IACT Israel & Community Engagement Coordinator

Texas Hillel Foundation

Role Overview

Texas Hillel is seeking a passionate, motivated, and inspired IACT Israel & Engagement Coordinator to help enrich the lives of students and shape the future of Jewish life on campus. The IACT Israel & Community Engagement Coordinator will possess contagious Jewish passion, entrepreneurial energy, strong leadership, and networking skills. They will work together with the Hillel staff to innovate and develop strategies that will provide opportunities for students to build their Jewish network, connect to Israel and Judaism in personally meaningful ways, and to positively impact each student's Jewish Journey.

The IACT Israel & Community Engagement Coordinator will lead all initiatives to drive and strengthen Texas Hillel’s Birthright Israel and Birthright Israel Onward programs for students at The University of Texas at Austin. The IACT is responsible for the pre- and post-trip student experience, creating a complete and holistic experience that connects students more deeply to Texas Hillel and their own Jewish journey. They will plan and implement an exciting and innovative marketing and recruitment strategy for Winter and Summer Birthright Israel trips in consultation with Texas Hillel staff members, students, and strategic partners, and then staff those trips. This will include building and cultivating authentic relationships with students, creating engaging events, developing brand-centric marketing materials, supervising a team of recruitment interns, and managing an expansive program budget. 

As part of their portfolio, the IACT Israel & Community Engagement Coordinator is also responsible for creating broader opportunities for students to connect with the Jewish community through programming and social media engagement. This includes oversight of the Campus Engagement Internship (CEI) Program with support from the Assistant Director and the Rabbi/Senior Jewish Educator. The IACT will meet with students regularly to assess their needs and help implement their visions for vibrant Jewish life on campus. 

The IACT Israel & Engagement Coordinator will be a member of a national cohort of campus coordinators in the IACT (“Inspired, Active, Committed, Transformed”) initiative. IACT is an initiative that builds on the success of Birthright Israel by offering support and inspiration to students before, during, and beyond the trip. They will be supervised through Texas Hillel and serve as a full member of the Texas Hillel professional team and Jewish Student Life team. The IACT Israel & Engagement Coordinator will also take part in mandatory and optional professional development opportunities, including, but not limited to: semi-annual IACT Conferences, Hillel International Global Assembly, and career-building opportunities like the iCenter’s Birthright Israel Fellows program.

What You’ll Do

• Plan, implement, and lead meaningful, high-impact Birthright Israel trips for the Winter and Summer seasons.
• Increase the number of Birthright Israel trip participants from The University of Texas at Austin through effective recruitment and marketing.
• Engage trip participants in Jewish life at Texas Hillel before, during, after the trip, especially in the areas of Israel education/advocacy, social justice/community service, and Jewish learning.
• Create and maintain a vast network of meaningful, authentic relationships across campus, and transform Jewish life on campus through Birthright Israel and related experiences.
• Supervise student recruitment interns who will support Birthright Israel and Birthright Israel Onward recruitment, engagement, and related administrative tasks.
• Position Texas Hillel as the premier Birthright Israel option for students at The University of Texas at Austin.
• Work with Hillel International’s Onward Israel team to recruit a cohort of 40-50 students to participate in summer internships in Tel Aviv. 
• Oversee the Campus Engagement Internship Program to create a wide range of experiences for students to connect with their Judaism.
• Have a meaningful role with weekly Shabbat programming and Jewish holiday celebrations.
• Co-facilitate Jewish Learning Fellowships with other members of the Jewish Student Life team.
• Reporting to the Assistant Director, collaborate with the full Hillel staff team, and work as a member of the Jewish Student Life team (the program/engagement division of the Hillel staff) to support students and build community in line with Texas Hillel’s mission and vision.

What You’ll Bring to the Job

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 1-3 years of relevant work experience. Experience in community organizing, Hillel, youth movements, camping, Israel education/advocacy, or experiential Jewish education is a plus.
• Excellent role model driven by Jewish values, with a sophisticated understanding of Hillel and Birthright Israel policies and missions.
• Prior Birthright experience and a familiarity with Israel and Judaism. A preference will be given to applicants who have extensive travel experience in Israel. 
• Self-driven and motivated, with energy and enthusiasm for Israel and Jewish engagement and education.
• Proven success in community building and outreach, and previous experience in program visioning and implementation. 
• Natural networker and authentic relationship builder, capable of engaging students in all stages of their college career and a variety of backgrounds, including Greek life and diverse campus communities.
• Outgoing, personable, and comfortable speaking in front of large groups.
• Social media savvy with strong marketing knowledge, and an understanding of how to work with the wider Texas Hillel and Birthright Israel brands.
• Proven leadership skills and ability to be a supportive and loyal team member.
• Ability to see projects through from start to finish every time, with excellent follow-through on projects with many moving parts. 
• Patient, compassionate, and calm under pressure with an understanding of emotional intelligence.
• Able to maintain detailed records, manage high-volume data, and adhere to deadlines and instructions.
• Excellent organizational, written, and verbal communication skills.

What You’ll Receive

• Competitive salary in the non-profit marketplace. The salary range for this position is $46,000-$48,000 depending on experience.
• A comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, retirement plan, Life, AD&D and Long Term Disability (LTD) insurances, Flexible Spending accounts, generous vacation/sick time and parental leave.
• Great professional development, mentoring, and skill-building opportunities. 
• Travel regionally and abroad, particularly to Israel

About Texas Hillel Foundation & Austin, TX

Texas Hillel at The University of Texas at Austin was founded in 1927 and has a long history of community service and programmatic innovation, serving approximately 3,000 Jewish students in the Austin area. The Topfer Center for Jewish Life at the Abe & Annie Seibel building was opened in 2006 and hosts a full array of award-winning student groups and events. Governed by a statewide board of directors, Texas Hillel enjoys strong partnerships with the UT Austin campus and community organizations. Long recognized by Hillel International and The University of Texas at Austin for innovation, Texas Hillel is adjacent to the UT-Austin campus and enjoys a strong partnership with The University and the wider Jewish community. In the words of our current IACT, you might develop a “Texas Hillel superiority complex - burnt will forever be your favorite shade of orange.”

Austin is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States and consistently named one of the top cities to live in. Austin has a young and mobile Jewish community of approximately 20,000. Much of the community’s Jewish life is centered at the Dell Jewish Community Campus in Northwest Hills, including three synagogues, the JCC, a community day school, Federation, and subsidiaries. Austin is the live musical capital of the world, home to SXSW, Austin City Limits, and more. Located in the geographic center of the state, Austin is 200 miles from Dallas and 170 miles from Houston. It offers the amenities of a large city with a distinct flavor that makes Austin unique. Austin is the capital of Texas, and UT-Austin is the flagship campus of the UT System with over 50,000 students, 7% of which are Jewish.

Texas Hillel Foundation 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.