Chief Executive Officer

Hillel of Georgia

Role Overview

Are you a dynamic, inspiring, relationship-focused visionary looking to lead one of the most prominent and sophisticated Jewish organizations in North America? As the CEO of Hillels of Georgia (“HGA”), you will step into one of the most dynamic and widespread leadership roles in the Hillel International portfolio with responsibilities covering all universities and colleges in Georgia. HGA’s flagship universities include Emory, University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State, Georgia State University, along with 24 other campuses in the state that are all part of HGA’s portfolio.

This is an exciting growth phase for HGA, both with a new building currently under construction at UGA (slated to open for ‘23-’24 school year) and new facilities being acquired or otherwise leased long term at Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State. CEO responsibilities include (i) fundraising at local and national levels, (ii) building and maintaining relationships with all key HGA partners (charitable foundations, Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, university administrations and many other groups essential to HGA’s maintenance and growth), (iii) cultivating a workplace environment that nurtures and promotes growth among the HGA staff (iv) supporting the oversight and management of multiple campus executive directors and (v) creating and meeting annual budgets to sustain current operations and position HGA for success over the next decade. The CEO position reports directly to HGA’s Board of Directors.

As the organization’s strategic leader, the CEO will work with the board of directors, executive team, and campus directors to establish a vision to maximize impact on our student communities through the efforts of a diverse team of high-performing leaders, staff and volunteers. We seek candidates who are passionate about inspiring and promoting Jewish life. The CEO will leverage the power of relationships and networks, and work across private and public campuses to improve the student experience. The CEO is focused on creating, resourcing, scaling and leveraging strategies for broad investment and impact. The CEO is the steward of the brand and embraces growing and protecting the reputation of Hillels of Georgia, ensuring a safe place for Jewish students on campus and in the community. You’ll wake up each day excited to lead an inviting Hillel community that inspires students to explore, experience and create vibrant Jewish lives. 

CEO Responsibilities 

Strategic Planning and Brand Management:

• Lead overall organizational strategic vision and begin its successful implementation in partnership with senior leadership and the Board.
• Manage a multi-campus, multi-building strategic plan in process to include construction, capital campaigns and new fund-raising strategies to support the new larger ecosystem. 
• Establish Hillels of Georgia as the top destination for Jewish students through communications, partnerships, and advocacy. 
• Lead as the face and voice of Hillels of Georgia, ensuring messaging is consistent with values and inclusivity, especially when issues of antisemitism or anti-Israel arise.

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 Hillels of Georgia system.
• Personally engage in fundraising with major donors and grants organizations as well as  developing additional revenue sources. 
• Promote a culture of fundraising in the organization, both at the staff and board level.

Stakeholder Relations: 

• Serve as Hillels of Georgia’s primary spokesperson to the organization’s constituents, the media and the general public.
• Establish and maintain relationships with various organizations, university staff, JFGA and utilize those relationships to strategically enhance Hillels of Georgia’s mission.
• Consistently engage the greater community in the importance of Hillel's mission/purpose.
• Speak on behalf of our students, faculty and staff when issues of Anti-Semitism or Anti-Israel events arise, as well as proactively  maintaining a safe climate on campus for Jewish students throughout the state. 

Staff Supervision & Development:

• Inspire, develop, supervise, and mentor a leadership team that delivers on the vision of Hillels of Georgia.
• Establish a culture of professional development and growth for the entire staff.
• Build and maintain a culture and reputation as an employer of choice. 
• Ensure that compensation and benefits are competitive to attract and retain appropriate talent.

Financial Management: 

• Ensure the fiscal integrity of Hillels of Georgia, including accurate and timely submission of a proposed annual budget and financial statements to the Board.
• Supervise the CFO to manage all financials responsibly, generally operating within the approved budget, ensuring maximum resource utilization, and keeping the organization in a positive financial position.
• Communicate updates to board and finance committees.

Board of Directors: 

• Report to and work closely with the Board of Directors, including overseeing board meetings, seeking their involvement in policy decisions and fundraising, as well as  to increase the overall visibility of the organization.
• Establish a board of advisors for campuses as appropriate, and mentor campus EDs in board relationship management and roles.
• Oversee and attend committee meetings including Endowment, Finance, Buildings & Grounds, New Buildings, and Nominating committees.

Operational Management:

• Establish employment and administrative policies and procedures for all functions and for the day-to-day operation of the nonprofit. 
• Manage new building site selection and purchase processes.
• Coordinate with the Board on the architectural drawings and plans for new facilities.
• Lead the Campus Hillel Building committee on the RFP for the new facility (at UGA, Athens).

What You Will Bring to This Job:

• 7-10 years experience in a Senior Strategic Leadership role, managing an organization(s) of comparable size and mission.
• Experience as a CEO/President/Owner/Partner (or similar title) managing a diverse and remote team across multiple locations.
• High level strategic thinking and planning. Ability to envision and convey the organization’s strategic vision to the staff, board, and donors.
• Active fundraising experience. Excellent donor relations skills and understanding of the funding community with a history of successfully generating new revenue streams and improving financial results. Major campaign leadership experience and success with multi-million-dollar campaigns, both annual and capital. 
• Strong familiarity with Judaism, Jewish college students, Anti-Semitism, and combating BDS.
• Experience in successfully partnering with a non-profit Board of Directors, foundations, and grant issuing organizations. 
• Demonstrative financial literacy and management skills, including budget preparation, P&L management, expense analysis, forecasting, decision-making and reporting.
• Demonstrated ability to oversee and collaborate with staff.
• Solid organizational abilities, including planning, delegating, program development and task facilitation.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Strong work ethic with a high degree of energy - there may be commitments at night or on the weekends. During the academic year there will be times when it might be a 6+ day a week job as needed.

What You’ll Receive

• Job satisfaction - with the group of people you’ll be working with and the students your work will directly impact, you will be inspired by what you do. 
• A comprehensive benefits package, including health/dental insurance, Life and Long Term Disability (LTD) insurances, generous vacation/sick time, and paid mental health days.
• National and international travel - to campuses throughout the state, country, and possibly to Israel. 
• Great professional development opportunities, executive coaching and the opportunity to coach early career professionals on your team. 
• Competitive salary and benefits in the non-profit marketplace with an annualized salary around $200,000. 

*If your salary expectations differ and/or you have more experience than required, we’d still welcome the opportunity to speak with you about this opportunity*

About Hillels of Georgia

Hillels of Georgia is unique in that it is a combination of individual campuses all working together to support a state-wide model.  In this position, you will work with multiple large state schools, an elite private school, a Tech focused school, and more.  Each individual Hillel seeks to create an open, inclusive Jewish environment for every student, and staff strives to ensure that every student feels welcome. Together the region serves an estimated 3,000 students coming from homes all around the country.  The position is located in Atlanta, which has a very strong, friendly, and welcoming Jewish community.

Hillels of Georgia 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.

If you have any questions about this role please contact: 

Merrie Gebhardt – Director, Executive Talent Management, Hillel International.