow Jewish Life and Elon Hillel's visibility and resources by building and nurturing strong relationships with students, faculty, staff, administrators, parents, alumni, local community members, Hillel International, and donors 
  • Partner with Admissions to welcome prospective and incoming students, host welcome events at Elon and other sites across the US, oversee outreach to incoming and prospective families, greet visiting families and connect them with Elon students 
  • Provide support for ongoing strategic communications and development activities, and work with the assistant director to ensure messaging is consistent and compelling on all the social media and communication platforms for Jewish Life at Elon 
• Financial Resource Development 
  • Provide direct oversight for the Jewish Life budget; includes monitoring the budget, preparation and submission of the annual budget and long-term planning documents/proposals 
  • Ensure the sustainability and growth of the Jewish Life operating budget and endowment funds, including leading and implementing development activities, including solicitations, grant applications, and fundraising campaigns 
  • Partner with University Advancement to develop an active, vibrant, invested and supportive network of alumni donors and parents and ensure the stewardship of donors 
  • Lead the development and growth of the Jewish Life Advisory Council by partnering closely with chairs to structure the board, facilitate productive meetings for JLAC and its three subcommittees, and recruit, vet and onboard new members 
• Additional Responsibilities 
  • Participate as an active member of the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life and Division of Student Life 
  • Represent Elon Jewish Life at the local and national level 
  • Support university events, including, but not limited to: Convocations, Commencement, Family Weekend, and events related to Admissions and/or New Student Orientation 
  • Serve on university, divisional, or departmental committees, task forces, and search committees 
  • Other related duties as assigned by the University Chaplain and Dean of Multifaith Engagement 

Special Instructions to Applicants: The review of applications will begin July 15, 2025 and continue until the position is filled.