Senior Director of Residential LifeHampshire College • Amherst, MA, United States

Senior Director of Residential Life

Hampshire College • Amherst, MA, United States

job_description.job_card.variable_hours_ago

serp_jobs.job_preview.job_type

serp_jobs.job_card.full_time

job_description.job_card.job_description

Institution : Hampshire College

Department : Student Affairs

Job Title : Senior Director of Residential Life

Position Type : Full Time, Live-On

Schedule : 35 Hours a week / 12 months

Pay Range / Status : $75,000 - 82,000 / Exempt

Location : Hampshire College Campus in Amherst, MA

Reports to : VP of Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty

Anticipated Start Date : Immediately

Hampshire College, part of the Five College Consortium and a pioneer in student-directed liberal arts education, seeks a dynamic, caring, and equity-minded Senior Director of Residential Life to lead our Residence Life program. We are looking for a collaborative leader who combines strategic vision with deep personal engagement-someone who builds communities of belonging, models restorative and transformative practice, and helps students thrive in all dimensions of residential and academic life.

This live-on position offers a rare opportunity to shape a holistic residential experience that centers inclusion, learning, and care. Reporting to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty, the Senior Director oversees residence life operations, housing, community standards, and crisis response, leading a team of three professional staff and a talented corps of student resident leaders. The Senior Director will play a central role in creating an environment where students feel seen, supported, and inspired to grow.

Hampshire College, an independent, innovative liberal arts institution and member of the Five College Consortium, is located on a beautiful rural campus in Amherst, Massachusetts, serving approximately 800 residential undergraduates.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES :

Key Responsibilities

Provide strategic and hands-on leadership for Residence Life and Housing Operations, ensuring that residential communities are inclusive, caring, and engaged.
Supervise, mentor, and develop professional and student staff; build a cohesive team culture grounded in collaboration, accountability, and professional growth.
Lead community development initiatives that foster belonging, intercultural understanding, and student engagement across all residential areas.
Oversee community standards processes that are restorative and educational, cultivating fairness, transparency, and empathy.
Serve as the College's Primary Community Standards Administrator, providing leadership for community standards policy, process, and education.
Serves as a key member of the Administrator-on-Call rotation, providing crisis management and support with professionalism and care.
Collaborate across Academic Affairs, Student Success, and Campus Safety and Wellbeing to design co-curricular programs that link residential life to academic learning and student retention.
Develop and implement assessment and planning strategies that inform program improvement and reflect the College's mission and values.
Manage departmental budgets responsibly and align resource allocation with institutional goals.

REQUIRED SKILLS :

Demonstrated success managing residential programs, supervising staff, and advancing student success in higher education.

Deep commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism, with experience supporting students from diverse racial, cultural, gender, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Expertise in trauma-informed, restorative, and culturally responsive practices.

Strong interpersonal, communication, and facilitation skills; ability to mentor staff and engage students in meaningful dialogue and learning.

Highly organized and fiscally responsible; skilled in assessment, planning, and data-informed decision-making.

Proficiency with common information systems and software (e.g., Microsoft Office, Colleague, housing or conduct platforms).

Availability for regular evening and weekend engagement as an active member of the residential community.

REQUIRED CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION, AND EXPERIENCE :

Serve as the College's Primary Community Standards Administrator, providing leadership for community standards policy, process, and education.

Experience designing and conducting qualitative and quantitative analyses with imperfect data in an education context.

Alternatives to formal education and paid work experience may be considered as equivalent qualifications to include military service / training, volunteering, activism, and other non-traditional programs and experiences related to the position.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS :

Demonstrated experience with community standards administration, crisis response, and restorative justice.

Knowledge of student development theory and trends in residential education.

Familiarity with small liberal arts college environments and the integration of academic and co-curricular learning.

BENEFITS :

Hampshire College offers an excellent benefits program for eligible employees such as medical, dental, vision, life insurance, retirement plan contributions, flexible leave plans, and many other fringe benefits. For information on Hampshire College, including more information on employee benefits and our company culture, visit our website at www.hampshire.edu .

WHO SHOULD APPLY :

Hampshire College is an equal opportunity employer and deeply committed to a community of excellence, equity, diversity, and inclusion. We are particularly committed to revealing and combating the social and institutional structures that support racism and white supremacy in all phases of employment and college life. We believe that the educational and employment environment is enhanced when diverse groups of people with diverse ideas come together to work and grow. We encourage applications from women, underrepresented minorities, persons with disabilities, sexual minority groups, veterans, and other candidates who will contribute to the diversification and enrichment of ideas and perspectives. Hampshire College is committed to removing barriers to employment faced by equity-seeking groups and encourages (but does not require) members of these groups to self-identify in their application materials. Applicants whose work incorporates a global perspective and a demonstrated commitment to issues of diversity in the work environment are particularly encouraged to apply.

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

serp_jobs.job_alerts.create_a_job

Director Residential • Amherst, MA, United States