Executive Director, Center for Jewish Studies

About Berkeley

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Departmental Overview

The Center for Jewish Studies is a diverse and interdisciplinary new initiative center (NIC) administered through the Arts & Humanities Division in the College of Letters & Science. It is led by an appointed faculty director and has approximately 21 senate faculty and 15 affiliated faculty from departments across campus. There are 19 graduate students pursuing a Designated Emphasis in Jewish Studies and 18 undergraduate students pursuing the Jewish Studies Minor. In addition to classes, the Center hosts postdoctoral visiting scholars and visiting faculty who augment both course offerings and public lectures; sponsors an annual series of endowed lectures and collaborates with several affiliated campus units in cosponsoring a broad range of programming. The center is home to the Antisemitism Education Initiative which promotes antisemitism awareness and education at Berkeley, at colleges and universities across California, and nationwide.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is April 17, 2026

Responsibilities

General Center Management

• Oversees general management of the Center for Jewish Studies. Supports the faculty director, faculty affiliates, and/or administrators. Provides recommendations to guide and support a broader strategic direction for the organization. Performs ad hoc, analytical studies on a wide variety of policies, programs and issues which are complex in nature. Conducts post-implementation analysis to determine the need for further enhancements, finer distinctions and/or additional process/policy components.
• Researches and drafts proposals, reports, briefings and executive summaries. The position requires creative interaction with the array of programs and processes at the University of California, Berkeley in support of Center activities. More specifically, focus on all aspects of implementing the Center's strategic direction, including: developing internal programs and processes, analyzing and working creatively within existing campus structures and processes, and generating new relationships with the range of departments and administrative units across campus. As needed, conducts research on programs at this campus, other UC campuses, and universities both in and outside of the US regarding the teaching and administration of Jewish studies. The creative endeavors described above will help define the program and activities of the Center.
• Audience members could include the Center directors, the Center's faculty membership, the undergraduate and graduate students in the Jewish Studies degree programs, the campus academic community, senior campus administrators, and external partners of the Center.
• Initiate communications and workflows with CJS faculty to fulfill programmatic elements of the Center which includes the administration and implementation of committee decisions and actions related to the Executive Committee. To direct and support the Graduate and Undergraduate Committees; the Fellowship and Prizes Committee and the new and expanding Yiddish Studies Program. Facilitate communications with faculty and all constituents, including campus partners such as the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life and Helen Diller Institute of the Law School, Hillel, UDAR Staff, Donors, Community organizations and colleagues within the Arts & Humanities division.
• Develops and maintains excellent working relationships with Center donors and Bay Area Jewish community organizations.
• Organize CJS activities such as faculty meetings, annual receptions and the annual faculty retreat, the faculty and student colloquia and student graduation events. Work with the Program Committee Chair, faculty, and staff to schedule, host and oversee public programs including guest speakers, book talks, lectures, cultural programs for students, faculty and the community at large.
• Oversee and support the Program Coordinator on all aspects of events, to ensure timely and successful programs - scheduling, travel and accommodations, room reservations for presentations, marketing, website, recording/streaming, BAV, honoraria, reimbursements.
• Manage, direct and support Center staff by handling administrative procedures, approving staff timesheets, completing Achieve performance reviews for staff, facilitating biweekly staff meetings, managing office equipment and IT services, maintaining CJS server files, ordering keys, credit cards and facility access, identifying and processing SPOT awards, reviewing UC Learning requirements, and initiating and participating in staff safety training.

Courses and Degrees

• In addition to Core Jewish Studies courses, correspond with faculty and department staff each semester to identify appropriate classes across a broad variety of fields and departments that can be room-shared or, cross listed with Jewish Studies.
• Oversees the scheduler to ensure the courses are set, room-shares are aligned appropriately and scheduled, the CJS website is updated and the Curriculum and Course Management system (CCMS) is updated. Monitor Course Evaluations.
• Communicate with the students pursuing the Jewish Studies Minor and the Graduate Designated Emphasis Degrees as well as students enrolled in Jewish Studies courses to facilitate a sense of intellectual community within the Center. Serve as Graduate Student Advising Officer and Student Advisor for students enrolled in Jewish Studies courses. Monitor and track student progress towards degrees and entering degrees into Cal Central. Meet with individual students to explain degrees and programs and respond to student questions and issues. Prepare and process student fellowship applications, prizes, and awards.

Human Resources

• Collaborates and partner with Berkeley Regional Services HR, the Arts & Humanities and Letters & Science Dean's Office, the VSPA office, the Graduate Division to create and process appointments and reappointments for staff, lecturers, visiting scholars, non-senate academics, research associates, contractors, GSI's and GSR's. Coordinate recruitment efforts to hire lecturers within the AP Recruit system.
• Support faculty searches through collaboration with CJS Faculty, Departmental Chairs and AP Analysts. Per the bylaws of the New Initiative Center (NIC), facilitate MOU agreements for new faculty assigning portions of their FTE assignments to the Center for Jewish Studies.

Finance

• Manages the Center's budget and finances, including grants/gifts. Manages support for graduate students, post-doctoral scholars, lecturers, visiting scholars and coordinating support from campus units that are expected to contribute financially to the Center's programs. Works closely with the Faculty Director and the Arts & Humanities Dean's Office in preparing the Center's annual budget. Strategic planning skills, based on astute financial analyses, will be critical to the Center's continued growth.
• Responsibilities include submitting monthly key controls to the Financial Analyst, monitoring expenses, purchases and transfers, approving credit card charges, reimbursements, honoraria, purchases and contracts, processing and tracking student fellowships in Student Information Systems (SIS) and processing contracts and invoices for the Antisemitism Education Initiative (AEI).
• Prepare and review proposals for CJS and AEI. Prepare and submit grant and gift reports. Review monthly CADS reports, send acknowledgement letters to donors. Draft Big Give and End-of-year funding requests.

Required Qualifications

• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess complex organizational, operational, and strategic issues; develop data-informed recommendations; and independently drive solutions aligned with unit and campus priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple high-priority initiatives simultaneously, exercising sound judgment in rapidly changing environments with competing deadlines, while ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timely execution.
• Strong cultural competency and demonstrated commitment to engaging with Jewish culture and community, including a willingness to deepen knowledge and integrate cultural understanding into programmatic, operational, and stakeholder engagement efforts.
• Exceptional discretion, judgment, and professionalism in handling highly sensitive and confidential information, including personnel matters, executive communications, and organizational strategy, consistent with UC Berkeley policies and standards.
• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training

Preferred Qualifications

• Working knowledge of Academic Personnel policies, procedures, and systems, including experience navigating appointment, advancement, and compliance processes within a higher education environment (preferably UC Berkeley or comparable institutional knowledge).
• Proficiency with common workplace and campus systems, including HR, finance, and standard office software (e.g., Microsoft Office or Google Workspace).