Elijah Fellowship Program Manager

Description

About Hebrew Union College 
 
Founded in 1875, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is North America's leading institution of higher Jewish education and the academic, spiritual, and professional leadership development center of Reform Judaism. 

HUC-JIR educates leaders for service to American and world Jewry as rabbis, cantors, experts in Jewish education, and Jewish nonprofit management professionals, and offers graduate degree programs to scholars and clergy of all faiths. With centers of learning in Cincinnati, Jerusalem, Los Angeles, and New York, HUC-JIR's scholarly resources comprise renowned library, archive, and museum collections, biblical archaeology excavations, and academic publications. 
 
HUC Mission 
 
Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) is North America's premier institution of Jewish higher education and the center for professional leadership development of Reform Judaism. A multi-campus academic and spiritual learning community, HUC-JIR builds vibrant progressive Judaism in North America, Israel and around the globe by: 

• Studying the great issues of Jewish life, history and thought with an open, egalitarian, inclusive and pluralistic spirit; 

• Educating innovative, visionary clergy and professionals who embody the sustaining values, responsibilities, practices and texts of Jewish tradition to inspire future generations; and 

• Advancing the critical study of Judaism and Jewish culture in accordance with the highest standards of modern academic scholarship. 
   

Position Summary
 

The Elijah Fellowship Director will design and manage a new recruitment and leadership development program, focused on the pre-rabbinical school pipeline, called the Elijah Fellowship (working title) for Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. They will work in coordination with Recruitment, Communications, and other professionals in the Office of Recruitment and Admissions (ORA) and beyond. 
 

This is a part-time position, averaging 10 hours per week, fluctuating at different times of the recruitment cycle. Compensation will be $35,000 for 58 weeks, approximately April 1, 2025 through May 30, 2026. 

Organizational Relationships
 

The Elijah Fellowship Director: 

• Reports to the Senior Director of ORA 

• Collaborates effectively with Rabbinical School Director, Rabbinical School faculty and the Office of Recruitment and Admissions. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
 

The Elijah Fellowship Program Manager will:

• Design, initiate and manage all aspects of a new spiritual direction fellowship to foster deeper connections with Jewish practice and greater commitment to Jewish religious leadership, bringing them into learning and conversation with one another, our alumni and HUC directly; 

• Seek out, hire and manage a small faculty of certified spiritual directors, alumni/ae educators and partner organizations for teaching talent, mentorship and leadership in the program; 

• Build, plan and run a culminating retreat for the fellows, faculty and spiritual directors involved in the Fellowship in Spring 2026; 

• Coordinate all communications and marketing, including web, social media, and alumni/ae messages, with the Associate Director of Recruitment, Marketing and Communications and the Office of Communications; 

• Manage and keep records on the Fellowships’s budget; 

• Coach and mentor fellows towards a career in the rabbinate, when appropriate, and refer them to the recruiters and admissions counselors in ORA; 

• Collect and report on the demographic details, trends and outcomes uncovered by the fellowship, including sharing information with the Baker Foundation and their research partners, Rosov Consulting, and ensure compliance with grant reporting requirements in partnership with Institutional Advancement; 

• Train alumni and partners to keep both recruitment and leadership a priority in their teaching and mentorship; 

• Mentor participants to develop their Jewish identities and consider their contributions as Jewish leaders. 

Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
 

• Must be a kind, honest and friendly person willing to be a part of a dynamic institution. 

• Knowledge of the post-college, Jewish, emerging adult landscape including post-college fellowships, large employers of Jewish professionals (e.g. Hillel), successful synagogue young adult groups (e.g. Sixth and I) and Jewish Federation Young Adult Divisions – especially in target markets; 

• Great communicator with a passion for storytelling and people; 

• Must be a self-motivated, organized and able to manage many projects and deadlines at once; 

• Keen record keeping skills with attention to detail; 

• Knowledge of and experience with dynamic and emergent curricular models; 

• Collaborative spirit with regard to curriculum development, program delivery and being a member of ORA; 

• A willingness to be creative, flexible, and share experiential wisdom with other members of ORA and program directors, especially the Director of the Seminary; 

• Ability to initiate and keep track of administrative tasks and projects; 

• Exemplary written and oral communication skills.

Education
 

• Master's degree or similar advanced degree, rabbinic ordination encouraged 

• Spiritual Direction certification encouraged 

Experience
 

• 5 years' work in field of Jewish leadership; and/or 5 years professional experience in the Jewish community 

• Experience with spiritual direction, familiar with its goals and methods; 

Technology
 

• Microsoft Office Teams 

• Different messaging platforms for different uses: Slack, Whatsapp 

• Preferred: 2 years' experience with a professional CRM 

Core Values
 

Employees are expected to model Hebrew Union College’s Core Values:  

• Honesty and Integrity  

• Kindness and Decency  

• Openness and Transparency  

• Responsible Empowerment  

• Trust and Security  

• Diversity and Inclusion  

Work Environment & Physical Demands
 

he physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. 

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. To perform this job successfully, the incumbents will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at will” relationship. 

Salary : $31,500 - $35,000