Associate Director for Residence Life and Student Development

PURPOSE:

The Associate Director for Residence Life and Student Development play a pivotal role within the Division of Student Affairs, providing leadership in fostering a dynamic, student-centered residential environment that supports academic achievement, personal growth, and community engagement. Reporting to the Assistant Dean for Residence Life and Student Development, this position is responsible for the day-to-day administration of assigned residential areas, supervision of residence life staff, and coordination of housing operations. The Associate Director supports institutional goals for student success and operational excellence, while serving as a key partner in enhancing the overall student experience through effective residential life practices and collaborative campus partnerships. This is a live-on position, requiring the Associate Director to reside on campus to support residential operations, provide leadership presence, and respond to student needs and emergencies as part of an on-call rotation. In addition, this role provides strategic leadership in the development and implementation of Living-Learning Communities (LLCs) and residential education initiatives that integrate academic and co-curricular learning. The Associate Director demonstrates a strong understanding of housing and facility structures, leveraging this knowledge to optimize residential environments that are safe, inclusive, and conducive to student learning and engagement. This position oversees the design and delivery of intentional residential education programs, collaborates with faculty and campus partners to align programming with institutional learning outcomes, and utilizes assessment data to drive continuous improvement. Through a comprehensive approach to residential education and community development, the Associate Director advances a holistic student experience that supports retention, belonging, and student success.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Provide supervision to Residence Hall Directors and student staff; support recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and evaluation of residential staff. Serve as the primary administrator for assigned residential communities, ensuring the development of safe, inclusive, and engaged living environments. Serve as part of the campus on-call duty rotation. Collaborate with the Director of Facilities to manage facility maintenance, safety concerns, and capital improvement needs for residential spaces. Coordinate housing assignment process and occupancy management. Contribute to the efficient operation of residential services, including key distribution, move-in/out processes, and policy enforcement. Support ongoing assessment and improvements in housing operations to align with the best practices in student affairs. Serve as a subject matter expert on residential education, housing structures, and Living-Learning Communities within the division. Supervise Resident Hall Directors lead training, development, and performance review processes. Oversee event coordination within residence halls, including hospitality services, conference housing, and campus visitor experiences. Identify opportunities to optimize space utilization, enhance guest services, and generate revenue through conference and event programming. Participate in departmental planning, policy development, and assessment initiatives. Contribute to strategic planning and implementation of living-learning communities and other student engagement models. Maintain accurate records, prepare reports, and analyze data to inform continuous improvement. Ensure compliance with university policies, FERPA, Title IX, and other relevant regulations. Manage departmental budgets, monitor expenditure, and ensure responsible financial practices. Serve as a member of university-wide committees and emergency response teams. Perform other duties as assigned by the Assistant Dean for Residence Life and Student Development.

QUALIFICATIONS

Master's degree in student personnel, student development, or related field. 2-4 years of relevant experience in University Residence Life and Housing is required, 3-5 years of relevant experience is preferred. Experience and ability to manage budgets. Experience in student accountability and an awareness of emerging issues in higher education, residence life and housing, community building, and student learning. Proven competence in leadership and supervision of students and staff.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Personal Characteristics:

Thorough knowledge StarRez software, Adobe Suite and proficient in using Microsoft Office suite. Excellent organizational and time-management skills. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. Must prioritize tasks in a fast-paced environment, develop communication strategies and work with internal and external stakeholders. Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills. Ability to work within a culturally diverse environment. Strong attention to detail; ability to perform duties with high accuracy. A high degree of organization, ability to engage in various tasks simultaneously, and consistently meet deadlines. Ability to work with and maintain confidential University information. Ability to adapt to a flexible schedule that includes evening and weekend activities.

Terms of Employment:

This is a full-time, 12-month. Evening and weekend On-Call Duty Rotation Responsibilities Required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Light sedentary office work. Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer. Ability to lift up to 25 lbs. This job description is not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, duties or skills required for the job and is subject to review and change at any time, with or without notice, in accordance with the needs of Lincoln University. Since no job description can detail all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time in the performance of a job, duties and responsibilities that may be inherent in a job, reasonably required for its performance, or required due to the changing nature of the job shall also be considered part of the jobholder's responsibility.