The posting
IACT Coordinator
University of Maryland Hillel
Role Overview
Maryland Hillel seeks a dynamic, relationship-driven IACT Coordinator to connect University of Maryland students to Israel, Jewish life, and one another through immersive travel, educational opportunities, and ongoing engagement.
The IACT Coordinator will oversee recruitment, planning, and implementation for Birthright Israel, Onward Israel, Alternative Spring Break, and other Israel-centered and engagement initiatives. Beyond managing programs and filling trip spots, this person will cultivate a broad network of student relationships, identify opportunities for meaningful connection, and help students discover how Israel and Jewish experiences can become relevant to their lives.
The successful candidate understands that recruitment grows out of authentic relationships, consistent presence, and a genuine investment in students. They will spend time in the spaces where students already gather, build trust with student leaders and peer networks, and develop creative strategies to reach students who may not otherwise walk through Hillel’s doors.
This is an opportunity for someone who sees Israel travel not as a standalone experience, but as a gateway to deeper Jewish exploration, lasting friendships, and continued involvement in Jewish life at Maryland.
What You’ll Do
Student Engagement and Relationship Building
- Build authentic, ongoing relationships with a wide range of Jewish students, including those who are deeply connected to Jewish life and those who have had limited engagement with Hillel.
- Maintain a visible, approachable presence on campus, meeting students where they are—in residence halls, dining spaces, student organizations, Greek life communities, campus events, and other student gathering places.
- Develop relationships with fraternity and sorority members, chapter leaders, student organization leaders, and other influential peer networks to create pathways for engagement and participation.
- Identify students’ interests, identities, questions, and motivations, and connect them with relevant Jewish experiences, Israel opportunities, and Hillel programs.
- Help students take meaningful next steps after participating in a trip or program, building pathways from a single experience to continued involvement, leadership, and community.
- Collaborate with Maryland Hillel colleagues to integrate Israel engagement into the broader student engagement strategy and ensure students experience Hillel as a connected, welcoming community.
- Serve as an active member of the broader team by staffing Shabbat dinners and other Hillel-wide experiences, including holiday celebrations and other large-scale programs.
Israel Travel and Experiential Education
- Lead the recruitment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of Birthright Israel trips, Onward Israel internships and experiences, Alternative Spring Break, and other Israel-related initiatives.
- Develop and execute year-round recruitment strategies that prioritize relationship-building, peer-to-peer outreach, targeted engagement, and personal follow-up.
- Build and maintain relationships with prospective participants throughout the recruitment process, helping students understand the value of each opportunity and supporting them through application, preparation, and participation.
- Coordinate participant outreach, applications, interviews or eligibility processes as applicable, pre-trip education, logistical preparation, and post-trip follow-up.
- Work with Israel program partners, campus colleagues, student leaders, alumni, and other stakeholders to deliver high-quality, meaningful experiences.
- Develop creative strategies to reach students who may not initially see Israel travel as relevant, accessible, or appealing to them.
Program Development and Jewish Engagement
- Serve as an active member of Maryland Hillel's engagement team, helping to engage students with diverse interests, backgrounds, and levels of Jewish involvement through a variety of relationship-based outreach strategies and experiences.
- Create and implement Israel-centered programs throughout the academic year that invite students to explore Israel, Israeli society, Jewish peoplehood, identity, culture, and contemporary issues.
- Connect students to Israel engagement opportunities beyond travel, including educational programs, speakers, cultural events, fellowships, internships, and leadership opportunities.
- Help students process and reflect on their Israel experiences, encouraging curiosity, thoughtful dialogue, and deeper learning.
- Approach Israel engagement with educational intentionality, recognizing that students bring different experiences, perspectives, questions, and levels of familiarity to the conversation.
Recruitment Strategy, Outreach, and Evaluation
- Develop a comprehensive, year-round engagement and recruitment plan with clear goals, timelines, and strategies for reaching students across campus.
- Use student relationships, peer networks, campus partnerships, and data-informed outreach to identify prospective participants and expand access to programs.
- Track engagement, recruitment pipelines, applications, participation, and post-program involvement to assess impact and improve future efforts.
- Collaborate with the Maryland Hillel team on communications, marketing, social media, and outreach strategies that tell compelling stories about Israel travel and Jewish engagement.
- Evaluate programs regularly, incorporating student feedback and participation data to strengthen recruitment, educational quality, and long-term engagement.
What Success Looks Like
- Build a broad and diverse network of meaningful relationships across Maryland’s Jewish student community.
- Establish strong partnerships with Greek life organizations, student leaders, campus groups, and other key student networks.
- Develop a reliable, year-round pipeline of students who are excited to participate in Israel travel and engagement opportunities.
- Deliver exceptional Birthright Israel, Onward Israel, Alternative Spring Break, and other experiential programs.
- Help students return from trips with stronger relationships, deeper questions, and clear pathways to continued Jewish engagement.
- Collaborate with the Maryland Hillel team to strengthen a culture of connection, curiosity, and belonging.
- Contribute to Maryland Hillel’s continued tradition of excellence by developing creative, sustainable approaches to student engagement
What You’ll Bring to the Job
- Bachelor’s degree required
- 0-2 years of professional work experience
- A demonstrated passion for Jewish student engagement, Israel, and creating meaningful experiences for college students.
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build genuine relationships with students from a wide range of backgrounds, interests, and levels of Jewish engagement.
- A proactive, outgoing, and entrepreneurial approach to engagement, with a willingness to initiate conversations, show up consistently, and build trust over time.
- Experience in student engagement, Jewish communal work, Israel programming, experiential education, travel programs, campus life, or a related field.
- Strong organizational and project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple programs, deadlines, logistics, and relationships simultaneously.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to connect with students in both formal and informal settings.
- Comfort working independently while collaborating closely with a team.
- Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and travel-related hours, particularly around student programming and trip cycles.
- A commitment to Maryland Hillel’s pluralistic approach and to engaging students with a range of Jewish backgrounds, interests, and perspectives.
- Experience with Birthright Israel, Onward Israel, Alternative Spring Break, Greek life engagement, or other immersive student travel programs is a plus.
What You’ll Receive
- Annual salary of $48,000–$50,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications.
- A comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance and generous vacation and sick time.
- Opportunities for professional development, mentoring, skill-building, and career growth.
- Paid travel to relevant conferences, professional development gatherings, and program locations, including Israel, as applicable to the role.
- The opportunity to collaborate with a national network of IACT professionals and Hillel colleagues.
- The chance to make a meaningful impact within a large, dynamic Jewish campus community.
- A beautiful new Hillel building that serves as a hub for Jewish student life at the University of Maryland.
- The opportunity to build relationships, develop creative programs, and help shape the future of Jewish life on campus.
- Unlimited coffee and froyo.
About Maryland Hillel
Maryland Hillel serves a vibrant and diverse Jewish community at the University of Maryland, home to approximately 6,000 Jewish students. With a large Greek life presence, a wide range of student organizations and interests, and a longstanding tradition of excellence in Jewish campus life, Maryland Hillel offers an extraordinary opportunity to build meaningful relationships with students and connect them to Jewish experiences that can shape their college years and beyond.
Maryland Hillel offers the opportunity to make a significant impact within a large, energetic, and diverse Jewish campus community. With approximately 6,000 Jewish students, a robust Greek life community, a beautiful new building, and a strong foundation of programmatic excellence, the possibilities for creative engagement are substantial.
The IACT Coordinator will have the opportunity to build relationships across campus, help students discover Israel in meaningful ways, and shape experiences that influence how they understand themselves, their Jewish identities, and their connection to the Jewish people.
We are looking for someone who is excited to be out on campus, build relationships one conversation at a time, and turn those relationships into meaningful opportunities for Jewish connection, exploration, and growth.
Maryland Hillel 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.
About Hillel International
In 1923, Rabbi Benjamin Frankel started Hillel with humble means, a noble mission and a breathtaking vision: to convey Jewish civilization to a new generation. Today, Hillel International continues to enrich the lives of Jewish students and is the largest Jewish campus organization in the world at nearly 1,000 colleges and universities across North America and around the world. As Hillel evolves as an organization, the mission remains steadfast: to create lasting connections with every Jewish student that foster an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning, and Israel and train them to become the next Jewish leaders.
Hillel is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an accepting and inclusive environment for all.
