Chief of Staff at Harvard Hillel

Hillel International•Cambridge, MA

3d•$100,000 - $110,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Chief of Staff (COS) is a newly created role, reporting to the Harvard Hillel executive director. This role is designed to support the executive director in managing organizational priorities, strategic goal setting, and effective project coordination. The COS will translate strategic goals into operational plans, timelines, and accountability structures. This position will add capacity to the executive director, allowing them to focus on leadership, vision, and stakeholder engagement. The role involves working closely with various constituent groups, including the Board of Directors, and contributing to a collaborative organizational culture. The COS will play a key part in shaping the organization's strategy, culture, and executive operations, with the potential for the role to evolve over time as Harvard Hillel's building and operations are reshaped.

Requirements

No less than 6 years of progressive experience in nonprofit or mission-driven leadership roles.
Demonstrated success in strategic planning and execution, operational systems and tracking, and Board governance.
Strong financial, project management, and institutional administration skills.
Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal skills.
A keen eye for detail and accuracy.
Highly effective manager of people, projects, and budgets.
Adaptable, sound judgment, diplomatic, and respectful of holding sensitive information.
Ability to successfully balance high emotional intelligence with result-driven project management and serving as an empathetic culture carrier who models collaborative leadership and teamwork.
A connector, of ideas, people, projects, and outcomes.
Success in both strategy and implementation, being both a hub of information and a project management expert.
Highly collaborative problem-solver with curiosity to engage across teams both inside and outside of Hillel to successfully manage competing priorities.
A self-starter, adept at project management tools and practices, time-management and effective communications both verbally and in writing.
Highly comfort working effectively both independently and in teams to meet goals and deadlines.
Skilled at creative, data driven presentations.
6+ years of experience in similar nonprofit, community engagement role.
High comfort in Microsoft Office tools, project management tools, PowerPoint and Canva.
Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent.

Nice To Haves

Commitment to the organization’s mission and respectful of Jewish values.
People-center systems thinker, with strong success operationalizing strategies into trackable, measurable action plans.
Open and willing to engage in conversations about religion, and to learn about Judaism and Israel in a way that inspires stakeholders to invest in our work.

Responsibilities

Plan and coordinate virtual and in-person Board and Committee meetings, serving as a liaison with the Board of Directors.
Support the development of calendars, invites, agendas, and material coordination for Board meetings, and record meeting minutes.
Support Committee development, structures, and governance principles, ensuring compliance and maintaining institutional records.
Lead annual planning and cross-departmental coordination processes.
Establish dashboards and learning systems to engage colleagues around planning, implementation, and tracking.
Develop systems, tools, and schedules to operationalize and track annual work plans and activities.
Facilitate team progress reviews and ensure organizational priorities remain visible and actionable.
Lead internal communications related to institutional planning and coordination.
Serve as a trusted colleague and coach on execution and accountability.
Oversee financial and administrative functions of the executive director’s office.
Manage workflows, priorities, and communications on behalf of the executive director.
Manage discretionary budgets, fiscal sponsorship operations, and executive office expenditures.
Prepare briefings, reports, and presentations for the executive director’s internal and external engagements.
Ensure timely follow-through of the executive director’s commitments and build systems for information flow and decision-tracking.
Partner with colleagues to build and manage the budget process, forecasting, and reporting for executive office budgets.
Directly manage cross-functional initiatives and special projects.
Design, write, and coordinate business processes for finance and compliance obligations.
Serve as an active participant in the executive director’s community and student-facing work.
Coordinate and participate in internal and external engagements of Harvard Hillel’s communities.
Work with the director of development and executive director on Board-related fundraising strategies.
Support planning and presence around High Holidays and key moments in the Jewish calendar.
Support donor stewardship and engagement related to the Board of Directors.
Lead planning and coordination of Board-related special events and manage follow-up correspondence and gift acknowledgements.
Work with colleagues on HR-related initiatives, serving as a guide and contributor to human resources policies and practices.
Lead initiatives to establish structured onboarding activities for new hires.
Serve as an advisor to hiring managers on job descriptions, needs assessments, and hiring practices.
Maintain and record HR/personnel records and materials.
Establish and coordinate mandatory staff trainings and professional development opportunities.
Promote and manage staff events and special occasion events.