Assistant Director of Residence Life (Training & Development)

University of Chicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Chicago is seeking an Assistant Director of Residence Life (ADRL) to provide leadership and management for an assigned portfolio of residential communities. The ADRL will supervise Community Directors and Resident Heads, collaborate with Resident Deans, and drive department-wide initiatives to support student success and belonging.

This role requires strong communication, sound judgment, and the ability to manage multiple priorities across staff, students, and operations.

Qualifications

• Experience supervising professional staff and student staff.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a residence life setting.
• Strong collaboration with Resident Deans and campus partners.

Responsibilities

• Directly supervise assigned Community Directors and Resident Heads, providing ongoing coaching, feedback, accountability, performance management, evaluation, and professional development.
• Establish clear expectations for assigned staff, monitor performance and follow-through, address concerns in a timely manner, and recognize opportunities for continued growth and development.
• Support Community Directors in effectively supervising, developing, and holding Resident Assistants accountable for departmental and community expectations.
• Provide coaching and direction to Resident Heads in their leadership of House communities, partnership with Resident Assistants, and fulfillment of departmental and University expectations.
• Lead regular staff communication and team development for assigned residential communities, ensuring that priorities, expectations, emerging concerns, and follow-up responsibilities are clearly communicated.
• Partner with the Resident Dean to identify a consistent biweekly meeting time and co-lead residential leadership team meetings, including agenda development, facilitation, problem-solving, coordination, and follow-through.
• Provide higher-level consultation to Community Directors and Resident Heads regarding complex student, staff, community, and operational matters.

Skills

Staff leadership

Communication

Student affairs

Education

Bachelor or higher in Higher Education or related field

Job description

Department

CSL North Campus Community Life

About the Department

The University of Chicago is one of the nation's leading institutions of higher education and research. Campus and Student Life (CSL) is a division comprised of 20 departments that serve the University's 17,000 college, graduate, and professional school students, as well as the campus community more broadly. CSL is importantly charged with the dual task of supporting all students in the University, graduate and undergraduate, and managing multiple campus departments and services that serve the entire campus community. CSL's programs and services focus on supporting student academic success, providing opportunities for personal growth and leadership development, developing community and engagement through the residential housing and dining program, and in areas such as artistic expression, community service, spiritual exploration, and athletic competition. The University of Chicago community includes approximately 7,000 undergraduates and 10,000 graduate, professional, and other students and there are over 300 recognized student organizations working together to create a vibrant and dynamic student life. The University of Chicago is located in the Hyde Park/South Kenwood neighborhood, a racially and economically diverse residential community of 43,000 people on the shores of Lake Michigan, about fifteen minutes south of downtown Chicago. The core mission of Housing & Residence Life is to help develop and support inclusive communities that engage residents in exceptional living experiences within secure and well-maintained environments that foster a sense of belonging and support the academic initiatives of the University. The primary strategy for the delivery of such an environment is through a residence life program that which aims to develop strong residential communities that are self-regulating, supportive of academic success; provide a strong sense of belonging, and rich opportunities for personal, cultural, social and intellectual development. The leadership of residential faculty and adult staff in fostering these experiences is key to the success of the mission.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Associate Director of Residence Life, the Assistant Director of Residence Life (ADRL) provides leadership and management for an assigned portfolio of residential communities while leading a designated Residence Life functional area. The ADRL directly supervises assigned Community Directors and Resident Heads, partners closely with Resident Deans, provides higher-level consultation and decision-making for complex student and community matters, manages assigned resources and operational priorities, and leads department-wide projects and initiatives.

Assistant Directors are assigned primary responsibility for one of four functional areas: Training & Development; Student Leadership & Engagement; Residential Learning & Assessment; or Recruitment & Selection. Functional assignments are determined by departmental priorities, organizational needs, and the skills and experience of the Assistant Director team and may change over time. ADRLs are expected to collaborate across functional areas, contribute to department-wide initiatives, and provide leadership or interim support in other areas as needed.

The ADRL participates in a 24-hour on-call rotation and routinely supports evening and weekend responsibilities. The role requires sound judgment, effective communication, consistent follow-through, and the ability to manage multiple priorities across staff supervision, student support, community leadership, operations, and departmental initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Supervision and Staff Leadership:
• Directly supervise assigned Community Directors and Resident Heads, providing ongoing coaching, feedback, accountability, performance management, evaluation, and professional development.
• Establish clear expectations for assigned staff, monitor performance and follow-through, address concerns in a timely manner, and recognize opportunities for continued growth and development.
• Support Community Directors in effectively supervising, developing, and holding Resident Assistants accountable for departmental and community expectations.
• Provide coaching and direction to Resident Heads in their leadership of House communities, partnership with Resident Assistants, and fulfillment of departmental and University expectations.
• Lead regular staff communication and team development for assigned residential communities, ensuring that priorities, expectations, emerging concerns, and follow-up responsibilities are clearly communicated.
• Partner with the Resident Dean to identify a consistent biweekly meeting time and co-lead residential leadership team meetings, including agenda development, facilitation, problem-solving, coordination, and follow-through.
• Provide higher-level consultation to Community Directors and Resident Heads regarding complex student, staff, community, and oper