Senior Associate, Jewish Life & Learning

Tufts Hillel

Role Overview

Tufts Hillel is seeking a Senior Associate, Jewish Life & Learning to lead core areas of Jewish life and learning on campus. This role plays a central part in shaping how students experience Jewish ritual, learning, and community, and is designed for a Jewish professional with a few years of experience who is ready to take ownership of meaningful program areas and deepen their impact.

The Senior Associate, Jewish Life & Learning serves as a primary Jewish resource for students, bringing Jewish wisdom to life in ways that feel relevant, accessible, and compelling. Grounded in Hillel’s pluralistic values, this role engages students across backgrounds, levels of observance, and prior experience, helping them explore identity, belonging, and purpose.

Working within a collaborative staff team and alongside student leaders, the Senior Associate, Jewish Life & Learning is responsible for envisioning, executing, and continually strengthening Jewish life and learning at Tufts.

What You’ll Do

• Create and curate high-quality experiences for all religious and Jewish educational programs and initiatives, using design thinking and student insight to improve existing offerings and pilot new ideas.
• Coordinate, implement, be present for, and evaluate all aspects of Shabbat and Jewish festival programming and observances on campus.
• Be creative in imagining what Shabbat and Jewish festivals can look like for students from all walks of life and religious persuasions.
• Recruit students to partner in planning and delivery. Ritual responsibilities include but are not limited to: organizing and participating in High Holiday services and Passover seders, as well as creating and leading exciting programming around Hanukah, Tu Bishvat, Purim, Yom ha-Atzma’ut, and Yom ha-Sho’ah.
• Plan and lead Jewish learning opportunities that build students’ confidence, literacy, and curiosity, drawing from diverse Jewish texts, traditions, and contemporary sources.
• Recruit, train, and manage a cohort of student leaders (including Shabbat Fellows or similar roles), setting direction, maintaining accountability, and ensuring consistent delivery of high-quality experiences.
• Build and sustain relationships across the student body, with particular focus on engaging students who are not yet connected to Hillel and translating relationships into participation and leadership.

What You’ve Accomplished

• 2–5 years of relevant professional experience, including fellowships, campus-based roles, or other Jewish communal, educational, or leadership positions.
• Bachelor’s degree required; graduate coursework or a master’s degree in Jewish education, Judaic studies, community organizing, social work, or a related field is a plus.
• Experience building relationships and leading programs or initiatives in a Jewish, educational, or campus setting.
• Demonstrated ability to own and manage program areas from vision through execution, balancing multiple priorities and timelines.
• Musical skills and ru’ach (spirit) are a plus, but not required.

What You’ll Bring to the Job

• A strong foundation of Jewish knowledge, with the ability to draw from experience to connect Jewish wisdom to students’ lived realities.
• Genuine excitement for Jewish ritual, holidays, and community life, and a desire to help students find meaning within them.
• Commitment to Jewish pluralism and comfort engaging students with a wide range of beliefs, practices, and identities.
• You are comfortable making decisions in ambiguous situations, owning outcomes, and following through.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail. You can manage complexity and deliver consistently.
• Excellent interpersonal skills. You are a thoughtful listener, a clear communicator, and someone students feel comfortable approaching.
• A collaborative mindset. You value partnership, welcome feedback, and are comfortable operating as a peer within a professional staff team.
• A solution-oriented approach. You are energized by challenges and motivated to continuously improve your work.

What You’ll Receive

• Competitive salary in the nonprofit marketplace. The salary range for this role is $60,000–$75,000, dependent on the scope of experience and education.
• A comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, pension plan, life insurance, Long Term Disability (LTD), Flexible Spending Plan, generous vacation and sick time, and parental leave.
• Ongoing supervision, feedback, and professional development to support growth as a Jewish educator and campus leader.
• A collaborative, mission-driven team invested in your success.
• Tufts University perks, including gym and library membership.

About Tufts Hillel: The hub of Jewish life on campus

There’s a place for everyone at Tufts Hillel. We provide a warm, welcoming environment where students can dive deep into identity and religious practice; take part in fun events and celebrations; develop lifelong friendships; and work towards making the world a better place. We invite all to engage their curiosity, energy, and intellect – and hopefully have the most meaningful experiences of their college years.

Tufts Hillel’s dedicated team of professionals are here to support the more than 1,200 Jewish undergraduate students at Tufts.

Tufts 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.