Director of Residence Life

Director of Residence Life

The Director of Residence Life is a dynamic, experienced, and team-oriented professional in a twelve-month salaried position reporting directly to the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, with additional reporting responsibilities to the Vice President for Finance for operational matters. This role provides leadership for the day-to-day operations of residence life and campus housing, including an 835-bed apartment-style community and a 489-bed suite-style freshman community. The Director serves as the primary leader for housing professional staff and resident assistants, overseeing community development, marketing, application and reapplication processes, move-in and move-out operations, and health and safety initiatives. The Director is responsible for setting departmental goals aligned with the Division of Student Affairs and the institution and for ensuring staff success through supervision and support. This position requires strong problem-solving skills and sound judgment in addressing student conduct and conflict resolution matters. The Director serves as an appeal officer as outlined in the Residence Hall Handbook and supports fair and consistent outcomes in student housing concerns.

Major duties and responsibilities include serving as a member of the Student Affairs Leadership Team, acting as a liaison with campus partners, developing and managing departmental budgets and long-term financial planning, overseeing hiring, onboarding, training, and supervision of professional staff and student employees, providing continuous, 24/7 leadership in crisis response and coordinating communication with key stakeholders, managing housing operations, interpreting and enforcing housing policies, adjudicating student conduct cases and managing housing appeals, assisting with student engagement support, communication, and conflict resolution, overseeing conduct processes using Maxient and serving as a student conduct officer, investigator, or hearing panelist, assisting and coordinating with Residential Facilities and Operations Manager to conduct facility and safety inspections of residence halls and grounds, coordinating educational and social programming that supports student development, serving on institutional committees and the CARE Team, participating in on-call rotation for residential emergencies, supporting additional initiatives including grant projects and the campus food pantry, and performing other duties as assigned.

Knowledge and skills required include knowledge of residence life and housing best practices, budget development and financial management expertise, supervisory and leadership skills, understanding of student conduct and student development theory, strong decision-making and problem-solving abilities, effective verbal and written communication skills, commitment to student development and success, and proficiency with relevant software systems.

Supervisory controls include the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs assigning work in alignment with divisional goals, and performance is evaluated through reports and observation of departmental operations.

Guidelines state that this position operates in accordance with institutional and system policies, including the Academic Catalog, Student Handbook, Student Code of Conduct, FERPA, Title IX, hazing regulations, and University System of Georgia policies. The Director is responsible for developing and maintaining the Residence Hall Handbook and training materials.

The complexity and scope of work include oversight of housing budgets, operations, and compliance for multiple residential facilities and affiliated housing partnerships. The position requires availability for 24-hour emergency response.

Contacts include regular interaction with students, families, campus partners, system representatives, vendors, and the public to provide services, share information, resolve issues, and support institutional goals.

Supervisory and management responsibility includes supervising all housing professional staff and student employees.

Minimum qualifications include a bachelor's degree in a related field from an accredited institution, minimum of three years of supervisory experience, ability to work effectively with diverse populations both collaboratively and independently, valid driver's license with acceptable driving record, availability for evenings and weekends as required, and must reside within a 15-minute drive of campus.

Preferred qualifications include a master's degree in a related field from an accredited institution, at least three years of experience in student affairs or higher education preferred, familiarity with University System of Georgia policies preferred, and experience with housing operations and business functions strongly preferred.