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The Residence Director, reporting to the Associate Director, Residential Education, oversees a large residential community with a focus on safety, efficiency, student success, and community development that supports learning beyond the classroom. This is a live-in position, requiring frequent evening and weekend availability to advise students, support campus events, and respond to student needs. The Residence Director also serves in an on-call rotation for both emergency and non-emergency situations. Success in this role requires strong communication skills, sound judgment, and the ability to build meaningful relationships across a diverse student population.ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES
- Maintain an active presence in the assigned residential area by holding regular office hours and attending programs and events within the residence halls and broader campus community.
- Meet with individual students to address concerns, provide support, and refer them to appropriate campus resources as needed.
- Maintain required documentation and submit reports in accordance with college procedures and applicable federal and state regulations.
- Hire, train, supervise, and evaluate student staff, including Resident Assistants, International Student Peer Mentors, Front Desk Assistants, and Office Assistants.
- Develop instructional materials for staff training and provide ongoing guidance, feedback, and support to team members.
- Respond to emergency and non-emergency situations as needed.
- Participate in the campus-wide on-call duty rotation.
- Serve as a Conduct Hearing Officer and participate in Conduct Boards as assigned.
- Oversee RA programming and community development efforts, including reviewing program proposals, delivering lesson plans, and ensuring timely submission of post-program assessments.
- Serve on departmental and interdepartmental committees.
- Support key housing operations, including room changes, housing selection, residence hall openings and closings, and break period coverage.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS – Qualifications are deemed required or preferred and represent what is needed to perform effectively in this Job.
- Master’s Degree in College Student Personnel, Student Affairs, Psychology, or a related field required
- Minimum of 1 year of full-time experience working with college students required
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES – This may be representative but not all-inclusive of the knowledge, skills, and abilities commonly associated with the job.
- Comprehensive knowledge of student development theory, housing operations, and residential life
- Commitment to diversity, intersections of individuals, and team building
- Ability to effectively work with students from a broad range of backgrounds and life experiences
- Ability to supervise and train staff members
- Proficiency in using computer software and the ability to learn new software easily
- Self-starter with excellent interpersonal communication and problem-solving skills
- Excellent organizational skills
- Strong critical thinking skills
- Ability to be flexible and adapt to changing circumstances
- Exceptional accuracy and attention to detail required
PHYSICAL ABILITIES – Activities commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job. The physical demands described below are representative of those that an employee must meet to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
- Continuous oral and written communication with co-workers, supervisors, and customers is essential.
- Repetitive movements, occasional lifting of up to 25 pounds, reaching, lifting, stooping, and the ability to read a computer screen, detect color-coding, and read fine print will be expected.
- Ability to serve in an out-of-hours on-campus duty rotation is required.
WORK ENVIRONMENT – Environmental or atmospheric conditions commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job.
- This position lives on campus
- Exposed to moderate noise levels
Disclaimer: This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees may be required to follow other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties as requested, subject to all applicable state and federal laws. Certain job duties described herein may be subject to possible modification in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.
COMPENSATION
Compensation for this position will be between $43,888 - $58,656 annually, commensurate with experience.
LIVE ON EXPECTATIONS
The Residence Director will live on campus so that they can fulfill frequent evening and weekend responsibilities, including advising students and assisting with special campus events.
Grade of Position: 23-05EScheduled Weekly Hours: 36.25In addition to a competitive salary, Emerson College is committed to the health and well-being of our employees and family members. We offer a generous benefits package to regular staff scheduled to work 20+ hours per week.
Benefits include outstanding health plans with limited out-of-pocket expenses, dental plans, generous time-off programs, and a 403(b) retirement benefit with a 9% employer contribution once eligible. Additional benefits such as life and disability coverage as well as commuter offerings are available.
Please refer to our benefits website for a full list of benefits and eligibility requirements.
