Senior Resident Director

University of Hartford; West Hartford (CT); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Hartford in West Hartford, CT seeks a live-in Residence Director to manage an assigned residential community and provide leadership in Residential Education. The role mentors Resident Assistants, implements the residential curriculum, and supports student belonging and academic success.

Expect evening and weekend commitments, with the campus residence as primary home, and collaboration with campus partners to address student needs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree or higher required.
• Experience supervising Resident Assistants and/or graduate staff preferred.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse groups and campus partners.

Responsibilities

• Manages an assigned residential community with visible leadership for residents.
• Supervises, coaches, evaluates, and develops Resident Assistants and graduate staff.
• Implements the University's residential curriculum and community-development expectations.
• Develops strategies to promote student belonging, engagement, responsibility, well‑being, and academic success.
• Responds to student concerns and facilitates referrals to university resources.

Skills

Leadership

Supervision

Mentoring

Training

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Job description

Reports to Associate Director, Residential Education & Community Development

Salary Range

Salary Range G

Weeks Per Year 52

Work Week

Work Week 40 hours (minimum); may nights and weekends as needed.

Position Summary

Manages an assigned residential community while providing department-wide leadership in designated areas of Residential Education.

Serves as a lead practitioner and peer resource for the Resident Director team, helping coordinate departmental processes, staff development, training, and implementation of residential education priorities. Support Residential Life Leadership team by providing day-to-day coordination, mentoring, and leadership for designated departmental initiatives. Performs all duties in full support of the University’s mission, understanding the positive and effective execution of these duties are instrumental to the education of the University’s students.

As a live-in position, responsibilities include evening, nighttime and weekend commitments on a regular basis throughout the academic year, including time reserved for preparatory training. In addition, the campus residency shall serve as their primary residence.

Hiring Range

Key Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Residential Community Leadership

• Manages an assigned residential community and provides visible, accessible leadership to residents.
• Supervises, coaches, evaluates, and develops assigned Resident Assistants and/or graduate staff.
• Implements the University’s residential curriculum and community-development expectations.
• Develops strategies that promote student belonging, engagement, responsibility, well-being, and academic success.
• Responds to student concerns and facilitates appropriate referrals to University resources.
• Supports community standards and addresses behavioral concerns consistent with University policies.
• Serves as a senior peer resource and mentor to Resident Directors, particularly newer professional staff.
• Assists the Associate Director with coordination of departmental priorities and consistent implementation across residential communities.
• Facilitates RD meetings, training sessions, or working groups when assigned.
• Helps identify operational challenges, recurring student concerns, and opportunities for improvement and communicates them to the Associate Director.
• Provides leadership during major departmental periods including staff training, opening, closing, RA selection, and transition periods.
• May provide short-term coverage or coordination when another RD position is vacant.

Departmental Functional Portfolio

• Maintains leadership responsibility for one or more significant departmental functions as assigned based on institutional priorities and staff expertise. Portfolios may include:
  • RA recruitment and selection
  • RA training and professional development
  • Residential curriculum and programming
  • First-Year Residential Experience
  • Continuing/Upper-Level Student Experience
  • Student leadership
  • Assessment and student feedback
  • Staff recognition and engagement
  • Opening/closing coordination
• Develops annual goals for assigned portfolios, coordinates implementation across residential communities, and reports outcomes to the Associate Director.

Staff Training & Development

• Assists with development and implementation of RA and professional staff training.
• Provides coaching and resources to RDs regarding supervision, programming, community development, and student concerns.
• Helps establish consistent expectations and practices across residential communities.
• Supports onboarding and mentoring of newly hired Resident Directors.

Crisis Response & Duty

• Participates in the professional staff on-call rotation.
• Responds to residential emergencies, student crises, facilities concerns, and significant incidents.
• Serves as an experienced resource to RDs and RAs during complex incidents while appropriately escalating significant matters to the Associate Director.
• Coordinates with Public Safety, Counseling, Health Services, Community Standards, and other campus partners as appropriate.
• Ensures timely documentation and follow-up regarding significant incidents.
• Serves as a Campus Security Authority under the Clery Act.

Assessment & Departmental Support

• Assists with assessment of residential programs, student engagement, RA performance, and community-development initiatives.
• Tracks and reports information related to assigned functional portfolios.
• Participates in departmental planning and continuous-improvement initiatives.
• Assists with Orientation, summer operations, University events, and other Residential Life responsibilities.

Completes other duties as assigned

Posting Number

Posting Number PS1257P

Working Conditions

Normal office situation.

Education

Bachelors Degree required

Physical Effort

Typically sitting at a desk or table. Intermittently sitting, standing, stooping.
Light lifting or carrying 25 lbs or less.

Special Skills

The ability to work effectively with diverse groups.

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• What is the highest level of education attained?
  • GED
  • High School Diploma
  • Technical School, Certification or Apprenticeship
  • Associates Degree
  • Bachelors Degree
  • Masters Degree
  • Knowledge of a highly advanced professional discipline. (e.g., Ph.D, M.D., J.D., or equivalent doctoral degree required.)
• How did you hear about this employment opportunity?
  • Public Job Posting
  • Internal Job Posting
  • Agency Referral
  • Advertisement/Publication
  • Personal Referral
  • Website
  • Other

200 Bloomfield Avenue
West Hartford, CT 06117