Community Engagement Social Worker

Rita Levine Rabin Hillel at Hunter College

Role Overview

In this role, relationship-building and wellness care reinforce each other: the trust you earn and connections you make are how students find their way to support, making Hillel feel like home. As our in-house social worker, you will lead the Wellness Program, connecting students to food, career, and mental health resources while actively building relationships, mentoring student leaders, and welcoming students into Jewish community life. Through this work, you will help students navigate the challenges of college, feel supported in their day-to-day lives, and find meaningful connections to a community where they belong.

What You’ll Do

Student Engagement (about 50%)

• Student Outreach: Build relationships with 75 unique students a year, including 30 per semester not yet engaged in Jewish life, through tabling, lounge time and coffee chats. Track engagement in Hillel's systems and contribute to funder and Hillel International reports.
• Student Leadership: Supervise undergraduate engagement interns and facilitate the monthly student leaders' meeting.
• Program Development: Develop new programs each semester and support Shabbat, late-night and other programming.
• Jewish Learning: Co-facilitate a Jewish Learning Fellowship class each semester, bringing a wellness lens.
• Immersive Experiences: Recruit for Birthright, Perspectives and our annual Shabbaton.
• Digital Presence: Monitor student WhatsApp chats and Hillel social media channels to spot opportunities for connection and identify students who may need individual support.

Student Wellbeing & Support Systems (about 50%)

• Food Access: Run the monthly Met Council grocery program and weekly sliding-scale kosher lunches, assessing need, tracking participation and making referrals.
• Career Services: Coordinate with CommonPoint Queens, organize the annual alumni and seniors career gathering, and run twice-yearly free headshots.
• Student Support: Provide one-on-one short-term support, receive staff referrals, and connect students to mental health care and campus services such as counseling and housing.
• Supervision: Supervise our two MSW interns each year and mentor undergraduate wellness interns.
• Systems and Reporting: Maintain the resource directory, track scholarship and cash assistance with leadership, train staff on serving our students, and report data to UJA-Federation and other funders.

Who You Are

A warm, flexible social worker who would rather be among students than behind an office door. You have a strong New York City network and are ready for the issues our students bring, from food insecurity and job readiness to family crisis and financial literacy. You are as comfortable at a Shabbat dinner as in a one-on-one, and you are open to growing your own relationship to Judaism.

• MSW required; LMSW and SIFI preferred
• Experience with college-age students, ideally in campus, community or youth settings
• Program planning or supervision experience, or a strong interest in learning
• Strong communication, organization and teamwork skills
• Commitment to inclusive, welcoming environments; familiarity with Jewish life a plus, not required

What You’ll Receive

• Starting salary: The salary range for this full-time, exempt role is $85,000-$90,000.
• Health insurance: Hillel pays 85% of individual and 70% of family premiums
• Retirement: 403(b) retirement plan
• Professional development: up to $2,500 a year, plus an annual professional conference and national Hillel cohorts
• Culture: a culture of mutual respect, humor and healthy work-life balance

About Hunter Hillel

Hunter Hillel serves 1,100+ commuter students a year in the heart of New York City, with a goal of reaching every Jewish student on campus. More than half are first-generation born or first-generation college students, many from lower- and middle-income homes, carrying work, family and financial responsibilities far beyond those of typical residential students. Many arrive with little background in Jewish life. We meet their immediate needs first, from food security to a place to simply be themselves, and build from there toward community, leadership and meaningful Jewish connection.

Hunter Hillel 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.