Department: University Life
Classification: Professional Faculty
Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty
Job Type: Full-Time
Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)
Location: Fairfax, VA
Workplace Type: On Site Required
Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visasponsorship
Salary: Salary range starting in the mid $40ks, commensuratewith education and experience
Restricted: Yes
Criminal Background Check: Yes
About the Department
Housing & Residence Life (HRL) is an auxiliary organizationwithin the University Life unit of George Mason University. HRLemploys over 170 full-time and graduate staff members and over 200undergraduate student staff members. HRL oversees student housingareas comprised of roughly 6,000 beds within over forty (40)residential facilities, as well as housing the distributed campusesincluding the Science & Technology Campus and theSmithsonian-Mason School of Conservation. HRL is committed toprovide a safe and student-centered environment that is allinclusive of the global community; dedicated to creating a homethat enriches the experiences of our students, staff, andfaculty.
About the Position
The Community Director (CD) is a 12-month, live-in professionalstaff member responsible for the educational, social, and culturalgrowth of the individual student and the overall residentialcommunity. The primary responsibilities include initiating,implementing, maintaining, and evaluating efforts in the assignedresidential area(s) that result in a student-centered communitythat supports the academic mission of George Mason University. TheCommunity Director is responsible for the overall administrationand management of their assigned residential area(s).
Supervision and Leadership
- Supervises and leads a team of student employees, includingResident Assistants, Graduate Community Directors, and/or OfficeAssistants;
- Provides on-going training to student employees to developleadership skills and enhance competencies essential to theirpositions;
- Educates and holds staff accountable to all Universitypolicies, Housing and Residence Life policies, and HRL studentstaff expectations;
- Plans and implements staff development to aid student employeesin creating positive team dynamics that foster collaboration andproblem-solving skills;
- Supervises and supports student employees in theiradministrative assignments, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, andcompletion;
- Provides opportunities for staff to receive feedback on thequality and effectiveness of their work, to supportdevelopment;
- Formally evaluates the performance of student employees duringthe fall and spring semesters, to assess effectiveness;
- Leads weekly staff meetings with student employees in assignedarea for team development and information sharing/gathering;
- Conducts bi-weekly one-on-one meetings with student employeesfor resident and student staff updates and addressingconcerns/questions to ensure resident and staff success;
- Develops and maintains staff awareness of campus/communityissues through training, programming, individual contacts, and rolemodeling;
- Recruits, interviews, evaluates, selects, and on-boards studentstaff candidates for all HRL hiring processes; and
- Supports any Residential Learning Communities (RLCs) inassigned residential area and engage in ongoing collaboration withrespective academic and University Life partners.
Student Support and Development
- Addresses incidents of inappropriate behavior in or around theresidence halls using an educational and developmentalapproach;
- Serves as a hearing officer to effectively resolve cases ofstudent misconduct and violations of the Code of Conduct and/orResident Student Handbook;
- Assists students with academic, vocational and personalconcerns to support students in overcoming challenges and achievingsuccess;
- Connects students with on-campus resources when appropriate tohelp them succeed academically, personally, and/or socially;
- Manages situations involving various psychological, emotional,medical or other safety related incidents in the residentialcommunity;
- Collaborates with appropriate campus resources to properlysupport students and provide adequate resources;
- Participates in the evening, weekend, and holiday duty rotationto ensure adequate coverage and support for on campus students incrisis;
- Directly responds to on-campus emergencies and student crisesas needed, to ensure student safety and support;
- Actively participates in cultivating an environment thatsupports the well-being of residential students through variousuniversity initiatives, committees, and events;
- Develops and maintains positive relationships with bothresidents and HRL staff that encourages on-going communication,mutual support, and respect; and
- Supports university-wide initiatives focused on studentretention and early intervention efforts.
Community Development and Programming
- Implements the student engagement model within assigned area toaddress the developmental needs of specific studentpopulations;
- Designs proactive approaches to involve students in creatingcommunity values and engaging in ethical standards such as respect,courtesy, appreciation of differences, and civility;
- Coordinates and participates in department-wide anduniversity-wide events such as Welcome back Events, Block Parties,Family Weekend, Orientation, Admissions events, and other programsas assigned;
- Engages instructional faculty, RLC stakeholders, and otheruniversity partners in community events and overall residentialcurriculum plan for assigned area; and
- Accurately tracks community development efforts and assessmentdata as requested by the Assessment Coordinator or HRL LeadershipTeam.
Administrative Duties, Collaborations, andPartnerships
- Attends and participates in staff development activities asoutlined by the department and attends regularly scheduled HRL andUniversity Life meetings, to receive departmental and divisionalupdates, expectations, and guidance;
- Conducts regular community walk-throughs of assigned residencehall(s) to detect any maintenance or facilities concerns;
- When necessary and appropriate, utilizes the damage billingprotocol outlined in the student Housing Agreement, to ensureappropriate, consistent, and fair billing practice for studentdamages incurred in the residence halls;
- Maintains all appropriate documentation related to facilitiesmanagement and inventory control, conducts equipment and buildinginventories on a regular basis, to ensure student safety andbuilding maintenance and upkeep;
- Ensures timely and accurate documentation of all studentinteractions and processes as needed such as incident reports,student conduct meeting notes, student care reports, etc.;
- Maintains accurate records regarding all purchases and budgetreconciliations as required, to ensure compliance with financialpolicies and support effective budget management;
- In conjunction with Environmental Health & Safety, assistsin the execution of fire drills and health and safety inspectionsas scheduled by HRL;
- Manages community and roommate agreements for all students inassigned residence halls, to aid in setting community expectationsand mitigate potential conflict factors;
- Actively supports and complies with all university policies,department regulations, vision, and goals, to contribute to theoverall success of the department;
- Serves in an assigned committee role to support other unitswithin HRL or University Life, such as Mason Well-BeingInitiatives, University Career Services, summer operations,etc.;
- Maintains a visible presence in the residence halls as alive-in professional and engages in positive, professionalinteractions with students after business hours to promotecommunity development;
- Maintains positive relationships with other universitydepartments (i.e., University Police, Student Involvement,Counseling and Psychological Services, Student Support andAdvocacy, etc.);
- Assists in the recruitment and selection of Housing andResidence Life staff through participation in search committees, toensure qualified and appropriate staff are selected for the Housingand Residence Life team, and participates in Divisional hiringsearch committees as available to support broader staffing effortsacross the division;
- Supports and assists in the implementation of summer projects,including but not limited to summer housing operations, training,annual policy and procedure assessment/review, orientation, etc.;and
- Assists in fulfilling duties for vacant positions on theResidence Life team or within the department when necessary andappropriate.
Unit & Division Support/Service
- Engages in assessment and reporting as needed;
- Actively supports and complies with all university policies,HRL regulations, department vision and goals;
- Attends and actively participates in divisional all-staffmeetings, trainings, and other mandatory events, includingin-person events, to stay informed, support professionaldevelopment, and contribute to a cohesive and effective teamenvironment across University Life;
- Acts as essential personnel in times of emergency and atcritical times, to ensure safety, manage crises, and providenecessary support; and
- Performs other related duties as assigned by the directsupervisor and/or HRL Leadership Team, to achieve broader unit anddepartmental goals and support the team.
Required Qualifications
- Master’s degree in related field or equivalent combination ofeducation and experience;
- Previous leadership experience as an undergraduate and/orgraduate student within a residential and/or university setting, orprofessional leadership experience in a college or universityenvironment;
- Demonstrated interpersonal, oral, and written communicationskills with the ability to communicate and engage effectively withvarying audiences of constituents and departmentalstakeholders;
- Demonstrated collaborative skills with the ability to buildpartnerships, share knowledge, and contribute to teameffectiveness;
- Demonstrated organizational and problem-solving skills with theability to navigate complex challenges;
- Ability to apply discretion when handling sensitive informationand making decisions within policy guidelines; and
- Ability to manage teams effectively and promote professionaldevelopment within the team.
Preferred Qualifications
- Previous experience in a live-in housing and residence lifeposition;
- Undergraduate and/or graduate student staff supervisionexperience;
- Ability to build relationships with students, families, staff,and community partners;
- Ability to exercise sound judgment and work autonomously inmanaging community operations; and
- Ability to plan, coordinate, and execute multiple simultaneousprojects and events effectively.
Posting Open Date: October 5, 2026
For Full Consideration, Apply by: October 19, 2026
Open Until Filled: Yes
Mason Ad Statement
George Mason University is a nationally ranked R1 researchuniversity committed to creating a more just, free, and prosperousworld. With 40,000 enrolled students, George Mason is the largestand most diverse public research university in Virginia, offeringdegree programs at the master's, doctoral, and professional level,along with certificates and credentials.
George Mason fosters an All Together Different environment forstudents, faculty, and staff, driven by our core beliefs. Webelieve in inclusivity over exclusivity; we believe in advancingour mission by being willing to take risks, not avoiding them; andwe believe our best work is possible when we apply our diversity oforigin, identity, circumstance, and thought.
Equity Statement
George Mason University is an equal opportunity/affirmative actionemployer, committed to promoting inclusion and equity in itscommunity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration foretob employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexualorientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability orveteran status, or any characteristic protected by law.
Campus Safety Information
Mason’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available at http://police.gmu.edu/annual-security-report/