Director of Residence Life
Inside Higher Ed, Jackson, MI, United States
Description
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. The Director is responsible for creating and sustaining a residential environment where care and accountability coexist, community standards are clear and consistently applied, safety is visible and reliable, and students are supported as they learn how to live responsibly with others.
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.
Essential Functions
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 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.
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 staff understand policy and procedures for internal management, Campus Safety engagement, judicial procedures, and escalation protocols.
Participate in the Residence Life on‑call rotation and ensure after‑hours response reflects calm authority, consistency, sound judgment, and adherence to established protocols.
Establish, document, and enforce clear protocols and staff compliance related to campus safety coordination, emergency response, Title IX reporting, Clery Act, FERPA, and ongoing crisis training.
Lead implementation of a consistent, well‑documented student conduct process with defined timelines, investigation standards, communication expectations, and escalation thresholds.
Review trends in incidents, conduct cases, and safety concerns in partnership with Campus Safety, Judicial Officer, Student Resource Advocate, and senior leadership.
Housing Operations, Facilities, and Security. Oversee operations including room assignments, transfers, inspections, occupancy management, and reporting.
Ensure facilities are clean, secure, and maintained with urgency through coordination with Facilities and Custodial teams.
Serve as liaison to Facilities, reporting, tracking, and following up on building issues and advocating for improvements.
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.
Operational Accountability, Reporting, and Performance Management. Establish and maintain a regular reporting cadence and key performance indicators such as occupancy, student retention, conduct trends, on‑call responsiveness, facilities work‑order cycle time, damage costs, satisfaction indicators, and staffing coverage.
Use data to identify issues early, drive continuous improvement, and reduce operational surprises.
Performance 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, provide forecasting and rate‑setting input, oversee break and summer housing operations, and lead strategic agenda alignment with the College mission and shared standards.
Build strong campus partnerships to ensure Residence Life functions as a lever for student momentum, persistence, and completion.
What Success Looks Like In This Role
Students persist, are retained, and accomplish academic goals.
Students experience housing as a safe, structured, caring learning community that prepares them for independent living.
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.
Work Environment And Work Hours
The Director of Residence Life works in a dynamic residential campus environment that includes offices, residence halls, and shared community spaces. The role involves regular interaction with students, staff, and campus partners and requires visibility within the residential community, including evenings and occasional weekends, consistent with the responsibilities of a 24/7 living‑learning environment. The noise intensity level is typically moderate. The role may occasionally involve responding to urgent situations requiring calm judgment and clear communication. Work hours may vary based on operational needs, including participation in an on‑call rotation, campus events, and emergency response, with flexibility provided to support work‑life balance while ensuring appropriate coverage and leadership presence.
“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.”
Applicants have rights under Federal employment laws. Jackson College is an Equal Opportunity Employer that actively supports workforce diversity.
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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. The Director is responsible for creating and sustaining a residential environment where care and accountability coexist, community standards are clear and consistently applied, safety is visible and reliable, and students are supported as they learn how to live responsibly with others.
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.
Essential Functions
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 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.
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 staff understand policy and procedures for internal management, Campus Safety engagement, judicial procedures, and escalation protocols.
Participate in the Residence Life on‑call rotation and ensure after‑hours response reflects calm authority, consistency, sound judgment, and adherence to established protocols.
Establish, document, and enforce clear protocols and staff compliance related to campus safety coordination, emergency response, Title IX reporting, Clery Act, FERPA, and ongoing crisis training.
Lead implementation of a consistent, well‑documented student conduct process with defined timelines, investigation standards, communication expectations, and escalation thresholds.
Review trends in incidents, conduct cases, and safety concerns in partnership with Campus Safety, Judicial Officer, Student Resource Advocate, and senior leadership.
Housing Operations, Facilities, and Security. Oversee operations including room assignments, transfers, inspections, occupancy management, and reporting.
Ensure facilities are clean, secure, and maintained with urgency through coordination with Facilities and Custodial teams.
Serve as liaison to Facilities, reporting, tracking, and following up on building issues and advocating for improvements.
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.
Operational Accountability, Reporting, and Performance Management. Establish and maintain a regular reporting cadence and key performance indicators such as occupancy, student retention, conduct trends, on‑call responsiveness, facilities work‑order cycle time, damage costs, satisfaction indicators, and staffing coverage.
Use data to identify issues early, drive continuous improvement, and reduce operational surprises.
Performance 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, provide forecasting and rate‑setting input, oversee break and summer housing operations, and lead strategic agenda alignment with the College mission and shared standards.
Build strong campus partnerships to ensure Residence Life functions as a lever for student momentum, persistence, and completion.
What Success Looks Like In This Role
Students persist, are retained, and accomplish academic goals.
Students experience housing as a safe, structured, caring learning community that prepares them for independent living.
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.
Work Environment And Work Hours
The Director of Residence Life works in a dynamic residential campus environment that includes offices, residence halls, and shared community spaces. The role involves regular interaction with students, staff, and campus partners and requires visibility within the residential community, including evenings and occasional weekends, consistent with the responsibilities of a 24/7 living‑learning environment. The noise intensity level is typically moderate. The role may occasionally involve responding to urgent situations requiring calm judgment and clear communication. Work hours may vary based on operational needs, including participation in an on‑call rotation, campus events, and emergency response, with flexibility provided to support work‑life balance while ensuring appropriate coverage and leadership presence.
“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.”
Applicants have rights under Federal employment laws. Jackson College is an Equal Opportunity Employer that actively supports workforce diversity.
#J-18808-Ljbffr