Director of Residence Life

Paycom - ATS; Lancaster (Lancaster County); On-site; USD 70,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Lancaster Bible College seeks a Director of Residence Life to cultivate a vibrant, inclusive student experience outside class. This live‑in role oversees residence halls, leads RD/RA staff, and serves as on‑call emergency responder, aligning with the college mission and spiritual growth.

The role emphasizes nurturing belonging, coordinating housing, dining and safety, and guiding student care for at‑risk populations within a Christian campus.

Qualifications

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with students and staff.
• Strong interpersonal and customer service abilities in a college setting.
• Outstanding organizational and time-management capabilities to handle multiple duties.
• Ability to manage confidential information ethically and discreetly.
• Experience with residence life operations, budgeting, and housing policies.
• Familiarity with StarRez or similar housing software is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Oversee Residence Life operations, staff supervision, and budgetary planning.
• Develop programs that foster belonging, student development, and safe housing.
• Collaborate with campus departments on dining, facilities, and student services.
• Lead On Call system, emergency response, and crisis management in residence halls.
• Recruit, train, and evaluate Resident Directors and Resident Assistants.
• Ensure housing assignments, occupancy tracking, and policy compliance.

Skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Interpersonal skills

Customer service

Organizational skills

Time management

Microsoft Office

Confidentiality

Crisis response

Education

Master’s degree in Higher Education or related field

Bachelor’s degree required

Experience as RA/RD or related position

Tools

StarRez housing software

Budgeting tools

Job description

Job Details: Job Location: Lancaster Campus - Lancaster, PA, Position Type: Professional Staff, Salary Range: Undisclosed, Job Category: Student Services/Support,

Job Summary:

This position will support the Dean of Student Experience to cultivate a vibrant, engaging, and inclusive student experience outside of the classroom for traditional undergraduate students, in accordance with the direction set by the President and in line with the LBC Mission and Promise. The Director of Residence Life is a professional live-in staff member who participates in fostering a sense of belonging, community engagement, and personal wellbeing within the residence halls, and is active in student care and educational initiatives and strategies. This position oversees the overall planning and management of the residence halls, provides direct supervision to Residence Life staff and residential buildings, and serves as a front-line on call and emergency responder. As an educator and member of the Student Affairs Staff, this individual will also support the care and spiritual growth needs of students, with special attention to at‑risk populations. This position plays a key role in the retention of TUD students.

Personal Qualities –

• - The desire to grow, develop, and mature, both spiritually and professionally.
• - The ability to create and maintain a Christian professional atmosphere in all internal and external relationships.
• - A spirit of cooperation and willingness to serve others.
• - The desire and ability to disciple and mentor students.
• - A professional appearance.

Education and Experience:

• - Master’s degree in Higher Education or related field preferred; Bachelor’s degree required.
• - Experience as a Resident Assistant or Resident Director or related position preferred.
• - Experience overseeing campus dining, food service operations, or auxiliary vendor contracts preferred.
• - Growing and dynamic Christian faith which is naturally communicated in words and actions.
• - Knowledge of student affairs and residence life, and the sense of mission and commitment to the personal development of college students.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• - Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• - Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.
• - Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• - Excellent time management skills with proven ability to meet deadlines.
• - Ability to function will in a high paced and at times stressful environment.
• - Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.
• - Ability to ethically manage confidential information.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• - Embrace and advance the College mission and vision as pertaining to this role.
• - Oversee budget development to steward Residence Life funds for maximum student impact in line with the overall College mission and Student Affairs learning outcomes.
• - Work closely with leadership to develop and track occupancy and budget projections and forecast future furniture and hall needs.
• - Develop and implement programs, in alignment with Student Success Outcomes that encourage positive, academically oriented community living.

Residence Life and Student Housing

• - Lead with vision to create a safe and welcoming living-learning environment in the residence halls and campus community that promotes Christ-centered care, student development, belonging, and personal ownership.
• - Select, train, supervise, and evaluate Resident Directors and Resident Assistants.
• - When applicable (in the event of staffing changes), provide supervision to assigned Resident Assistant staff, including holding weekly staff meetings and bi-weekly 1:1 meetings with each RA, performance evaluations, etc.
• - Plan and facilitate RD and RA training and on-going development opportunities.
• - Collaborate with Student Affairs team members to assign housing for all resident students.
• - Each semester, set and manage the Residence Life On Call system: develop the On Call RD and Senior On Call schedules and provide On Call training for Residence Hall emergency and crisis response to students.
• - Develop, communicate, and employ Residence Life and housing policies, procedures, and emergency protocol that supports the overall College mission and Traditional Community Lifestyle Standards and Handbook.
• - Administer discipline, with a restorative approach, in relation to Residence Life conduct issues.

Residence Hall Operations

• - Develop and facilitate a residential renewal plan that focuses on providing safe, aesthetically pleasing residential spaces that are part of a destination campus philosophy and promote community engagement.
• - Provide general oversight and everyday management to the operations of residence hall(s).
• - Ensure that furniture, maintenance and housekeeping needs are met in collaboration with Physical Plant.
• - Oversee key distribution, collection, storage, and inventory.
• - Supervise student move-in in August and January, resident check in and check out, and building closings prior to each break.
• - Support summer residence hall usage in coordination with the Events department staff.

Food Services

• - Serve as the College’s primary manager of the Food Service Provider relationship and hold the vendor accountable for service quality, contract compliance, responsiveness, and corrective action.
• - Build a positive relationship with the LBC Food Service vender, including regular meetings, communicating College expectations regarding a high‑quality food experience, and overseeing overall food quality and service.
• - Approve budget expenditures related to board expenses and the food service budget.
• - Regularly eat within dining facilities and assess quality and hospitality.
• - Administer the food‑services contract, including monitoring performance, documenting deficiencies, managing renewal considerations, and escalating significant issues to leadership.
• - Assess the cost and student‑impact implications of changes to dining hours, late‑night service, special programs, retail options, and other dining enhancements.
• - Lead annual meal‑plan review and recommendations involving meal‑plan design, participation, flex dollars, exchanges, and student communications.
• - Chair a Food Service Committee that gathers student feedback and addresses food quality, pricing, dining hours, hospitality, and satisfaction concerns.
• - Coordinate responses to student complaints, food insecurity, dietary restrictions, allergies, and meal‑related accommodations.
• - Partner with Facilities, IT, Public Safety, Events, Athletics, Admissions, and other departments on dining‑related needs.
• - Oversee dining technology and operational systems, including student IDs, point‑of‑sale systems, mobile ordering, meal‑plan processes, flex dollars, and reporting.
• - Guide vendor communication and engagement with students, parents, and the campus community through menus, social media, websites, promotions, and service updates.
• - Provide visible evening, weekend, emergency, and on‑call leadership when dining disruptions, facility issues, service failures, or significant student concerns arise.
• - Establish measurable performance expectations for dining services, including student satisfaction, complaint resolution, meal‑plan participation, vendor responsiveness, financial performance, and capital‑project completion.

Student Affairs General

• - Pursue continuing education and knowledge of current trends in housing and student development.
• - Support and promote student leadership and spiritual growth within the residence halls.
• - Fully utilize Anthology and Housing Software (StarRez) to ensure accurate data reporting.
• - Respond to student care needs that arise, including conduct, housing/roommate concerns, mental health, wellness, student care, or other concerns as assigned.
• - Meet with students to address questions or concerns and serve as a connection point within the Student Affairs Office as needed.
• - Attend meetings as requested, including Student Affairs team, Residence Life team, and one‑on‑one meetings with supervisor.
• - Assist with WOW and New Student Orientation as assigned, including RDs and RAs within the first year experience programming.
• - Participate in chapel promotion and attend chapel services three times per week.
• - Support and participate in Residence Life signature events and Student Activities on campus, with the goal to connect visibly with residents on campus.
• - Seek to actively engage with and intentionally build relational connections with residential students beyond the RD/RA structure.
• - All other duties as assigned.