Summer Residential Assistant

Phillips Academy Summer Session Residential Assistant Job Description

June 22 - August 3, 2027

About the Program

One of the nation's premier boarding schools, Phillips Academy offers an array of summer programs for rising 7th through 12th grade students on its picturesque campus just 21miles north of Boston. Collectively they are referred to as "Andover Summer". Our flagship program, Summer Session, challenges students in an innovative five-week, residential program. More than 60 courses are offered, ranging from computer science to marine biology, from ethics and philosophy to economics. Mathematics & Science for Minority Students - better known as (MS)² - is a residential, STEM scholarship program for underrepresented students of color that runs concurrently with Summer Session. Andover Summer students bring the world into the classroom by virtue of their enormous diversity of geographic origin, religion, ethnicity, and socioeconomic background. With strong academic records and a serious desire to spend the summer in a residential community, our students enjoy challenging themselves and one another through disciplined study. Every summer Phillips Academy hires several visiting Residential Assistants (RAs) to live in the dorms, coach an afternoon activity, and support students through their on-campus experience in these summer programs, which are slated to run from June 29 - August 1. As a Summer Session faculty member, the RA experience is rigorous, intensive, and challenging, structured to provide support to students academically, socially, and emotionally throughout their 5-week experience.

About the Role

Residential Assistants (RAs) are typically rising college seniors or recent college graduates who are interested in gaining direct experience with the sorts of residential and athletic duties that comprise the life of a boarding school faculty member, who have a deep commitment to youth development and student support, and who believe deeply in the importance of building strong communities. RAs seek to create a fun, exciting, and joy-filled experience for their students, while also serving in loco parentis while students are away from home. Typically, RAs are hired to serve as house counselors in the dorms and to coach an afternoon activity; assignments may vary slightly depending on the program.


In these capacities, RAs are charged with creating a safe, supportive living environment and ensuring the health and well-being of the students in their care, whether that is in the dorm or on the playing field. Dorm teams consist of 2-4 house counselors (depending on the size of the dorm) who share residential responsibilities, rotating through evening dorm duties, facilitating dorm meetings and activities, coordinating dorm events, communicating with families, and providing care and support to students as needed. Coaching groups consist of 2-4 coaches per sport/activity (depending on enrollment) who design and lead 60minutes to 90minutes sessions four times per week to ensure students are physically active, having fun, and engaging socially in an athletic setting. Expertise in athletics is not required, as Andover Summer's afternoon activity offerings range substantially in scope and skill level; there is something for everyone.

The schedule of the RA role, which takes place primarily in the afternoons and evenings, allows these faculty members to balance other daytime commitments and explore all that the Boston area has to offer, while still providing an intensely gratifying, challenging, and transformative summer work experience. Specific duties, schedules and assignments, including summer dorm coverage calendars, chaperone assignments, and coaching assignments, are typically provided in May or June prior to the start of the summer program. During their time on campus, RAs have full access to Andover Summer's breadth of resources and are provided with in-dorm housing (living in a dorm room with a shared bathroom), access to the Academy's dining facilities, and access to athletic facilities and museums. Because of the short, intense nature of the summer, absences from assigned duties are not permitted. Few exceptions are made to this policy, although unusual circumstances may determine that an applicant's situation should be handled on an individual basis. RAs are also expected to chaperone at least two on-campus social events and at least two off-campus trips during the summer.

In addition to working collaboratively with the Lead House Counselor and Lead Coach to complete all residential and athletic duties described above, RAs are responsible for ensuring that their own developmental needs are met and that they engage with the opportunities provided for skill-building and support.


Ideal Candidate Profile

• At least three years of undergraduate education completed by the time of employment;
• Strong interest in teaching or youth development;
• Experience working with middle- or high-school-aged students, or previous experience in residential life or student activities at the college level;
• Demonstrated experience and success in a collaborative environment;
• Flexibility and adaptability in a fast-paced, dynamic environment requiring both the ability to take direction and the readiness to problem-solve;Appreciation of the mission and culture of independent, residential, college-preparatory schools.
• Exceptional communication skills (speaking and writing);
• Exceptional interpersonal skills;
• Strong sense of humor and humility;
• Demonstrated commitment to anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion.

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