Associate Director for Administration and Operations - Residence Life

Hood College is seeking an Associate Director for Administration and Operations to serve in the Office of Residence Life, beginning immediately.

The job description, qualifications, and other pertinent information for the position are as follows :

Under the general direction of the Dean of Students, the full-time Associate Director for Administration and Operations is a valued and highly engaged member of the Student Life team.

This is a live-in and on call position for Residence Life.

The Associate Director for Administration and Operations is charged with supporting the mission and goals of the Office of Residence Life (ORL).

This professional will help ORL oversee the on-campus housing operation's core administrative functions. These functions include facilities management, summer housing;

summer camps, administrative support for move-in / orientation and move-out processes, housing assignments and other administrative functions of Residence Life as assigned.

The Associate Director for Administration and Operations is responsible for collaborating with other constituents on campus, including Facilities, Accessibility Services, Athletics, Campus Safety, and Marketing and Communications, and Accounting to ensure a superior learning and living experience for students.

Essential Duties include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Administrative Responsibilities (40%)

Room Change Management :

• Develop and implement processes for facilitating room change requests from students.
• Coordinate with various stakeholders including students, residence life staff, and facilities management to ensure smooth transitions during room changes.
• Maintain accurate records of room change requests and assignments.

Residence Hall Opening and Closing :

• Plan and execute the logistical aspects of opening and closing residence halls at the beginning and end of each academic term.
• Coordinate with facilities management to ensure that residence halls are prepared for student occupancy or closure.
• Communicate vital information to students regarding move-in and move-out procedures.

Housing Assignments :

• Manage the housing assignment process for incoming and returning students.
• Develop housing assignment policies in accordance with institutional guidelines.
• Work closely with student services and academic departments to accommodate special housing requests and accommodations.

Data Management and Reporting :

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date housing occupancy data using institutional databases and software systems.
• Generate reports and analyze trends related to room occupancy, housing preferences, etc.
• Utilize data insights to inform decision-making and improve housing operations.

Facilities Management :

• Serve as a primary point of contact for students regarding housing-related inquiries and concerns with work orders, repairs, and deferred maintenance.
• Lead student billing; damage charges; fines.
• Foster a supportive and inclusive residential community by promoting positive communication and conflict resolution strategies.

Contracts / Conferences :

• Manage the dissemination and collection of housing and meal contracts for current and incoming students per the assigned timeline.
• Communicate and enforce the residency requirement for the College.
• Facilitate summer housing plan for enrolled students and visiting students.
• Coordinate summer camp schedule with various campus partners.

Communication :

• Maintain updated information for the website, online presence.
• Manage the dissemination and collection of housing and meal contracts for current and incoming students per the assigned timeline.
• Communicate and enforce the residency requirement for the College.
• Represent Hood College with external constituents engaged with conference services.
• Communicate timely and effectively with families and incoming students.

Residence Life Responsibilities (40%)

Student Development :

• Support the development of students consistent with best practices and student development theories and constructs.
• Provide appropriate support and counsel to students seeking to prevent and respond to individual crisis.
• Demonstrate understanding and implement programming engineered to advance student self-knowledge, understanding and advancement.

Student Support and Customer Service :

• Serve as a primary point of contact for students regarding housing-related inquiries and concerns.
• Provide guidance and assistance to students navigating the housing assignment process.
• Foster a supportive and inclusive residential community by promoting positive communication and conflict resolution strategies.

Student Conduct :

• Utilize moral development and restorative justice to resolve cases.
• Serve as mediator, conflict resolution, and referral agent to support behavior modification and alignment among students.
• Work closely with student services and academic departments to accommodate special housing requests and accommodations.

Referral Agent :

• Refer students as necessary to the Dean of Students, Student Conduct. Title IX, Campus Safety to reduce, respond to or prevent conflict.
• Coordinate the documentation process for roommate and suitemate conflict.
• Communicate and enforce the residency requirement for the College.

Emergency Response and Crisis Prevention (10%)

Crisis Intervention / Response :

• Support students in crisis during hospitalization and / or transportation in response to incidents and / or illness.
• Provide appropriate referrals for students experiencing emotional, physical and / or psychological distress / emergencies.
• Intervene directly with students who may need support during conflict or distress.

Prevention :

• Document and provide appropriate follow up / through with situations with potential harm to students, property, or Hood College.
• Leverage technology, databases, and reports to identify and resolve systemic issues related to student behavior, facilities, etc.
• Develop relationships with students, staff, faculty, and external constituents that support the prevention of crisis and emergencies (i.

e., facilities management; hospital staff; campus safety).

Supervision and Training (10%)

Staff Supervision :

• Directly supervise Resident Assistants to develop community, intervene with students; refer appropriately.
• Contribute to regular performance evaluations and provide feedback for continuous program development.
• Directly support the individual development of resident assistants through training and performance coaching.

Staff Training :

• Train Resident Assistants and graduate staff involved in room assignments, changes, and residence hall operations.
• Provide on-going training and development to ensure a robust residential experience for students.
• Contribute to Fall and Spring training; provide additional training for staff regarding summer conferences.

Other Duties Perform other duties as assigned.

Residence Life is an exciting and evolving area in higher education and requires ongoing learning, active engagement, a student-centered outlook, and willingness to adapt and change.

The Associate Director position is a live-in position with on call expectations and responsibilities.

40-hour work week. Significant evening and weekend work expected.

Opening / closing / break housing, weekends and Hood College dedicated events are expected.

Qualifications

We seek a candidate who values diversity, equity and inclusion in all that they do. Candidates must have strong organizational skills and a proven ability to work collaboratively with partners across campus in support of Hood College’s mission as a student-centered, liberal arts institution.

To perform this job successfully, the individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and / or ability required.

Minimum Requirements / Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree required.

Previous experience in residential life, housing administration, or related areas within higher education or appropriate residential settings.

Previous experience supervising full time, part time, graduate, and / or student staff.

Preferred Skills and Characteristics

Master’s degree preferred in higher education, business, and / or psychology.

Two years' experience managing a residence hall including operations, administration, facilities management, and / or housing assignments.

Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines effectively.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a commitment to providing exceptional customer service to students and stakeholders.

Strong business acumen with experience with budget management; financial reporting.

Demonstrated ability to lead, train, and develop a team of professionals, graduate, and undergraduate staff.

Proficiency in database management and computer applications relevant to housing operations.

Knowledge of applicable laws, regulations, and best practices related to housing and residential life in higher education settings.

Technology Skills

Proficient in MS Office tools (Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), e-mail and Internet. Ability to learn new applications quickly including organization-wide information systems and department-specific software applications.

Language Skills

Strong oral and written communication skills. Ability to effectively provide information and positively respond to questions from both external and internal customers both in person and by phone.

Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.

Mathematical Skills

Proficient with statistical and financial concepts. Must have the ability to apply those concepts to tracking, projections, goal setting and interpreting reports.

Must be able to draw conclusions from reports and make cost effective decisions regarding programs.

Reasoning Ability

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a number of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.

Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. Ability to work independently and as a member of a group in developing and executing project plans.

Ability to work in theoretical arena and apply logic as appropriate.