Director, Residence Life - UT Southern

Job Description Serves as the head of Residential Life by providing leadership, management, and strategic direction for a comprehensive residence life program that serves the educational and personal needs of 340+ students in 5+ housing complexes. They are also responsible for the direct and indirect supervision of professional staff and student staff in residence life. They are an integral part of Residential Life, responsible for the day‑to‑day oversight of the functions of the Office of Residential Life and for overseeing all conduct and residential programming. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full‑time basis without the need, now or in the future, for sponsorship for employment visa status. Responsibilities Manage the day‑to‑day operations of the Office of Residential Life, including inquiries and ensuring that all rules and regulations are carefully enforced. Serve in the on‑call rotation, responding to residential hall crisis and emergencies. Manage and direct all functions related to the room assignment process for students, including all applications, fees, and contracts, as well as room change requests and consolidations. Coordinate move‑in/move‑out, hall opening/closing, break housing, and summer housing logistics. Communicate policies to students, staff, and parents. Conduct ongoing inspections and evaluation of housing facilities and manage and address concerns from students pertaining to facilities and housekeeping issues. Lead the residential curriculum/learning outcomes and ensure quality programming across all residential areas. Ensure accurate billing and maintain accurate records regarding occupancy, immunizations, and meal plans. Annually update all housing documents (e.g., handbooks, applications, etc.) and policies. Perform additional duties as assigned. Supervision and Training Recruit, hire, assign, train, supervise, and evaluate professional staff (e.g., RDs) and student staff (RAs, desk attendants, hall councils). Coordinate, develop, and implement training and staff development programs for all levels of staff. Develop training materials, training schedules, and evaluation processes for staff in all levels of the residence life. Provide instruction, guidance, formal and informal feedback to staff regarding responsibilities and work performance. Set agenda and facilitate weekly residence life team meetings and monthly campus‑wide meetings. Maintain the professional staff on‑call and break schedule. Student Conduct and Crisis Response Review all student incidents and determine appropriate referrals to the student conduct process. Collaborate on cases with the Office of Student Conduct, Student Clinic and Counseling Services, and Safety and Security. Assist in the case follow‑up for the Care Team. Assist in coordinated response to Clery Act and Title IX incidents/complaints. Seek proactive measures to advocate and care for on‑campus students. Coordinate response to all crisis situations involving housing facilities or incidents impacting on‑campus students. Resident Director Duties Serve as a personal resource for students in support regarding residential life, personal, and college matters. Establish and maintain communication with students living in the residence halls through individual outreach and community meetings. Mandatory hall meetings of all residents are required at the beginning of each semester to review policy/procedure and answer questions. Supervise, support, and evaluate assigned team of Resident Assistants (RA). Conduct periodic health and safety room checks of all rooms. Assume on‑call responsibility for assigned residence hall during the week and for all residence halls on a scheduled basis. With the assistance of the RAs, inventory each room prior to the opening of school and fill out the check‑in sheets. Ensure that students are living in their assigned rooms. Assume responsibility for keeping all keys secure, and collect keys when residents move out of the building. Respond to crisis situations in accordance with university procedures. Assist the students in the development, implementation, and oversight of the Residential Hall Council, with the eventual goal of self‑governance within the halls. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Strategic planning and implementation. Knowledge and application of student development. Written and oral communication skills. Leadership, supervisory, and managerial skills. Technology skills. Knowledge of policies and legal issues in higher education. Ability to build collaborative partnerships. Ability to balance the opinions of many different groups and competing interests in decision making. Administrative, multi‑tasking, and organizational skills. Critical thinking, decision‑making, and problem‑solving skills. Preferred Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Knowledge of Thesis Elements, Pharos 360, StarRez among others, or ability to learn such systems. Skills in mediation and conflict deescalation. Skills in spreadsheet analysis. Required Bachelor’s degree. 3–5 years of progressively responsible professional leadership experience in a housing environment. Experience responding to and handling various crisis and emergency situations. Experience in staff hiring and training. Experience working with a housing assignment process. Preferred Requirements Master’s degree. Previous director‑level experience in a comprehensive housing and residence life program. Financial modeling, budget management, and strategic planning experience. #J-18808-Ljbffr The University of Tennessee Southern