Residential Community Director

Case Western Reserve University; Cleveland (OH); Hybrid; USD 40,000 - 51,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare

Retirement plans

Tuition assistance

Paid time off

Winter recess

Job summary

Case Western Reserve University is seeking a Residential Community Director to lead a 440-student first-year community and create a holistic learning environment. You will supervise a leadership team, coordinate wellness/intervention efforts, and liaise with University offices to support student success.

You will design student-led programs, enforce community standards, and manage a modest budget while contributing to a welcoming, inclusive living environment.

Qualifications

• 2 years of professional experience in Residence Life or related higher education area.
• Master’s degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, or related field required; preferred in higher education or student personnel.
• Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills for supervising staff.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for a 440-student first-year residential community.
• Design vision for student-led development aligned with student learning domains.
• Supervise graduate and undergraduate staff and a community council.
• Maintain intervention/referral system for student wellbeing and safety.
• Develop and enforce student standards; conduct educational interventions.
• Serve on-call for crises and emergencies; be the primary contact during business hours.
• Participate in department-wide project teams.
• Manage budget of approximately $125,000 and track expenditures.
• Coordinate with Housing and Facilities for room inventory and maintenance.
• Participate in staff recruitment, selection, and training.
• Support student leadership organizations and collaboration with university offices.

Skills

Diversity & inclusion

Team building

Staff development

Higher education knowledge

Judgment & decision-making

Organization & planning

Oral communication

Written communication

Collaboration & partnerships

Community engagement & respect

AI tools familiarity

Attendance reliability

Face-to-face interaction

Education

Master's degree (discipline)

Master’s in Higher Education/Student Affairs preferred

Job description

Case Western Reserve University is committed to providing a transparent estimate of the salary range available for this position at the time of its posting. The salary range is between $40,375 and $50,864, depending on qualifications, experience, department budgets, and industry data.

Employees receive more than just a paycheck. University employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare, retirement plans, tuition assistance, paid time off, and a winter recess.

POSITION OBJECTIVE

The Residential Community Director (RCD) creates and facilitates an integrated residential learning environment that assists first-year students in achieving the goals of the undergraduate experience by enacting the mission and goals of both the Office of Residential Living and Learning and the Division of Student Affairs. This embedded (live-in) position provides comprehensive leadership and support for a community of 440 first-year students. Immersed in the student community, the residential community director actively manages the learning experience at both the community and individual level, monitoring and supporting students¿ holistic academic, social, and personal development while at Case Western Reserve University that results in successful retention to the second year.

As a student affairs professional at Case Western Reserve University, this position will be expected to contribute to building a welcoming and comfortable living community, focus on the well-being of others, and encourage curiosity among those we serve.

Essential Functions

• Provide comprehensive leadership and support for a community of 440 first-year residential students by assessing the needs and interests of first-year students in order to complement and enhance the First Year Experience, the transitions to and from the first year, and the connections between the first-year experience and other critical points in the student journey. (10%)
• Design and provide vision for student-led development of a residential community through the lens of the division of student affairs student learning domains (social and emotional competence, purpose and intentionality, cultural and human appreciation, community engagement, and problem-solving) that results in creation a just and humane community that cultivates meaningful interactions, fosters individual student success, and creates purposeful environments in support all community members. (10%)
• Select, supervise, and direct a community leadership team, consisting of one (1) graduate-level Assistant Residential Community Director, 6 to 12 undergraduate-level Resident Assistants, and a community council. The team provides leadership in implementing programs, initiatives, projects, and procedures that constitute the first-year residential experience, supporting departmental objectives, and furthering divisional strategic goals. (15%)
• Maintain, track, manage, and execute a system of intervention and referral that supports the health, wellbeing, and safety of the residential students in their community through collaboration with the Dean of Students Office, the Undergraduate Advising Support Office, University Health and Counseling Services, and other relevant offices. (15%)
• Facilitate creation of, and adherence to, student-led community standards across residential ¿oors, establish reporting measures for residential issues, and lead a comprehensive response to all community-based concerns. Conduct educational intervention meetings with residential students reported to have violated the university standards of conduct. (10%)
• Serve in an after-business-hours on-call rotation and directly respond to student crises and emergencies for approximately 5,100 undergraduate student on-campus beds within the residential communities and Greek housing system. During business hours, serve as the main Residential Living and Learning contact for crises and emergencies that occur within the first-year residential community. (6%)
• Support department-wide functions by participating and serving in one or more department-wide project teams. (6%)
• Manage residential community budget of approximately $125,000 by monitoring expenses for the community, authorizing routine expenditures, arranging for payment or reimbursement, and maintaining accurate records and oversight of ¿nancial expenditures within the budget. (6%)
• Work alongside the Offices of University Housing and Facilities Services to ensure efficient functioning of residential facilities through the following administrative processes: room inventory, room changes, maintenance requests, and facility emergency response procedures. (6%)
• Collaborating in planning, presenting, and implementing department-wide functions of departmental staff recruitment, selection, and training of both graduate and undergraduate level staff members. (6%)
• Facilitate the community council¿s support of and collaboration with the Office of Residential Living and Learning¿s student leadership organizations: the Residence Hall Association and the National Residence Hall Honorary. (6%)

Nonessential Functions

Perform other duties as assigned. (4%)

CONTACTS

Department: Continuous contact with professional staff, graduate student staff and undergraduate student staff within Residential Living and Learning for the purposes of student support and addressing concerns, supervision, project planning and implementation, programming, community development and ensuring the smooth functioning of the first-year residential community.

University: Frequent contact with the Office of Student Affairs, the Dean of Students Office, Case Western Reserve University Police, University Health and Counseling Services, University Housing, Facilities Services, Disability Resources, Multicultural Affairs, and Greek Life for the purposes of student support and addressing concerns, project planning and implementation, programming, community development, and assuring the smooth functioning of the first-year residential community. Regular contact with the Undergraduate Advising Support Office, faculty, and course instructors about student support and addressing concerns.

External: Regular contact with parents and/or family members of students for the purpose of answering questions and discussing their concerns within FERPA guidelines. Periodic contact with outside vendors and services and members of regional and national professional organizations for the purposes of project planning and implementation, and professional development. Occasional contact with prospective students and their families for the purpose of providing information during open houses and other enrollment-related programming.

Students: Continuous interaction with undergraduate students for the purposes of student support and addressing concerns, programming, and ensuring the smooth functioning of the First Year Residential Community. Regular contact with the Residence Hall Association, community councils, and other student organizations for the purposes of programming, community development, and ensuring the smooth functioning of the First Year Residential Community.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Provide direct supervision for one (1) graduate-level staff member, 6 to 12 undergraduate student staff members, and a residential area of approximately 440 first-year students.

Qualifications

Experience: 2 years of professional experience required in Residence Life or closely related functional areas in higher education. Experience may include multiple semesters of graduate-level employment or full-time employment.

Education: Master¿s degree in an appropriate discipline required. Master¿s degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, or Student Personnel preferred.

Required Skills

• Commitment to and competency in working with individuals from different backgrounds and varying lived experiences.
• Proven team-building, supervisory and sta¿ development skills.
• Strong knowledge of Residential Living and Learning for students and best practices for higher education.
• Ability to apply independent judgment and decision-making skills within the university policies and procedures. Capability to remain calm and make decisions in emergency situations.
• E¿ective organization, planning, and management skills.
• Ability to build formal and informal communication channels. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Ability to listen to others carefully and attentively.
• Ability to collaborate and develop partnerships.
• Ability to maintain a work environment marked by community engagement and respect for others.
• Ability to demonstrate successful support, education, and advocacy for all students, aligned with the values, mission, and messaging of the university, while adhering to the staff policy on conflict of commitment and interest.
• Willingness to learn and work with Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and technologies.
• Ability to meet consistent attendance.
• Ability to interact with colleagues, supervisors, and customers face to face.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Typical office environment. Some weekend and evening hours are required.

This position is eligible for hybrid work arrangement up to two remote days per week at the discretion of the department. New employees may begin a hybrid schedule upon approval from the supervisor, successful completion of an orientation period and signing the remote work checklist certification form.

Case Western Reserve University is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants are protected under federal and state laws and university policy from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, protected veteran status, disability, age and genetic information.

Case Western Reserve University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act regarding reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the CWRU Office of Equity at 216-368-3066 to request a reasonable accommodation. Determinations as to granting reasonable accommodations for any applicants will be made on a case-by-case basis.