Director of Residence Life

The Director of Residence Life plays a pivotal role in cultivating safe, healthy, and academically supportive communities within all residence halls. This position focuses on fostering inclusive and equitable environments where every student can thrive and achieve success. Guided by Residence Life's educational priority to offer innovative and transformative learning experiences, the Director ensures that all initiatives promote access, equity, health, and leadership development. The result is a residential experience that prepares students to be actively engaged citizens in their communities and the wider world.

 

Full-time Employee Benefits include: medical and dental insurances, retirement plans, paid time off, educational benefits for employees and dependents at Penn College and Penn State University, and more. For additional information, click here.

EDUCATION

• Bachelor's Degree. Required
• Master's Degree in Student Personnel, Counseling, Higher Education Administration, or related discipline. Preferred

EXPERIENCE

• Five (5) years of significant, progressive full-time experience in college residence life. Required
• Experience with managing overall operations of residential life and housing, including: policy development, managing staff, student conduct & crisis management. Required
• Administrative experience to include fiscal and facilities management, record keeping, and planning. Required
• Experience with housing management systems and software. Preferred

ABILITIES AND SKILLS

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with campus partners in facilities, operations, and physical plant management. Required
• Demonstrated ability to effectively budget, forecast, and plan for essential housing operations and student programming. Required
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Required
• Functional ability with microcomputer applications. Required
• Ability to establish and maintain effective and positive interpersonal relationships on-campus and in the community. Required
• Demonstrated sensitivity to issues of student development, diversity, special population needs, and multicultural issues. Required
• Evidence of creative and entrepreneurial problem solving. Required
• Self-starter who can work without constant supervision. Required

 

Strategic Initiatives
• Develop and implement a strategic plan for a residence life program that maximizes student learning, development, and success in alignment with the College’s strategic plan.
• Design and implement operating strategies, plans, and procedures to ensure the smooth functioning of Residential Life.
• Lead the development, implementation, and assessment of residential programs to enhance students' residential experience, including student development initiatives that promote satisfaction, retention, and persistence, and to foster community engagement, student learning, and a sense of belonging.
• Collaborate with Office of Student Engagement to coordinate Welcome Week, orientation programs, and related activities.
• Represent Residence Life in College functions and participate in institutional committees, including but not limited to BIT/Care Team and the Open House Planning Committee.
• Assist the Senior Director in designing, developing, and implementing Residence Life policies and procedures.
• Plan and oversee special projects as directed by the Senior Director.

Staff Supervision & Training
• Provide leadership and guidance to residential life staff to assure goals, programs, activities, and personnel practices are consistent with and contribute to the Institution's goals and strategies.
• Ensure the effective recruitment, hiring, training, and evaluation all Residential Life staff, including professional and student employees.
• Organize and lead staff meetings with ongoing professional development opportunities.
• Complete performance evaluations and manage staff goals per institutional requirements.

Housing & Facility Management
• Supervise housing operations, including StarRez Housing Software, key/card (CCURE) access management, billing, and room assignments.
• Evaluate and improve the housing application process for equity, accessibility, and clarity.
• Coordinate housing system functions, including inspections, repairs, damages, and safety recommendations.
• Manage move-in and move-out processes, collaborating with key stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain a housing occupancy plan and respond to student and parent housing inquiries.
• Ensure the timely and accurate operation of the housing system, including billing and reporting.

Budget Responsibilities
• Oversee housing budgets, including revenue projections, furniture replacement plans, and overall financial management to maintain a deficit-free budget.
• Oversee and manage Residence Life budgets, including revenue generation and expenditure tracking.

Assessment Develop a comprehensive assessment plan to evaluate student satisfaction, learning, and retention as well as operational effectiveness and efficiency.

Risk Management
• Address risk management concerns, ensuring student and staff safety in residential facilities.
• Provide written and oral communication of residence life policies and updates to campus constituencies.
• Ensure an effective and responsive on-call system for student and professional staff, providing 24/7 support for residential students. Participate in the on-call duty rotation and crisis response efforts.
• Respond to a wide range of student, parent, and community interests regarding housing and the residential experience; provide first line contact and problem resolution for parents, students and others with respect to housing issues.

Other Responsibilities
• Build collaborative relationships across the spectrum of recruitment, matriculation, student engagement and support services across the College.
• Respond proactively to behavioral concerns and parent inquiries.
• Maintain a working understanding of third-party platforms used throughout student affairs including StarRez, Advocate, etc.
• Ensure that student data is used responsibly by Residential Life staff and in compliance with applicable laws when 3rd party software is employed.
• Support campus traditions and departmental programs.
• Engage in special events such as Admissions Days, Open Houses, and other events to support the recruitment of new students and their families
• Serve as an administrative hearing officer in the student conduct process

Ability to move freely around the housing complexes and on and off campus.

Based on minimum education and experience qualifications the yearly salary range is $81,000 - $91,000.

This is not a complete itemization of all facets of this position. This job description is not an employment agreement or contract. The College has the exclusive right to alter this job description at any time without prior notice.

Penn College is committed to equal opportunity and the diversity of its workforce.

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