What are the responsibilities and job description for the Volunteer Coordinator position at Simon Wiesenthal Center?
About Us
Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) is a global Jewish human rights organization that confronts antisemitism and hate, defends the safety of Israel and Jews worldwide, and teaches the lessons of the Holocaust through awareness, advocacy, justice, education, and its Museums of Tolerance. With a constituency of over 400,000 member families since its founding in 1977, the SWC has an international footprint through its Museums of Tolerance, Moriah Films, and the Digital Terrorism Hate Project.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, it maintains operations in New York, Chicago, Miami, Toronto, Paris, Berlin, Jerusalem, and Buenos Aires. It is an accredited Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) at the United Nations, UNESCO, the Organization of American States, the Latin American Parliament, and the Council of Europe and maintains relationships with the highest levels of governments throughout the world.
In 1993, the Center opened the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles to worldwide acclaim. The Museum has served as the Center’s flagship educational arm, challenging visitors to confront bigotry and racism, and to understand the Holocaust in both historical and contemporary contexts. In addition, the Center developed Moriah Media to produce theatrical documentaries to educate global audiences. Moriah has produced 17 documentaries to date, two of which have received the Academy Award for best feature documentary, The Long Way Home and Genocide.
About The Role
The Museum of Tolerance (MOT), a division of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, seeks a dynamic and mission-driven Volunteer Coordinator to lead and manage a large, diverse volunteer program. This role is responsible for overseeing the full lifecycle of volunteer engagement—including recruitment, onboarding, training, scheduling, and retention—for hundreds of volunteers, interns, and high school students who support departments across the organization.
In addition, this position plays a critical role in coordinating and supporting Holocaust survivor engagement, ensuring their experiences are handled with care, respect, and operational excellence. The Volunteer Coordinator will help foster meaningful connections between survivors, volunteers, staff, and visitors.
This is a highly collaborative, people-centered role that requires strong organizational leadership, emotional intelligence, and a commitment to education, remembrance, and social impact.
About You
You are passionate about education, storytelling, and creating impactful experiences for diverse audiences. You thrive in fast-paced environments, are highly organized, and enjoy working with people from all backgrounds. You bring empathy, professionalism, and initiative to your work, especially when engaging with sensitive historical content and survivor communities.
Key Responsibilities
Volunteer Program Management
Qualifications & Skills:
We value our people and offer a collaborative and engaging culture. As a SWC employee, you will enjoy work/life balance, generous time off and comprehensive benefits and programs. The Simon Wiesenthal Center embraces inclusivity and values our diverse community. We are committed to building a team based on qualifications, merit, and business need. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) is a global Jewish human rights organization that confronts antisemitism and hate, defends the safety of Israel and Jews worldwide, and teaches the lessons of the Holocaust through awareness, advocacy, justice, education, and its Museums of Tolerance. With a constituency of over 400,000 member families since its founding in 1977, the SWC has an international footprint through its Museums of Tolerance, Moriah Films, and the Digital Terrorism Hate Project.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, it maintains operations in New York, Chicago, Miami, Toronto, Paris, Berlin, Jerusalem, and Buenos Aires. It is an accredited Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) at the United Nations, UNESCO, the Organization of American States, the Latin American Parliament, and the Council of Europe and maintains relationships with the highest levels of governments throughout the world.
In 1993, the Center opened the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles to worldwide acclaim. The Museum has served as the Center’s flagship educational arm, challenging visitors to confront bigotry and racism, and to understand the Holocaust in both historical and contemporary contexts. In addition, the Center developed Moriah Media to produce theatrical documentaries to educate global audiences. Moriah has produced 17 documentaries to date, two of which have received the Academy Award for best feature documentary, The Long Way Home and Genocide.
About The Role
The Museum of Tolerance (MOT), a division of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, seeks a dynamic and mission-driven Volunteer Coordinator to lead and manage a large, diverse volunteer program. This role is responsible for overseeing the full lifecycle of volunteer engagement—including recruitment, onboarding, training, scheduling, and retention—for hundreds of volunteers, interns, and high school students who support departments across the organization.
In addition, this position plays a critical role in coordinating and supporting Holocaust survivor engagement, ensuring their experiences are handled with care, respect, and operational excellence. The Volunteer Coordinator will help foster meaningful connections between survivors, volunteers, staff, and visitors.
This is a highly collaborative, people-centered role that requires strong organizational leadership, emotional intelligence, and a commitment to education, remembrance, and social impact.
About You
You are passionate about education, storytelling, and creating impactful experiences for diverse audiences. You thrive in fast-paced environments, are highly organized, and enjoy working with people from all backgrounds. You bring empathy, professionalism, and initiative to your work, especially when engaging with sensitive historical content and survivor communities.
Key Responsibilities
Volunteer Program Management
- Lead the recruitment, screening, onboarding, and placement of volunteers and interns across departments
- Develop and manage volunteer schedules to ensure consistent coverage and high-quality visitor experiences
- Provide ongoing supervision, mentorship, and support to volunteers, including regular office hours and check-ins
- Build a positive, inclusive, and engaging volunteer culture that promotes retention and growth
- Design, coordinate, and facilitate comprehensive onboarding and ongoing training programs
- Collaborate with education staff and subject matter experts to deliver relevant, mission-aligned content
- Maintain training materials and integrate modern learning tools and formats (e.g., digital resources, hybrid sessions)
- Coordinate logistics and scheduling for Holocaust survivors participating in programs and events
- Serve as a primary point of contact to ensure survivors are supported with dignity, care, and respect
- Work closely with internal teams to align survivor participation with program goals and audience needs
- Maintain accurate volunteer records, schedules, and hour tracking using database systems
- Generate reports on volunteer engagement, participation, and program effectiveness
- Ensure compliance with organizational policies, procedures, and documentation requirements
- Manage regular communications, including newsletters and updates to volunteers
- Develop and implement strategies to recruit new and diverse volunteer audiences
- Represent MOT at community events, schools, and partner organizations as needed
- Plan and execute volunteer appreciation and recognition initiatives
- Support MOT programs, special events, and new program development
- Collaborate across departments to align volunteer support with institutional priorities
- Perform other duties as assigned
Qualifications & Skills:
- 2–4 years of experience in volunteer management, nonprofit operations, or human resources
- Experience working in education, museums, or mission-driven organizations preferred
- Demonstrated ability to manage large groups and coordinate complex schedules
- Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to engage diverse populations across ages and backgrounds
- Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills
- Highly organized with strong attention to detail and problem-solving abilities
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and familiarity with volunteer/database management systems
- Ability to handle sensitive subject matter with professionalism and empathy
- Self-motivated, adaptable, and able to work both independently and collaboratively
We value our people and offer a collaborative and engaging culture. As a SWC employee, you will enjoy work/life balance, generous time off and comprehensive benefits and programs. The Simon Wiesenthal Center embraces inclusivity and values our diverse community. We are committed to building a team based on qualifications, merit, and business need. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.