Residential Community Director (HR Title: Residence Hall Director)

Salary Range: 

Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications

About SMU

SMU’s more than 12,000 diverse, high-achieving students come from all 50 states and over 80 countries to take advantage of the University’s small classes, meaningful research opportunities, leadership development, community service, international study and innovative programs.

SMU serves approximately 7,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students through eight degree-granting schools: Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Cox School of Business, Lyle School of Engineering, Meadows School of the Arts, Simmons School of Education and Human Development, Dedman School of Law, Perkins School of Theology and Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies.

SMU is data driven, and its powerful supercomputing ecosystem – paired with entrepreneurial drive – creates an unrivaled environment for the University to deliver research excellence.

Now in its second century of achievement, SMU is recognized for the ways it supports students, faculty and alumni as they become ethical, enterprising leaders in their professions and communities. SMU’s relationship with Dallas – the dynamic center of one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions – offers unique learning, research, social and career opportunities that provide a launch pad for global impact.

SMU is nonsectarian in its teaching and committed to academic freedom and open inquiry.

About the Position:

This role is an on-campus, in-person position.

The Residential Community Director (RCD) at SMU is a four year live-on position that provides leadership in developing and sustaining positive, academically-focused, residential communities. A successful RCD also accomplishes administrative functions required in managing a university residential community. The position is live-in, serves in an on-call rotation, and reports to an Associate Director for Residential Life.

While our current vacancies are in Residential Commons serving mainly first-year and some second-year students, it is possible that the successful candidate is placed in one of our Upper Division communities serving sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

Essential Functions:

• Train, supervise, and evaluate the job performance of student leaders. Conduct regularly scheduled individual and group meetings. Provide development and accountability for student leaders.

• Develop a personal knowledge of individual residents to better provide assistance and related support. Assist with retention efforts. Serve as a case manager through the Caring Community Connections program. Provide conflict mediation and parent interaction to resolve student issues.

• Assess needs of residents. Provide and facilitate programming (including at least one large-scale signature event program yearly) in support of the Residential Commons tradition to promote a positive living and learning environment that fosters a sense of belonging. Advise the programming board for your community.

• Lead and/or serve on one or more RLSH (and potentially Student Affairs) committees. Meet regularly with the supervisor and other RLSH staff.

• Collaborate with the Faculty in Residence (FIR) for your community and support their connection to the leadership team and programmatic efforts where applicable.

• Serve as a Conduct Officer for student conduct cases occurring in the residential areas.

• Coordinate building operations. Assist with occupancy management, including but not limited to managing room and hall changes, check-in and check-out activity, etc. Monitor the physical condition of assigned areas and report work requests and desired facility improvements per established procedures.

• Manage budget & financial paperwork, including purchasing and expense reports.

• Assist in major annual processes, e.g., staff selection, assessments, and serve on the on-call rotation to manage student and facilities emergencies, etc.

• Interview and hire Resident Assistants (RA)s. Responsible for managing their performance evaluations, assigning tasks, directing work, as well as discipline and discharge when necessary.

• Perform related duties as assigned or required to meet RLSH and University goals.

• This person will serve on an on-call rotation to support student meetings, programs, trainings and other events that may be required on during evenings and weekends.

• This person is expected to be a presence in the community in which they live.