About UMass Amherst
UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.
Job Summary
The Residence Director is responsible for leading the overall student experience within residence halls including student learning using a curricular approach, student support and wellbeing, staff supervision and development and response to a range of complex student and staff concerns. The Residence Director participates in a range of department initiatives and projects.
Essential Functions
- Provides leadership for student learning and inclusive community development within assigned residential communities housing between 350 and 800 students using a curricular framework. Engages in lesson plan design, needs assessment analysis, evidence-based improvement and report authorship for assigned communities. May provide leadership for a living learning community. Develops connections with residential students, be present and available in the halls as the leader of the community and serve as a positive role model. Supports and/or advise residential student leadership organizations.
- Supervises a team of undergraduate Resident Assistants (RA’s) to implement residential curriculum strategies, builds relationships with residents, responds to incidents, and fulfill all RA position expectations. May directly supervise an Assistant Residence Director (Graduate Assistant).
- In the North Apartments community, Residence Director supervises a team of three Graduate Assistants.
- In first-year communities, provides on-site support to a staff of live-in Peer Mentors and works closely with their Graduate Assistant Supervisor. Facilitates staff meetings and training programs including those focused on diversity, equity and inclusion topics.
- Demonstrates working knowledge of applicable collective bargaining agreements (CBA) for applicable collective bargaining units (CBU) in the supervision and leadership of staff.
- Serves as lead instructor for EDUC 391R: CORE – Creating Opportunities for Residents to Engage, a one-credit pre-employment requirement of all Resident Assistant and Peer Mentor candidates.
- Coordinates response and follow up to a range of incidents in residence halls, some of which are highly complex in nature, facilitates student staff meetings and community meetings, drafts follow up communications, and collaborates with campus partners. Follows up with students as outlined by established campus case management, makes appropriate referrals, and maintains accurate case management records.
- Upholds the Code of Student Conduct and Residential Life policies and ensures accurate reporting of conduct violations. Educates students about policies and safety/security protocols. Supervises and trains student staff to ensure compliance with student conduct policies and standards. May adjudicate student conduct cases and serve as a member of the University Hearing Board.
- In a rotation, provides 24 hour on-call coverage and response for campus residential community, including during University break periods and holidays. Remains within required radius of campus during periods of on-call responsibility.
- Provides excellent critical problem-solving experience during times of high stress and emergencies, and understands University emergency preparedness practices to respond effectively and in collaboration with emergency responders.
- Collaborates with campus colleagues, academic partners and other units proving related services for students. Responds to parent/family and campus partner inquiries related to the student experience in the residence halls.
- Supports residence hall operations by reporting maintenance issues, develops working relationships with hall maintenance staff and service desk staff, monitors and administers resident occupancy processes and audits, participates in residence hall move-in and move-out processes, and supports health and safety inspections.
- Supports and participates in University initiatives such as New Students Orientation and Transition initiatives, student organization events, and others related to the overall student experience. Participates in Residential Life committees, searches and other processes.
- Engages in professional development activities related to Residential Life and position responsibilities. Completes all training requirements, including on-line training modules as scheduled. Manages assigned community budget and follow all University purchasing policies and procedures.
Other Functions
- Performs related duties as assigned or required. Understands responsibilities with respect to Title IX, Clery and other compliance requirements.
- Demonstrates capacity, skill, and willingness to engage students and contribute to student success.
- Understands responsibilities with respect to conflicts of interest and behaves in ways consistent both with law and with University policy.
- Contributes toward creating a positive and respectful workplace. Uses access to sensitive and/or not yet public university related information only in the performance of the responsibilities of position and exercises care to prevent unnecessary disclosure to others.
- On an as needed basis, signs out and operates University golf cart or vehicle with a valid driver’s license.
Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)
- Master's Degree at time of hire.
- One (1) academic year of post-baccalaureate experience as a live-in residence hall staff member at the time of hire.
- Class D Driver’s License, or equivalent upon hire.
- Demonstrated experience supervising undergraduate student staff in a residential environment.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, active listening, decision-making and evaluative skills.
- Demonstrated experience with incident response, follow-up with students of concern, and/or on-call experience. Experience with reporting workplace concerns to supervisor and engaging in solution focused practices.
- Ability to work independently, manage routine work and assigned projects (balancing multiple priorities, completing administrative tasks, and meeting deadlines).
- Ability to maintain appropriate levels of privacy and confidentiality with sensitive information and behave in ways consistent with law and University policy.
- Demonstrated experience working with diverse student populations and developing inclusive communities.
- Excellent interpersonal skills including a strong ability to relate effectively with a highly diverse work force, ability to establish and maintain positive and effective working relationships, commitment to team success, and customer service orientation.
- Established skills in typical office suite software such as Microsoft Office applications. Ability to utilize electronic systems and databases in completion of work tasks.
Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)
- Working knowledge of student learning outcomes, learning strategy design, and outcomes assessment.
- Demonstrated experience with web-based student information data management systems.
- Previous experience facilitating training and workshops focused on diversity, equity and inclusion topics.
Physical Demands/Working Conditions
- Typical office environment within a residential setting.
- Ability to lift boxes and materials that weigh up to 30 lbs. for transport and set up.
- Ability to access residence hall facilities throughout the campus for purposes of responding to incidents and meeting with staff, students and groups of students.
- Staff member is provided a furnished on-campus apartment in which they are expected to reside.
Work Schedule
- 37.5 hour work week.
- Monday-Friday 8:30am-5:00pm.
- Required to work occasional nights and weekends.
- Generally two (2) evenings per week;
- Are expected to be on campus for evenings and weekends for significant campus events including, but not limited to staff training, residence hall move-in, Halloween, Super Bowl, other major campus events, and high activity spring weekends.
- In a rotation, provide 24-hr on-call coverage and response.
- This position is designated as essential personnel who may be expected to work in the event of an emergency or University closure.
Salary Information
Level 26
PSU Hiring Ranges
Special Instructions to Applicants
Please upload a resume along with the completed application. References will be checked at the finalist stage. Please be prepared to provide contact information for three (3) professional references.
UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, caste, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, disability, political belief or affiliation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related condition(s), veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, natural and protective hairstyle and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.