Director of Wellness

Boston University Hillel

Role Overview

Boston University Hillel is seeking a dynamic professional to serve as our Director of Wellness. This role is focused on meeting the needs of today’s students who are often tired, lonely, and overwhelmed by delivering tangible wellness programs. Using a strength-based approach, this position will empower students to build resilience and thrive amidst the pressures of college life. The Director will focus on designing and delivering impactful wellness experiences both on-campus, and through building capacity with campus partners.

This is a highly student-centered, programmatic position that requires a strategic mind, direct engagement, leadership development, and hands-on facilitation at its core. You will collaborate closely with student leaders, interns, and an interdisciplinary engagement team to ensure all initiatives integrate a Jewish approach to holistic wellbeing, addressing students social, emotional, spiritual and physical wellbeing. The Director of Wellness will also build and nurture partnerships across BU campus resources in wellness, mental health, counseling, and recreation.

Reporting to the Executive Director, this role is vital for advancing BU Hillel’s mission to foster strong Jewish identities and community life while providing crucial wellness support to approximately 6,000 Jewish students.

What You’ll Do

• Build genuine, supportive relationships with BU students that prioritize wellness and deepen their involvement in Jewish life.
• Lead and empower student leaders and interns to plan and facilitate experiences to strengthen their peers’ wellbeing based on needs and interests such as yoga classes, meditation sessions, exercise groups, and stress-reduction workshops.
• Collaborate with students and colleagues to design and expand concrete wellness programs, including physical activity, mindfulness practices, and peer support groups.
• Engage with individual students or small groups regularly to discuss their wellness challenges, offer guidance, and co-create wellness plans.
• Facilitate 2–3 courses per year using Hillel’s Jewish Learning Fellowship curriculum, Ancient Wisdom for Modern Wellbeing, integrating Jewish perspectives on physical, emotional, and mental health.
• Mentor student cohorts like the Care Fellowship as they create innovative wellness projects and advocate for improved mental health services on campus.
• Connect students in need with appropriate mental health resources and referrals while offering ongoing support.
• Maintain and analyze wellness-related student engagement data through our CRM to inform programming and outreach.
• Participate in Shabbat services, Jewish holidays, and other key programs where wellness initiatives are featured.
• Provide staff team-building opportunities through wellness related trainings and sessions
• Train and consult with the broader student engagement team to build a culture of well-being. This includes incorporating wellness practices (e.g., mindfulness, stress management) into their interactions and programs, offering guidance on a one-on-one conversation about a specific student concern, or running a skill-building exercise during a staff meeting.
• Gather student feedback to continuously refine wellness offerings and ensure accessibility and relevance.

What You’ll Get Out of It

• Development of professional skills and expertise in student wellness, Jewish life engagement, and program leadership.
• Mentorship and career coaching tailored to support your growth during and beyond your BU Hillel tenure.
• Connection to a large network of BU and Hillel professionals, as well as seasoned mental health providers on a campus of 30,000 students.
• Opportunities to travel nationally and internationally through retreats and educational trips.
• Comprehensive benefits including health insurance, retirement plans, disability coverage, flexible spending accounts, and generous time off.
• Competitive salary range: $70,000–$75,000 (commensurate with experience).

Who You Are

We seek an organized, motivated, and mission-driven Jewish leader who is skilled at building relationships and inspiring student engagement and action. You value diversity and can create inclusive spaces where all student voices are welcomed. Ideal candidates will have:

• A strong entrepreneurial spirit, willing to take initiative and learn from successes and setbacks.
• Expertise in designing and facilitating programs for teens, college students or young adults utilizing a strengths-based or similar framework
• Experience training or mentoring college students to lead programming supporting social, emotional, spiritual or physical wellness.
• Comfort facilitating complex, sensitive conversations around mental health and wellness.
• Commitment to Jewish pluralism and values.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Graduate degree in social work, psychology, public health, or a related field.
• 3–5 years of relevant work experience, ideally in higher education or student services.
• Professional experience working in a community-based setting such as university, camp, school, youth-serving nonprofit organizations with demonstrated experience being embedded within that environment.
• Prior experience developing and facilitating training sessions or wellness programs.

About Boston University Hillel

Located near Fenway Park in Boston, BU Hillel serves over 6,000 Jewish students with a mission to inspire, educate, and empower meaningful Jewish engagement. We provide vital support in a time of increased challenges to Jewish life and stand firmly with students and Israel.

We are affiliated with Hillel International, a global Jewish student organization dedicated to fostering enduring connections to Jewish life, Israel, and learning.