Assistant Director, Residence Life

Trent University; Peterborough; On-site; CAD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A Canadian university is seeking an Assistant Director for residence management. The role involves leading student support operations, managing conduct cases, and ensuring a safe environment. The ideal candidate will have a Master's degree and five years of experience in student affairs. Strong leadership and crisis management skills are essential for this position.

Qualifications

• Five years of experience in student housing or student affairs.
• Experience managing student crises and conduct cases.
• Excellent judgment and decision-making skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage residence life operations.
• Develop incident response strategies.
• Collaborate with campus partners for student support.

Skills

Crisis management

Student conduct interpretation

Community development

Diversity and inclusion

Leadership and coaching

Education

Master's degree in Higher Education or Social Work

Tools

Conflict resolution certification

Mental health first aid certification

Job description

Job Purpose:

Reporting to the Director, the Assistant Director (AD) provides leadership and day to day management for their assigned residence area. The AD has responsibility for providing a safe, inclusive, and learning-focused environment in their area by effectively leading staff and operations related to community development, student support and conduct, conflict resolution, and emergency and crisis response. The incumbent leads using student centered, restorative justice, trauma-informed and educational lenses that support the development of safe, inclusive, and supportive residential communities.

Key Activities:

• Lead the residence life and after-hours support operations in their assigned area, in support of the vision of the department and broader portfolio.
• Oversee community development and the implementation of the residence learning model in their assigned areas.
• Develop and implement incident response and case management strategies, and procedures, for managing incidents and their follow up in residence. Establish procedures and ensure cases are effectively managed and appropriate referrals to campus partners are made. Interpret university policies and procedures to provide advice, coaching, and referrals to students seeking support and remediation for issues.
• On referral from the Residence Life Coordinator manage high-level student conduct cases in residence. Work collaboratively with Campus Security, Equity and Human Rights, Student Affairs, and Colleges. Conduct risk assessments. Advise the Director of complex incidents and action plans to resolve them.
• Work collaboratively with the Assistant Director, Community Wellness & Care and Assistant Director, Student Counselling Services to support residents with high-level wellness concerns.
• Develop collaborative working relationships with College Principals and campus partners that support the overall success of students.
• Responsible for hiring, training, and supervision of 6 OPSEU staff, and 28 to 32 student employees.
• Ensure a healthy work environment for employees by taking a proactive approach to training, coaching, and supervision, establishing high visibility and approachability, and appropriately addressing concerns as they arise.
• Approve RLC human resources decisions relating to termination, reorganization of jobs, and pay structures related to student employees.
• Lead committees and working groups to support operations and address short term issues.
• Participate in an on-call rotation to provide emergency and crisis response support for on-call staff in residence.
• Other duties as assigned.

Education Required:

• Master's degree in Higher Education, Social Work or a related field is required.
• Certification in areas such as suicide prevention, mental health first aid, conflict resolution or risk assessment from an accredited body is considered an asset.

Experience/Qualifications Required:

• Five (5) years of professional experience in student housing or student affairs.
• Experience responding and managing student crises is required.
• Experience in leading, managing, and coaching employees and navigating human resources policies.
• In-depth understanding of student conduct, student wellness and community development strategies.
• Demonstrated understanding of relevant legislation.
• Knowledge of best practices and guiding faceworks in student housing and student affairs including but not limited to: ACUHO-I Standards, ACUHO-I Core Competencies, CACUSS Competencies, Okanagan Charter, and CAS Standards.
• Working knowledge of restorative justice practices and their operationalization in residence life.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret a variety of university, portfolio, and departmental procedures, policies, and practices in decision making.
• Ability to organize and manage variety of cases, projects, and deadlines simultaneously and independently.
• Excellent judgement with an ability to identify problems, weigh options, and make independent decisions.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, Indigeneity, and accessibility.
• A clear police record check is required as a condition of employment.
• An Ontario G Class driver's license with access to a vehicle.
• A satisfactory Criminal Record Check (“Police Record Check”), dated within the past six (6) months is required as a condition of employment.

Supervision:

• Direct Reports (6-7):
• Residence Life Coordinator/Student Housing Coordinator x3
• After Hours Support Associate x3-4
• Indirect Reports (28):
• A minimum of 28 student employees