Executive Operations & Advancement Associate
Hillel of Colorado
Role Overview
The Executive Operations & Advancement Associate (Associate) is a key administrative, strategic, and relational partner to the Executive Director (ED), helping lead Hillel of Colorado (Hillel) through its next phase of growth. Working closely with the ED serving our multi-campus Hillel, this highly organized and mission-driven Associate builds and institutionalizes the administrative and development systems that enable Hillel to achieve and sustain a $1.5 million annual operating budget. Success means Hillel’s administrative and development operations run smoothly and seamlessly, enabling student-facing staff to thrive in advancing Hillel’s mission.
This full-time, exempt position is a vital member of a small staff team working out of our statewide headquarters (HQ), ensuring the ED’s time, relationships, and priorities are managed with exceptional professionalism, discretion, and judgment. By anticipating needs, coordinating key initiatives, and strengthening organizational systems, the Associate enables the ED to focus on advancing Hillel’s mission across our partner campuses and their diverse Jewish and broader communities through strategic leadership and advancement strategies.
The ideal candidate is equally comfortable taking direction from the ED and offering thoughtful insights and candid feedback, or managing complex strategic projects while executing detailed administrative tasks with excellence. The Associate is a proactive problem solver and trusted thought partner who thrives in a fast-paced, mission-driven Jewish communal environment.
What You’ll Do
Executive Partnership & Organizational Excellence
- Serve as the Executive Director's trusted partner, handling confidential matters with discretion while translating organizational priorities into measurable action and successful execution.
- Manage the ED’s calendar, communications, workflow, and competing priorities, ensuring time and attention are aligned with Hillel’s strategic priorities.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for stakeholders seeking access to the ED, exercising sound judgment and diplomacy in all interactions.
- Prepare the ED for meetings, presentations, and community engagements by developing agendas, briefing materials, correspondence, and follow-up plans.
- Strengthen organizational and document management systems and processes to promote effective collaboration between HQ and Student-Facing Staff, improving communications, accountability, and operational excellence.
- In partnership with the Associate Director and Bookkeeper, coordinate human resources processes including recruitment, onboarding, performance reviews, and staff development.
- Ensure the integrity, organization, privacy, and effective use of Hillel’s LGL database maintaining accurate records, appropriate user access, and consistent data quality.
- Manage relationships with vendors and service providers in consultation with the Bookkeeper, ensuring operational needs are met effectively and efficiently.
Advancement & Stakeholder Engagement
- Partner with the Executive Director to organize and advance fundraising campaigns (VIP, Campus, Community, Event, Legacy, and Capital), ensuring clear staff ownership and effective execution.
- Develop and maintain donor profiles, VIP stewardship plans, and tracking systems to support the ED and the Development Committee’s donor solicitations.
- Prepare the ED and Development Committee members for donor meetings and stewardship conversations by developing donor briefings, engagement strategies, and follow-up plans; serve as a confidential liaison to donors when needed.
- Draft high-quality donor communications (including e-mails, correspondence, and proposals) aligned with the ED’s voice and Hillel’s mission and values.
- Maintain LGL accurately to record and track donor gifts within campaigns and appeals, ensuring alignment with QuickBooks; oversee gift processing, recording, and acknowledgments.
- Manage the grant calendar and compliance process, ensuring deadlines are met, staff responsibilities are clearly assigned, and reports are completed in collaboration with appropriate staff.
Board Relations & Governance
- Ensure Hillel is in compliance with its Bylaws and governance policies, and facilitate clear communication between the Executive Director and Board leadership to ensure alignment, responsiveness, and effective governance.
- Provide comprehensive administrative and coordination support to the ED and Associate Director in staffing the Board and its committees (including the Executive Committee, Standing Committees, and Program Committees), including preparation of briefing materials, reports, and key talking points for meetings.
- Coordinate Board and Committee meeting schedules and, in partnership with staff leads and Committee Chairs, prepare and distribute agendas and meeting materials.
- Manage meeting logistics (including RSVPs, room setup, and AV/food coordination); take and distribute minutes; and track decisions, action items, and follow-through to ensure accountability between meetings.
- Maintain oversight of Board and Committee directives and organizational commitments, ensuring follow-through, progress tracking, and regular reporting on strategic priorities.
- Support Board development and continuity by assisting with the identification, vetting, onboarding, and orientation of new Board members, including maintaining and updating the Board Book; supporting the Board buddy system; and implementing the orientation program.
Team Culture & Organizational Effectiveness
- Foster a mission-driven, inclusive staff culture rooted in Jewish values, accountability, and shared responsibility for building a respectful and welcoming community.
- Establish and reinforce shared stewardship of Hillel spaces ensuring the facility remains organized, welcoming, and consistently ready for student life and donor engagement.
- Model and reinforce a culture of PRIDE – professionalism, respect, initiative, discipline, and engagement – across all staff interactions and organizational practices.
- Lead internal communication systems that promote transparency, alignment, and shared understanding of organizational priorities and decisions.
- Continuously identify opportunities to strengthen internal systems, improve workflows, and enhance organizational effectiveness.
Who You Are
- You hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution or the equivalent. An advanced degree is a bonus.
- You bring at least five years of work experience in a mission-driven environment such as higher education, Jewish communal life, or nonprofit.
- You bring a strong foundation in administrative and operational roles and are ready to step into a more expansive, executive-facing position with greater scope and responsibility.
- You are highly skilled in written and verbal communication and proficient in Microsoft Office, CRM systems, and data and information management tools.
What You'll Bring to the Job
- Commitment to Hillel’s vision, mission, values, and goals including pluralism and diverse Jewish life choices.
- High emotional intelligence, with the ability to make others feel heard and valued while connecting individual passions to Hillel’s mission.
- The professional maturity to serve as a trusted gatekeeper while ensuring a welcoming and inclusive experience for all stakeholders.
- Awareness of – or strong interest in acquiring knowledge of – current trends in Hillel, higher education, and nonprofit philanthropy.
- Ability as a self-starter who can work independently and take initiative, but with strong interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively within a team-oriented culture.
- Curiosity, strong work ethic, a sense of humor, and willingness to take risks, learn from experience, and grow professionally.
- Proven project management, problem-solving, time management, and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining quality and accuracy.
What You’ll Receive
- A salary range of $70,000 - $80,000 commensurate with experience.
- Limited health insurance premium reimbursement; immediate eligibility to participate in a retirement plan with a 5% annual employer contribution upon vesting after two years; life insurance; long-term disability coverage; unlimited supervisor-approved PTO; sick time; generous parental leave; and additional reimbursement benefits.
- Paid opportunities for professional development, peer engagement, mentoring, and skill-building.
- The opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives of Hillel students and the broader Jewish community.
About Hillel of Colorado
Hillel of Colorado inspires Jewish students to cultivate a lifelong connection to Jewish life, learning, and Israel. As an independent 501(c)3 affiliated with Hillel International, our statewide multi-campus Hillel serves 2,500+ Jewish students across metro-Denver and northern Colorado, providing them a welcoming, pluralistic community for the next stage of their unique Jewish journeys. With hubs at the University of Denver (DU) and Colorado State University in Ft. Collins (CSU), as well as newly established staffed Hillels at Colorado School of Mines (Mines) in Golden, CO and on the downtown Denver Auraria Campus – as well as outreach statewide – Hillel fosters student leadership, Jewish learning, and social engagement.
Hillel of Colorado 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.
