Residence Director

Emerson College • Boston, MA

17h • $46,250 - $55,400 • Onsite

About The Position

Join our community and experience Emerson College ! The Residence Director, reporting to the Associate Director, Residential Education, oversees a large residential community with a focus on safety, efficiency, student success, and community development that supports learning beyond the classroom. This is a live-in position, requiring frequent evening and weekend availability to advise students, support campus events, and respond to student needs. The Residence Director also serves in an on-call rotation for both emergency and non-emergency situations. Success in this role requires strong communication skills, sound judgment, and the ability to build meaningful relationships across a diverse student population.

Requirements

• Master’s Degree in College Student Personnel, Student Affairs, Psychology, or a related field required
• Minimum of 1 year of full-time experience working with college students required
• Comprehensive knowledge of student development theory, housing operations, and residential life
• Commitment to diversity, intersections of individuals, and team building
• Ability to effectively work with students from a broad range of backgrounds and life experiences
• Ability to supervise and train staff members
• Proficiency in using computer software and the ability to learn new software easily
• Self-starter with excellent interpersonal communication and problem-solving skills
• Excellent organizational skills
• Strong critical thinking skills
• Ability to be flexible and adapt to changing circumstances
• Exceptional accuracy and attention to detail required
• Continuous oral and written communication with co-workers, supervisors, and customers is essential.
• Repetitive movements, occasional lifting of up to 25 pounds, reaching, lifting, stooping, and the ability to read a computer screen, detect color-coding, and read fine print will be expected.
• Ability to serve in an out-of-hours on-campus duty rotation is required.

Responsibilities

• Maintain an active presence in the assigned residential area by holding regular office hours and attending programs and events within the residence halls and broader campus community.
• Meet with individual students to address concerns, provide support, and refer them to appropriate campus resources as needed.
• Maintain required documentation and submit reports in accordance with college procedures and applicable federal and state regulations.
• Hire, train, supervise, and evaluate student staff, including Resident Assistants, International Student Peer Mentors, Front Desk Assistants, and Office Assistants.
• Develop instructional materials for staff training and provide ongoing guidance, feedback, and support to team members.
• Respond to emergency and non-emergency situations as needed.
• Participate in the campus-wide on-call duty rotation.
• Serve as a Conduct Hearing Officer and participate in Conduct Boards as assigned.
• Oversee RA programming and community development efforts, including reviewing program proposals, delivering lesson plans, and ensuring timely submission of post-program assessments.
• Serve on departmental and interdepartmental committees.
• Support key housing operations, including room changes, housing selection, residence hall openings and closings, and break period coverage.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• In addition to a competitive salary, Emerson College is committed to the health and well-being of our employees and family members.
• We offer a generous benefits package to regular staff scheduled to work 20+ hours per week.
• Benefits include outstanding health plans with limited out-of-pocket expenses, dental plans, generous time-off programs, and a 403(b) retirement benefit with a 9% employer contribution once eligible.
• Additional benefits such as life and disability coverage as well as commuter offerings are available.
• Please refer to our benefits website for a full list of benefits and eligibility requirements.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director