Residence Hall Director - Undergraduate Residence Halls - Residential Life
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, us, 61803
UNIVERSITY HOUSING - UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS - URBANA CHAMPAIGN
Primary Position Function/Summary
Responsible for providing leadership, management, and coordination of a residential community in the undergraduate residence halls. RDs shape the experiences, environment and student success of residential students through the framework of a Residential Curriculum. Additionally, the position works collaboratively with colleagues on campus to support University Housing's mission and vision, and build safe, inclusive communities, through leadership, supervision, and crisis management.
Duties And Responsibilities Residential Education and Leadership
Assume responsibility for the leadership and implementation of strategies to achieve the goals and learning outcomes of a residential experience. Goals and learning outcomes of the curriculum are currently in the areas of Promoting Well-being, Community Engagement, Social Responsibility, Lifelong Learning, and Cultural & Identity Exploration.
Provide direct leadership to staff for community assessment, community building and the implementation and assessment of the curriculum. Assume a leadership role in promoting action and advocacy for inclusivity, equity and belonging across all cultures.
Provide leadership, guidance and support to staff, students, and student groups in the development of communities with an increased sense of social awareness and sense of responsibility.
Support the academic mission of the university as educators, guiding staff, residents, and student groups in the development of communities that support residents’ goals for making academic progress and expand their knowledge of academic and campus resources.
Coordinate collaboration and work between RAs and other paraprofessional and student hourly positions to implement the goals and outcomes of the curriculum. Provide leadership development opportunities for members of student groups through structured advising, mentoring, and community event planning.
Educate residents and staff regarding the University and Housing policies and developmentally address behaviors, informally through conflict resolution strategies, restorative practice, and formally through the educationally driven student conduct process.
Maintain appropriate community standards within the undergraduate residence halls.
Act as a University hearing officer for all hall-level violations and some campus-level student code violations utilizing an educational and developmental approach.
Develop intentional collaborative relationships with internal and external department and campus partners from Student Affairs and Academic Affairs.
Staff Supervision, Recruitment, Training, and Development
Supervise and lead paraprofessional staff of 8-15 in the implementation of the residential curriculum.
Set expectations and guide paraprofessional staff in development of interpersonal skills, administrative tasks, professionalism, and working collaboratively within a team.
Participate in departmental recruitment and selection processes.
Assist with departmental training, plan and implement paraprofessional training, and develop and implement weekly staff development for paraprofessionals. Participate in professional staff training and development programs.
Conduct informal and formal performance appraisals for paraprofessional staff.
Supervisors will engage in and implement University Housing's inclusion, culture, and climate initiatives.
Crisis Response & Management
Assume on-call responsibilities within a multi-residence hall area on a regularly scheduled rotation during the year including all University break periods, which may include holidays.
Respond to in-hall emergencies including but not limited to weather, fire, outside emergency responders enter building.
Effectively address and respond to crisis or emergency situations, which includes providing guidance to paraprofessional staff and students. Provide appropriate post-crisis referrals and follow-up with students and staff.
Remains at or reports to their facilities as soon as conditions reasonably permit in the event of severe weather or emergency situations when the university may suspend classes or close the university. (This position is considered an essential employee.)
Administrative
Establish and maintain a minimum of 10 weekday drop-in office hours for residents as part of a flexible, work schedule during the academic year. Maintain a traditional 40-hour work week schedule during the summer and breaks to work on assigned projects and prepare for staff training.
Maintain availability for evening and weekend educational initiatives and contact with students on a flexible schedule.
Coordinate various administrative tasks, such as the room change process, fire inspections, and maintaining student employment records. Participate on a wide variety of departmental and/or university committees, project teams, and work groups.
Maintain accurate documentation for the judicial process.
Coordinate hall openings and closing procedures at various break periods.
Process requests for funding and administer student group and staff administrative budgets including maintaining detailed financial records.
Participate in weekly area professional staff meetings, monthly departmental and quarterly all housing meetings as well as regular project oriented departmental committee meetings.
Become familiar with Residential Life current policies and procedures outlined in the Residential Life manual. Participate in University Housing’s overall Conference & Special Events operation.
Respond to day-to-day needs of conference groups and staff during the conference season. Collaborate regularly with other Housing units on various programs and operations.
Collaborate effectively with Living Learning Community staffs to plan and implement fall orientation, specialized educational initiatives and services that complement the academic theme of the Living Learning Community (applicable in halls with LLCs).
Professional
Function in a unique department-centered and area-centered environment where in-depth collaboration and teamwork are extremely important and highly valued.
Demonstrate self-awareness, respect, and openness when working with individuals from different backgrounds and perspectives in serving the campus community.
Demonstrate a wide range of interpersonal skills to build and sustain an inclusive community.
Maintain an effective working relationship with supervisor, co-workers and other University Housing staff. Remain open and receptive to constructive feedback.
Demonstrate excellent communication skills.
Demonstrate quality decision making and evaluative skills, including taking responsibility for actions and decisions.
Demonstrate a positive attitude toward the position, the Department of Residential Life and University Housing.
Demonstrate leadership and support of inclusive and equitable practices. Fulfill expectations for assigned committees and projects.
Other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree. Candidates with a Bachelor’s degree in progress at the time of application may be considered. A successful candidate will have completed the Bachelor’s degree at the time of beginning of employment.
Experience in residential life, campus housing, student affairs, or a related field (e.g., higher education, counseling, social work). Experience may be gained through professional roles, graduate assistantships, internships, or relevant student leadership positions and will be evaluated based on relevance and demonstrated skills.
Preferred Qualifications
Master’s degree in College Student Personnel, Student Affairs, Higher Education, Counseling or related field.
Work in residential life or campus housing. Candidates with supervision experience, successful community building strategies, conflict mediation skills, interpersonal skills, knowledge of residential curriculum and sound decision-making and evaluative skills are strongly desired.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
A working knowledge of student learning and student development, inclusive community building, and/or residential curricular models.
Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues and students while working with all individuals in an inclusive manner.
Ability to receive, consider and integrate constructive feedback to improve performance and/or strengthen professional practice.
Physical Demands and Working Conditions
This position requires the staff member to live within the same residence hall in which they work.
Position requires travel around campus throughout the day for meetings.
Position requires the individual to be able to respond to duty related crisis calls within and around residence hall environments where there are lots of students and sometimes high demand situations.
Position requires the ability to multi-task and move around campus effectively in a busy and unpredictable environment.
Position involves light lifting of office/programming supplies weighing upwards of five pounds (5 lbs).
Work will take place in office and residence hall environments including but not limited to student common and meeting spaces and various administrative offices/spaces on campus.
This position also includes night and weekend responsibilities.
Appointment Information This is a 100% full-time Academic Professional position, appointed on a 12-month basis. We intend to make multiple hires for this search with expected start dates between April 6, 2026 and June 29, 2026. The salary range for this position is $43,888.00 to $48,888.00 per year.
Application Procedures & Deadline Information Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on February 23, 2026. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting. When submitting your application, include a cover letter, resume, and the names, phone numbers and email addresses for three (3) professional references. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. For further information about this specific position, please contact reslifejobs@illinois.edu. Sponsorship for work authorization is not available for this position.
This search will remain open, and applications will continue to be reviewed until June 28, 2026. Multiple hires will be made for this search. Interviews and hires may occur before the close date, however all applications received by the close date will receive full consideration.
For questions regarding the application process, please contact Illinois Human Resources at 217-333-2137.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position; however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.
This position is intended to be eligible for benefits. This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.
The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view your non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.
Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Accommodations may also be requested on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions, or religion. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodations portal, or by contacting the Accessibility & Accommodations Division of the Office for Access and Equity at 217-333-0885, or by emailing accessibility@illinois.edu.
Requisition ID: 1034180
Job Category: Education & Student Services
Apply at: https://jobs.illinois.edu
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Duties And Responsibilities Residential Education and Leadership
Assume responsibility for the leadership and implementation of strategies to achieve the goals and learning outcomes of a residential experience. Goals and learning outcomes of the curriculum are currently in the areas of Promoting Well-being, Community Engagement, Social Responsibility, Lifelong Learning, and Cultural & Identity Exploration.
Provide direct leadership to staff for community assessment, community building and the implementation and assessment of the curriculum. Assume a leadership role in promoting action and advocacy for inclusivity, equity and belonging across all cultures.
Provide leadership, guidance and support to staff, students, and student groups in the development of communities with an increased sense of social awareness and sense of responsibility.
Support the academic mission of the university as educators, guiding staff, residents, and student groups in the development of communities that support residents’ goals for making academic progress and expand their knowledge of academic and campus resources.
Coordinate collaboration and work between RAs and other paraprofessional and student hourly positions to implement the goals and outcomes of the curriculum. Provide leadership development opportunities for members of student groups through structured advising, mentoring, and community event planning.
Educate residents and staff regarding the University and Housing policies and developmentally address behaviors, informally through conflict resolution strategies, restorative practice, and formally through the educationally driven student conduct process.
Maintain appropriate community standards within the undergraduate residence halls.
Act as a University hearing officer for all hall-level violations and some campus-level student code violations utilizing an educational and developmental approach.
Develop intentional collaborative relationships with internal and external department and campus partners from Student Affairs and Academic Affairs.
Staff Supervision, Recruitment, Training, and Development
Supervise and lead paraprofessional staff of 8-15 in the implementation of the residential curriculum.
Set expectations and guide paraprofessional staff in development of interpersonal skills, administrative tasks, professionalism, and working collaboratively within a team.
Participate in departmental recruitment and selection processes.
Assist with departmental training, plan and implement paraprofessional training, and develop and implement weekly staff development for paraprofessionals. Participate in professional staff training and development programs.
Conduct informal and formal performance appraisals for paraprofessional staff.
Supervisors will engage in and implement University Housing's inclusion, culture, and climate initiatives.
Crisis Response & Management
Assume on-call responsibilities within a multi-residence hall area on a regularly scheduled rotation during the year including all University break periods, which may include holidays.
Respond to in-hall emergencies including but not limited to weather, fire, outside emergency responders enter building.
Effectively address and respond to crisis or emergency situations, which includes providing guidance to paraprofessional staff and students. Provide appropriate post-crisis referrals and follow-up with students and staff.
Remains at or reports to their facilities as soon as conditions reasonably permit in the event of severe weather or emergency situations when the university may suspend classes or close the university. (This position is considered an essential employee.)
Administrative
Establish and maintain a minimum of 10 weekday drop-in office hours for residents as part of a flexible, work schedule during the academic year. Maintain a traditional 40-hour work week schedule during the summer and breaks to work on assigned projects and prepare for staff training.
Maintain availability for evening and weekend educational initiatives and contact with students on a flexible schedule.
Coordinate various administrative tasks, such as the room change process, fire inspections, and maintaining student employment records. Participate on a wide variety of departmental and/or university committees, project teams, and work groups.
Maintain accurate documentation for the judicial process.
Coordinate hall openings and closing procedures at various break periods.
Process requests for funding and administer student group and staff administrative budgets including maintaining detailed financial records.
Participate in weekly area professional staff meetings, monthly departmental and quarterly all housing meetings as well as regular project oriented departmental committee meetings.
Become familiar with Residential Life current policies and procedures outlined in the Residential Life manual. Participate in University Housing’s overall Conference & Special Events operation.
Respond to day-to-day needs of conference groups and staff during the conference season. Collaborate regularly with other Housing units on various programs and operations.
Collaborate effectively with Living Learning Community staffs to plan and implement fall orientation, specialized educational initiatives and services that complement the academic theme of the Living Learning Community (applicable in halls with LLCs).
Professional
Function in a unique department-centered and area-centered environment where in-depth collaboration and teamwork are extremely important and highly valued.
Demonstrate self-awareness, respect, and openness when working with individuals from different backgrounds and perspectives in serving the campus community.
Demonstrate a wide range of interpersonal skills to build and sustain an inclusive community.
Maintain an effective working relationship with supervisor, co-workers and other University Housing staff. Remain open and receptive to constructive feedback.
Demonstrate excellent communication skills.
Demonstrate quality decision making and evaluative skills, including taking responsibility for actions and decisions.
Demonstrate a positive attitude toward the position, the Department of Residential Life and University Housing.
Demonstrate leadership and support of inclusive and equitable practices. Fulfill expectations for assigned committees and projects.
Other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree. Candidates with a Bachelor’s degree in progress at the time of application may be considered. A successful candidate will have completed the Bachelor’s degree at the time of beginning of employment.
Experience in residential life, campus housing, student affairs, or a related field (e.g., higher education, counseling, social work). Experience may be gained through professional roles, graduate assistantships, internships, or relevant student leadership positions and will be evaluated based on relevance and demonstrated skills.
Preferred Qualifications
Master’s degree in College Student Personnel, Student Affairs, Higher Education, Counseling or related field.
Work in residential life or campus housing. Candidates with supervision experience, successful community building strategies, conflict mediation skills, interpersonal skills, knowledge of residential curriculum and sound decision-making and evaluative skills are strongly desired.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
A working knowledge of student learning and student development, inclusive community building, and/or residential curricular models.
Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues and students while working with all individuals in an inclusive manner.
Ability to receive, consider and integrate constructive feedback to improve performance and/or strengthen professional practice.
Physical Demands and Working Conditions
This position requires the staff member to live within the same residence hall in which they work.
Position requires travel around campus throughout the day for meetings.
Position requires the individual to be able to respond to duty related crisis calls within and around residence hall environments where there are lots of students and sometimes high demand situations.
Position requires the ability to multi-task and move around campus effectively in a busy and unpredictable environment.
Position involves light lifting of office/programming supplies weighing upwards of five pounds (5 lbs).
Work will take place in office and residence hall environments including but not limited to student common and meeting spaces and various administrative offices/spaces on campus.
This position also includes night and weekend responsibilities.
Appointment Information This is a 100% full-time Academic Professional position, appointed on a 12-month basis. We intend to make multiple hires for this search with expected start dates between April 6, 2026 and June 29, 2026. The salary range for this position is $43,888.00 to $48,888.00 per year.
Application Procedures & Deadline Information Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on February 23, 2026. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting. When submitting your application, include a cover letter, resume, and the names, phone numbers and email addresses for three (3) professional references. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. For further information about this specific position, please contact reslifejobs@illinois.edu. Sponsorship for work authorization is not available for this position.
This search will remain open, and applications will continue to be reviewed until June 28, 2026. Multiple hires will be made for this search. Interviews and hires may occur before the close date, however all applications received by the close date will receive full consideration.
For questions regarding the application process, please contact Illinois Human Resources at 217-333-2137.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position; however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.
This position is intended to be eligible for benefits. This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.
The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view your non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.
Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Accommodations may also be requested on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions, or religion. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodations portal, or by contacting the Accessibility & Accommodations Division of the Office for Access and Equity at 217-333-0885, or by emailing accessibility@illinois.edu.
Requisition ID: 1034180
Job Category: Education & Student Services
Apply at: https://jobs.illinois.edu
#J-18808-Ljbffr