Executive Director

San Francisco Hillel

Role Overview 

As the executive director of San Francisco Hillel, you will oversee the vision for Jewish campus life and build and sustain a community of excellence. 

Located in one of the world's most vibrant and beautiful cities, San Francisco Hillel has been building Jewish campus life for a richly diverse student population across the city for more than 70 years. Based near the campus of San Francisco State University, we serve the nearly 1,500 Jewish undergraduates and 500 graduate students at San Francisco State, University of San Francisco, UC Hastings School of Law, and UCSF School of Medicine. 

San Francisco Hillel’s mission is to enrich the lives of Jewish university students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world. We support students in creating community, exploring their Jewish values, and asking the questions that matter to them most. As the executive director, you will work to ensure Jewish life is welcoming, non-judgmental, and life-changing. We provide students with a vibrant, diverse community in which they can bring their whole selves, while learning about Jewish customs, rituals, and values.

For several years, many Jewish students have been discriminated against and have had their Jewish identity stigmatized and politicized on campus. You will serve as their chief advocate in working with campus administrators, student government representatives, and local partner organizations to ensure that Jewish students are as included and welcomed on campus as any other group. 

This is a pivotal moment for the organization as we have launched a capital campaign to fully renovate and modernize the Hillel facility located near the campus of San Francisco State University. The forty-year-old building needs to better accommodate larger student gatherings, become accessible to anyone with a mobility disability, and provide an improved layout for staff offices and meeting rooms. The nearly $7 million campaign will fund the renovation and a new endowment to sustain building operations and new programs. 

San Francisco Hillel’s dynamic and highly effective professional team includes an assistant director, who oversees a student life program team of two Springboard Fellows and an Israel education & experience coordinator; a director of operations & finance; and a community engagement manager, who oversees fundraising operations. You will have the opportunity to expand Hillel’s capacity to serve more students by increasing the annual campaign and hiring additional student-facing staff.

Under your leadership, San Francisco Hillel will flourish as a Hillel of excellence in partnership with key stakeholders. You’ll chart a path for San Francisco Hillel and develop key resources to help students thrive. The successful candidate possesses a high level of broad leadership and management skills and is effective at generating resources and financial support for the organization. You’ll be excellent in this role if you are passionate about leading a team, setting the strategic vision for your Hillel, developing human and financial resources, supporting students, and strengthening the ties between Hillel and your community. 

What You’ll Do: 

Strategic Planning, Vision, and Leadership

• Develop, articulate and promote a dynamic and innovative vision and mission for Jewish life in partnership with all stakeholders, including students, staff, faculty, Board of Directors, alumni, parents, and Hillel International.

• Ensure that resources match the mission and vision in implementing new initiatives and sustaining ongoing programs.

• Partner with staff and students to create pluralistic, inclusive, innovative Jewish education and programming on campus, engaging with and encouraging students to develop a meaningful and enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning, and Israel.

• Ensure that multiple points of entry to and involvement in Jewish life thrive.

• Work with the Board of Directors and its committees to create and implement a strategic plan and vision for San Francisco Hillel.

• Participate in the creation and take responsibility for the implementation of all board policies and staffing of all board committees.

• Partner with Hillel International to ensure that San Francisco Hillel incubates initiatives and remains committed to the global vision of the Hillel movement.

Fundraising 

• Create, drive, and oversee a fundraising strategy that leverages the local and national network of community members, alumni, and parents to support the multi-campus San Francisco Hillel system.

• Develop and implement a robust multi-faceted annual development plan.

• Personally engage in fundraising with major donors and grant organizations as well as develop additional revenue sources. 

Staff Supervision & Development

• Inspire, develop, supervise, and mentor a professional staff team that delivers on a vision of pluralism, inclusivity, and student leadership development in order to deepen students’ relationships to Jewish life, Jewish learning, and Israel. 

• Work closely with the senior leadership team to ensure success at every level of the organization..

• Establish a culture of professional development and growth.

Stakeholder Relations

• Exhibit organizational and communal leadership by cultivating relationships with all stakeholders, including student and university leaders, Jewish community leaders in San Francisco and beyond, as well as alumni and parents across the country. 

• Serve as San Francisco Hillel’s primary spokesperson to the organization’s constituents, the media, and the general public, engaging the community in the importance of Hillel’s mission and purpose.

• Create a culture of shared responsibility and engagement among members of the board of directors and cultivate relationships with prospective board members who can provide generative and strategic leadership.

• Ensure the student engagement strategy is dynamic, inclusive, and successful in meeting its goals.

• Have your pulse on the changing needs of Jewish college students, Jewish identity development, and campus climate.

Financial Management

• Ensure the fiscal integrity of San Francisco Hillel, including compliance, accurate and timely submission of a proposed annual budget and financial statements to the Board.

• Manage all the financials responsibly, operating within the approved budget, ensuring maximum resource utilization, and keeping the organization in a positive financial position.

What You’ve Accomplished

• Led organizations or programs with a proven and measurable track record of innovation and sustainable growth. 

• Managed and supervised a team of professionals in an exemplary manner to accomplish their best work and develop their potential. 

• Successfully partnered with a non-profit board of directors, granting foundations, and grant issuing organizations. 

• Ensured sound financial management practices including budgeting and cost controls.

• Demonstrated personal fundraising experience cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors,

• Executed against a strategic plan for an organization or projects, with measurable goals, and successfully implemented and evaluated that plan. 

• Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree preferred. We will consider a range of candidates’ experiences and credentials.

What You’ll Bring to the Job

• Charismatic leadership with a drive for success, resilience, and adaptability.

• An attitude of proactive communication and collaboration across offices and agencies.

• Solid organizational skills, including planning, attention to detail, multitasking, and prioritization.

• Capacity to create space for a diversity of perspectives and allow all voices of students and staff to be heard. 

• Strong entrepreneurial spirit with proven fundraising and financial management skills. 

• An inspiring presence which will help others to deepen their interest in Jewish life and the ability to listen to and build relationships with college students.

• Strong relationship building skills and comfort working with diverse populations different from your own.

• A nuanced understanding of Judaism, Israel, and antisemitism in a way that is approachable and meets students at various points in their personal Jewish journey. 

• A joyful spirit and enthusiasm for the work of community building.

What You’ll Receive:

• Competitive salary in the non-profit marketplace. The salary range for this role is $130-$160,000 depending upon skills, qualifications, and experience.

• Retirement plan, life insurance, long term disability (LTD), vacation/sick time, and parental leave. 

• Professional development, mentoring, and skill building opportunities.

• Opportunities for travel throughout the U.S. and to Israel.

• A supportive and committed board of lay leaders. 

About San Francisco Hillel

San Francisco Hillel welcomes students of all backgrounds to connect with their Jewish peers through Shabbat and Holiday celebrations, Social Justice service, Jewish learning, travel to Israel, and Israel education and advocacy, hanging out at the Hillel House, and so much more. We envision a world where every student is inspired to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life, values, and learning, and to develop a thoughtful, meaningful connection to Israel.

We believe in the inherent worth, value, humanity, and dignity of each person. As Jewish tradition teaches, each of us is created b'tzelem Elohim, in the Divine image. To that end, we are committed to pluralistic Jewish life on campus, a diverse workforce, and the values of inclusivity. We embrace all the identities, experiences, and backgrounds each person brings. We respectfully welcome students, professionals, and community members of all abilities, races, ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds, gender identities, sexual orientations, observances, and interfaith backgrounds, so that we can work together to contribute to, and experience the full richness of, Jewish life and community.

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.

If you have any questions about this role please contact: 
Merrie Gebhardt – Director, Executive Talent Management, Hillel International.