Director, Residential Life  

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Benefits of Being a Lindenwood Employee:

• Upon hire, employer-paid tuition benefits for bachelor’s (employee, spouse, and dependent) and master’s degree programs (employee and spouse only).
• Tuition discounts for doctoral programs (employee only).
• Comprehensive benefits plan: medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, and retirement options.
• Paid holidays: MLK Jr. day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving break (Wednesday – Friday), and winter break (Dec. 23 – Jan. 1).
• Free lunch Fridays: LU employees are eligible for a free meal on Fridays at the Evans Commons Dining Hall or Spellman Dining Hall; Chick-fil-A and Qdoba included.   
• Professional development opportunities through the Lindenwood Learning Academy.

Job Title: Director, Residential Life   

Division:  Residential Life      

Evaluation Group:  Staff Administrator

FLSA Status:  Exempt

Reports To:  Vice President, Student Affairs

Positions Supervised:  Assistant Directors, Residential Life; Coordinator, Residential Life; Coordinator, Training and Operations; Student Employee positions

The director of residential life is responsible for providing oversight for daily operations of the Residential Life department. This position provides strong guidance and management while implementing residential programming in the areas of educational and leadership development. This role participates in cross-campus collaborative efforts to further encourage student advancement. When needed, this role serves as a resource for support services referrals.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representation of the types of duties and level of responsibility that will be required of positions given this title. This job description shall not be construed as a declaration of the total of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

Job Responsibilities and Execution

• Manages and executes the hiring process, trainings, departmental reporting and assessments in a timely manner
• Provides occupancy updates throughout the academic year
• Oversees and manages all facets of StarRez housing management software, including training, reporting, utilization and troubleshooting of technical issues
• Ensures solid fiscal management of the Residential Life budget
• Develops, coordinates, and implements comprehensive programmatic planning for residential academic and leadership programs, special interest housing and living-learning community environments
• Assists with crisis management within residence halls and student housing
• Works closely with the Department of Public Safety and Security to ensure the safety of all students and staff on campus
• Serves as a technological resource contact for the department, developing and implementing system enhancements for daily operations
• Assists in the efficient operation of the Residential Life office through community development initiatives; comprehensive training; and evaluation, creation and enhancement of policies, procedures, handbooks and guides
• Maintains accurate furniture inventories, ordering replacement furniture as necessary, for all resident halls and off-campus housing
• Recommends repairs and renovations for existing resident halls, working closely with Operations
• Oversees internal office procedures for student billing
• Works closely with Operations to assist with management of housing operation processes
• Collaborates with other departments via StarRez to enhance their daily operations
• Interacts with students, parents and staff to resolve problems/concerns and provides mentoring or referrals as necessary

Leadership and Strategic Thinking

• Works with Admissions, Bursars Office and Student Financial Services to create and maintain efficient check-in processes for each term
• Trains staff in personnel management, teamwork skills, departmental policies, StarRez, Advocate and leadership skills; works with staff to establish succession planning
• Assists in departmental assessment, occupancy management, strategic planning and setting institutional learning outcomes; ensures accuracy of related data collection and analysis
• Develops and oversees strategic initiatives to increase and maintain occupancy and enhance retention efforts

Employee Management and Development

• Supports the mission of the University and serves as an ambassador of the Q2 culture of service excellence
• Models, supports, and holds others accountable to the University’s values
• Recruits, interviews, recommends, welcomes, observes, and monitors performance of department staff
• Sets clear performance expectations and holds employees accountable
• Conducts annual employee evaluations based on evidence, observation, and feedback
• Provides leadership, supervision, and professional development opportunities for staff in the areas of residential life, student conduct, and campus recreation

Job may require other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications – An equivalent combination of education, training and experience will be considered. Additional requirements may be designated by position.

• Master’s degree in higher education, counseling, student affairs or related field
• Minimum of three years’ professional experience in residential life leadership role

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities – May be representative, but not all inclusive, of the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to perform this job competently

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse communities and cultures
• Strong understanding of information systems and office automation practices, including security management
• Knowledge in the areas of crisis intervention, conflict mediation, student and leadership development theory, student conduct administration, academic support and safety and security programs
• Knowledge of facility management
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Highly developed analytical, organizational and interpersonal skills
• General understanding and knowledge of program scripts
• Demonstrated ability to benchmark and use data to inform the development of best practices
• Knowledge of Title IX, Title V, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Clery Act and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Experience engaging with student crises
• Familiarity with addressing at-risk student needs
• Proficiency with StarRez, Workday and CAMS software
• Strong leadership skills, including decision making, collaboration and project management abilities

Work Environment – Environmental or atmospheric conditions commonly associated with the performance of this job’s functions.  Please click here to view Lindenwood University’s flexible work designation descriptions.

• Non-Standard Flex
• General office setting
• Evening and weekend work
• Serves as a Campus Security Authority (CSA), trained in the proper procedures for handling reports of criminal activity and emergencies

Physical Abilities – The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform this job’s essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Ability to work effectively at a computer for extended time daily
• Ability to lift and move furniture
• Regular attendance is a necessary and essential function

Equal Opportunity Employer

Lindenwood University is an Equal Opportunity employer. The University complies with appropriate federal, state, and local laws and provides equal employment opportunities and access to educational programs without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability, or any other protected status to all qualified applicants and employees.  Lindenwood University is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and dedicated to providing a positive discrimination-free educational work environment.