Director of Residence Life
Jackson College, Jackson, MI, United States
Position Summary
The Director of Residence Life provides vision-driven and operationally disciplined leadership for campus housing as a living, learning community that prepares students for life beyond college.
This role is not centered on hotel-style service delivery or reactive problem management. Instead, the Director serves as the chief steward of housing culture and operations, ensuring that Residence Life functions as an extension of the educational mission and a primary environment where the Maroon & Gold Standards are lived daily.
The Director is expected to be a visible, engaged presence within the housing community and to lead a team that is proactive, relational, and responsive, ensuring students feel safe, noticed, supported, and held to clear expectations.
This position requires living in a residence hall in a one-bedroom apartment provided by the College.
Core Purpose of the Role The Director of Residence Life is responsible for:
Translating the Housing & Community Vision into daily operational practice
Establishing housing as a learning community, not a lodging operation
Building a culture of shared responsibility, safety, and care
Ensuring students are supported while being held accountable fairly and consistently
Leading Residence Life staff to be present, proactive, and aligned
Delivering reliable operations, risk management, and measurable performance
Essential Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Responsibilities
Culture, Community, and Learning Environment
Lead the development and sustainment of a housing culture grounded in Human-First principles, academics, safety, and preparation for independent living.
Ensure community standards are clearly communicated early, reinforced often, and applied consistently with fairness and good judgment.
Establish housing as a learning environment where students practice communication, shared living, accountability, repair after harm, and stewardship of space.
Set clear expectations that students are community members, not customers, and reinforce the shared impact of individual choices.
Leadership, Supervision, and Staff Development
Hire, train, supervise, and evaluate professional and paraprofessional housing staff.
Build a Residence Life team that is proactive rather than reactive, relational rather than transactional, and confident and consistent in setting expectations.
Ensure strong supervision structures, regular check-ins, and accountability for staff presence, follow-through, and student engagement.
Establish non-negotiable training standards, including scenario-based drills, crisis response competencies, conduct process training, and duty preparedness.
Organize and facilitate ongoing professional development that reinforces community-building, student development, crisis response, and Human-First practice.
Student Support, Engagement, and Early Intervention
Lead Residence Life efforts to build authentic relationships with students, particularly those who may not otherwise feel seen or connected.
Ensure staff are trained and expected to notice early signs of struggle, disengagement, or conflict and to intervene before issues escalated.
Work collaboratively with Student Services and campus partners to identify and support at‑risk students while maintaining appropriate boundaries and referrals.
Respond to student and parent concerns in ways that are firm, fair, consistent, transparent, and aligned with institutional values and state and federal regulations.
Safety, On-Call Response, Compliance, and Risk Management
Maintain a visible, proactive Residence Life presence supported by a reliable, well-defined on‑call system that responds promptly, escalates appropriately, and operates in close partnership with the Campus Safety and Security Department.
Serve as a primary operational partner with Campus Safety & Security leadership to ensure shared understanding of roles, responsibilities, and response expectations related to residential incidents, emergencies, and student welfare concerns.
Ensure Residence Life staff understand policy and procedures outlining when an issue is managed internally, when Campus Safety & Security must be engaged, when matters require the Judicial Officer and when immediate escalation to senior leadership or external authorities is required.
Participate in the Residence Life on-call rotation and ensure after-hours response reflects calm authority, consistency, sound judgment, and adherence to established protocols, particularly during high-stakes or emotionally charged situations.
Establish, document, and enforce clear protocols and staff compliance related to:
Campus Safety coordination and emergency response, including response expectations, communication handoffs, incident command clarity, and post-incident debriefing.
Title IX reporting pathways, ensuring Residence Life staff understand mandatory reporting obligations, documentation requirements, and timely referral to appropriate institutional officials.
Clery Act–relevant incident identification and documentation, ensuring accurate, timely, and consistent reporting to support institutional compliance and campus transparency.
FERPA‑compliant communication standards, ensuring student information is shared appropriately, securely, and only with authorized individuals while balancing safety and care.
Ensure Residence Life staff receive ongoing training and scenario-based preparation in crisis response, safety coordination, emergency decision-making, and documentation standards in collaboration with Campus Safety.
Lead the implementation of a consistent, well-documented student conduct process with defined timelines, investigation standards, communication expectations, and escalation thresholds, ensuring fairness, learning, and institutional risk mitigation.
Review trends in incidents, conduct cases, and safety concerns in collaboration with Campus Safety, Judicial Officer, Student Resource Advocate and senior leadership to identify emerging risks, improve response effectiveness, and reduce recurrence.
Housing Operations, Facilities, and Security
Oversee housing operations including room assignments, transfers, consolidations, inspections, occupancy management, and reporting.
Ensure facilities are clean, secure, and maintained with urgency through strong coordination with Facilities and Custodial teams.
Serve as liaison to Facilities, reporting, tracking, and following up on building issues and advocating for improvements that enhance the living environment.
Ensure consistent room condition inspections, access control standards, guest management protocols, and safety walkthroughs.
Ensure fair and consistently applied room damage assessments and deposit reduction processes reinforcing stewardship and accountability.
Operational Accountability, Reporting, and Performance Management
Establish and maintain a simple, regular reporting cadence (dashboard and brief narrative updates) to provide leadership with clear visibility into housing operations.
Track and report key performance indicators, including but not limited to:
Occupancy and capacity utilization
Residential student retention and satisfactory academic progress
Student conduct trends and resolution timelines
On-call responsiveness and escalation effectiveness
Facilities work-order cycle time
Damage and repair costs
Student satisfaction indicators
Staffing coverage and duty compliance
Use data to identify issues early, drive continuous improvement, and reduce operational surprises.
Performance in this role will be evaluated in part based on operational outcomes, reliability, and effective risk management.
Auxiliary, Financial, and Strategic Responsibilities
Develop and manage Residence Life budgets in alignment with institutional guidelines.
Provide forecasting and rate-setting input in collaboration with Finance and senior leadership.
Oversee break and summer housing operations, including staffing, occupancy, and revenue considerations.
Lead and maintain Residence Life’s strategic agenda in alignment with the College’s mission, values, and Maroon & Gold Standards.
Build strong campus partnerships to ensure Residence Life functions as a lever for student momentum, persistence, and completion, not a silo.
What Success Looks Like in this Role
Students persist, are retained, and accomplish their academic goals
Students experience housing as a safe, structured, caring learning community that prepares them for independent living. Safety, coverage and response are visible, predictable, and trusted.
Expectations are clear, enforcement is consistent and fair, and accountability is accepted without shame.
Issues are identified early, escalations decrease, and shared spaces are respected.
Leadership has confidence in housing operations and is never surprised by emerging risks or trends.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred
Progressive experience in residence life or student housing; community college experience preferred.
Demonstrated commitment to student development, community-building, and equity-informed practice
Demonstrated strong supervisory, communication, and crisis‑response skills
Ability to lead with clarity, consistency, care, and operational discipline
Supervisory Responsibilities
Direct supervision of the Assistant Director of Residence Life, including goal setting, regular check‑ins, performance feedback, professional development, and accountability for operational expectations
Direct supervision of Residence Life Hall Managers, with responsibility for ensuring consistent building‑level leadership, staff presence, policy application, and student engagement
Indirect supervision of Resident Assistants through the Hall Managers, including oversight of training standards, duty expectations, performance consistency, and leadership development
Oversight of Desk Assistants and other student housing staff as applicable, ensuring clear role expectations, standardized training, and appropriate supervision structures
Contacts and Purpose of Contacts Internal Contacts
Campus Safety and Security – Coordinate emergency response, welfare checks, incident escalation, safety planning, and after‑hours support within residence halls to ensure timely, predictable, and compliant response to safety concerns.
Student Services and Student Support resources (Navigators, CSS, SRA, Oasis, Health Clinic) – Support early identification of student needs, coordinated intervention, referrals, and follow‑up care for students experiencing academic, behavioral, or personal challenges.
Academic Affairs and Academic Leadership – Reinforce academic eligibility requirements, support students on probation, coordinate academic interventions, and align housing expectations with student success and persistence goals.
Admissions and Recruitment – Ensure the residential experience aligns with commitments made to prospective students and families and supports recruitment, yield, and retention efforts.
Marketing – Maintain consistency across housing-related messaging, policies, webpages, publications, and public-facing materials so that lived experience aligns with institutional messaging.
Facilities, Custodial, and Maintenance – Coordinate building maintenance, cleanliness, access control, inspections, and safety walkthroughs to support physical well‑being and stewardship of residential spaces.
Finance and Business Service – Support budgeting, room damage assessments, deposits, billing questions, and financial accountability related to housing operations.
Human Resources – Support hiring, onboarding, training, supervision, performance management, and professional development of residence life staff.
Title IX and Compliance Officers – Ensure appropriate reporting, documentation, training, and adherence to federal and state requirements related to sexual misconduct, discrimination, and campus safety reporting.
Judicial Officer – Ensure fair, consistent, and educational conduct processes aligned with policy, due process, and student development principles.
Athletics and Student Development – Coordinate support and expectations for residential student‑athletes and align housing policies with co‑curricular engagement and wellness.
External Contacts
Parents and Families (as appropriate and FERPA-compliant) – Communicate and coordinate support in situations involving student safety, health, or welfare while respecting student privacy and autonomy.
Higher Education Housing and Student Affairs Associations – Benchmark best practices, support professional development, and maintain alignment with evolving standards in residence life and housing.
Community-Based Organizations and Nonprofits – Provide referral resources related to mental health, victim advocacy, basic needs, cultural support, and student well‑being.
Applicants have rights under Federal employment laws. Jackson College is an Equal Opportunity Employer that actively supports workforce diversity.
This description is intended to indicate the kinds of tasks and levels of work difficulty that will be required and shall not be construed as declaring the specific duties and responsibilities. It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct, and control the work of employees under his or her supervision. The use of a particular expression or illustration describing duties shall not be held to exclude other duties not mentioned that are of similar kind or level of difficulty.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
This role is not centered on hotel-style service delivery or reactive problem management. Instead, the Director serves as the chief steward of housing culture and operations, ensuring that Residence Life functions as an extension of the educational mission and a primary environment where the Maroon & Gold Standards are lived daily.
The Director is expected to be a visible, engaged presence within the housing community and to lead a team that is proactive, relational, and responsive, ensuring students feel safe, noticed, supported, and held to clear expectations.
This position requires living in a residence hall in a one-bedroom apartment provided by the College.
Core Purpose of the Role The Director of Residence Life is responsible for:
Translating the Housing & Community Vision into daily operational practice
Establishing housing as a learning community, not a lodging operation
Building a culture of shared responsibility, safety, and care
Ensuring students are supported while being held accountable fairly and consistently
Leading Residence Life staff to be present, proactive, and aligned
Delivering reliable operations, risk management, and measurable performance
Essential Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Responsibilities
Culture, Community, and Learning Environment
Lead the development and sustainment of a housing culture grounded in Human-First principles, academics, safety, and preparation for independent living.
Ensure community standards are clearly communicated early, reinforced often, and applied consistently with fairness and good judgment.
Establish housing as a learning environment where students practice communication, shared living, accountability, repair after harm, and stewardship of space.
Set clear expectations that students are community members, not customers, and reinforce the shared impact of individual choices.
Leadership, Supervision, and Staff Development
Hire, train, supervise, and evaluate professional and paraprofessional housing staff.
Build a Residence Life team that is proactive rather than reactive, relational rather than transactional, and confident and consistent in setting expectations.
Ensure strong supervision structures, regular check-ins, and accountability for staff presence, follow-through, and student engagement.
Establish non-negotiable training standards, including scenario-based drills, crisis response competencies, conduct process training, and duty preparedness.
Organize and facilitate ongoing professional development that reinforces community-building, student development, crisis response, and Human-First practice.
Student Support, Engagement, and Early Intervention
Lead Residence Life efforts to build authentic relationships with students, particularly those who may not otherwise feel seen or connected.
Ensure staff are trained and expected to notice early signs of struggle, disengagement, or conflict and to intervene before issues escalated.
Work collaboratively with Student Services and campus partners to identify and support at‑risk students while maintaining appropriate boundaries and referrals.
Respond to student and parent concerns in ways that are firm, fair, consistent, transparent, and aligned with institutional values and state and federal regulations.
Safety, On-Call Response, Compliance, and Risk Management
Maintain a visible, proactive Residence Life presence supported by a reliable, well-defined on‑call system that responds promptly, escalates appropriately, and operates in close partnership with the Campus Safety and Security Department.
Serve as a primary operational partner with Campus Safety & Security leadership to ensure shared understanding of roles, responsibilities, and response expectations related to residential incidents, emergencies, and student welfare concerns.
Ensure Residence Life staff understand policy and procedures outlining when an issue is managed internally, when Campus Safety & Security must be engaged, when matters require the Judicial Officer and when immediate escalation to senior leadership or external authorities is required.
Participate in the Residence Life on-call rotation and ensure after-hours response reflects calm authority, consistency, sound judgment, and adherence to established protocols, particularly during high-stakes or emotionally charged situations.
Establish, document, and enforce clear protocols and staff compliance related to:
Campus Safety coordination and emergency response, including response expectations, communication handoffs, incident command clarity, and post-incident debriefing.
Title IX reporting pathways, ensuring Residence Life staff understand mandatory reporting obligations, documentation requirements, and timely referral to appropriate institutional officials.
Clery Act–relevant incident identification and documentation, ensuring accurate, timely, and consistent reporting to support institutional compliance and campus transparency.
FERPA‑compliant communication standards, ensuring student information is shared appropriately, securely, and only with authorized individuals while balancing safety and care.
Ensure Residence Life staff receive ongoing training and scenario-based preparation in crisis response, safety coordination, emergency decision-making, and documentation standards in collaboration with Campus Safety.
Lead the implementation of a consistent, well-documented student conduct process with defined timelines, investigation standards, communication expectations, and escalation thresholds, ensuring fairness, learning, and institutional risk mitigation.
Review trends in incidents, conduct cases, and safety concerns in collaboration with Campus Safety, Judicial Officer, Student Resource Advocate and senior leadership to identify emerging risks, improve response effectiveness, and reduce recurrence.
Housing Operations, Facilities, and Security
Oversee housing operations including room assignments, transfers, consolidations, inspections, occupancy management, and reporting.
Ensure facilities are clean, secure, and maintained with urgency through strong coordination with Facilities and Custodial teams.
Serve as liaison to Facilities, reporting, tracking, and following up on building issues and advocating for improvements that enhance the living environment.
Ensure consistent room condition inspections, access control standards, guest management protocols, and safety walkthroughs.
Ensure fair and consistently applied room damage assessments and deposit reduction processes reinforcing stewardship and accountability.
Operational Accountability, Reporting, and Performance Management
Establish and maintain a simple, regular reporting cadence (dashboard and brief narrative updates) to provide leadership with clear visibility into housing operations.
Track and report key performance indicators, including but not limited to:
Occupancy and capacity utilization
Residential student retention and satisfactory academic progress
Student conduct trends and resolution timelines
On-call responsiveness and escalation effectiveness
Facilities work-order cycle time
Damage and repair costs
Student satisfaction indicators
Staffing coverage and duty compliance
Use data to identify issues early, drive continuous improvement, and reduce operational surprises.
Performance in this role will be evaluated in part based on operational outcomes, reliability, and effective risk management.
Auxiliary, Financial, and Strategic Responsibilities
Develop and manage Residence Life budgets in alignment with institutional guidelines.
Provide forecasting and rate-setting input in collaboration with Finance and senior leadership.
Oversee break and summer housing operations, including staffing, occupancy, and revenue considerations.
Lead and maintain Residence Life’s strategic agenda in alignment with the College’s mission, values, and Maroon & Gold Standards.
Build strong campus partnerships to ensure Residence Life functions as a lever for student momentum, persistence, and completion, not a silo.
What Success Looks Like in this Role
Students persist, are retained, and accomplish their academic goals
Students experience housing as a safe, structured, caring learning community that prepares them for independent living. Safety, coverage and response are visible, predictable, and trusted.
Expectations are clear, enforcement is consistent and fair, and accountability is accepted without shame.
Issues are identified early, escalations decrease, and shared spaces are respected.
Leadership has confidence in housing operations and is never surprised by emerging risks or trends.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred
Progressive experience in residence life or student housing; community college experience preferred.
Demonstrated commitment to student development, community-building, and equity-informed practice
Demonstrated strong supervisory, communication, and crisis‑response skills
Ability to lead with clarity, consistency, care, and operational discipline
Supervisory Responsibilities
Direct supervision of the Assistant Director of Residence Life, including goal setting, regular check‑ins, performance feedback, professional development, and accountability for operational expectations
Direct supervision of Residence Life Hall Managers, with responsibility for ensuring consistent building‑level leadership, staff presence, policy application, and student engagement
Indirect supervision of Resident Assistants through the Hall Managers, including oversight of training standards, duty expectations, performance consistency, and leadership development
Oversight of Desk Assistants and other student housing staff as applicable, ensuring clear role expectations, standardized training, and appropriate supervision structures
Contacts and Purpose of Contacts Internal Contacts
Campus Safety and Security – Coordinate emergency response, welfare checks, incident escalation, safety planning, and after‑hours support within residence halls to ensure timely, predictable, and compliant response to safety concerns.
Student Services and Student Support resources (Navigators, CSS, SRA, Oasis, Health Clinic) – Support early identification of student needs, coordinated intervention, referrals, and follow‑up care for students experiencing academic, behavioral, or personal challenges.
Academic Affairs and Academic Leadership – Reinforce academic eligibility requirements, support students on probation, coordinate academic interventions, and align housing expectations with student success and persistence goals.
Admissions and Recruitment – Ensure the residential experience aligns with commitments made to prospective students and families and supports recruitment, yield, and retention efforts.
Marketing – Maintain consistency across housing-related messaging, policies, webpages, publications, and public-facing materials so that lived experience aligns with institutional messaging.
Facilities, Custodial, and Maintenance – Coordinate building maintenance, cleanliness, access control, inspections, and safety walkthroughs to support physical well‑being and stewardship of residential spaces.
Finance and Business Service – Support budgeting, room damage assessments, deposits, billing questions, and financial accountability related to housing operations.
Human Resources – Support hiring, onboarding, training, supervision, performance management, and professional development of residence life staff.
Title IX and Compliance Officers – Ensure appropriate reporting, documentation, training, and adherence to federal and state requirements related to sexual misconduct, discrimination, and campus safety reporting.
Judicial Officer – Ensure fair, consistent, and educational conduct processes aligned with policy, due process, and student development principles.
Athletics and Student Development – Coordinate support and expectations for residential student‑athletes and align housing policies with co‑curricular engagement and wellness.
External Contacts
Parents and Families (as appropriate and FERPA-compliant) – Communicate and coordinate support in situations involving student safety, health, or welfare while respecting student privacy and autonomy.
Higher Education Housing and Student Affairs Associations – Benchmark best practices, support professional development, and maintain alignment with evolving standards in residence life and housing.
Community-Based Organizations and Nonprofits – Provide referral resources related to mental health, victim advocacy, basic needs, cultural support, and student well‑being.
Applicants have rights under Federal employment laws. Jackson College is an Equal Opportunity Employer that actively supports workforce diversity.
This description is intended to indicate the kinds of tasks and levels of work difficulty that will be required and shall not be construed as declaring the specific duties and responsibilities. It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct, and control the work of employees under his or her supervision. The use of a particular expression or illustration describing duties shall not be held to exclude other duties not mentioned that are of similar kind or level of difficulty.
#J-18808-Ljbffr