Resident Director

About Occidental College

Founded in 1887, Occidental is a nationally recognized, private college of the liberal arts and sciences, dedicated to providing a gifted and diverse group of students with a total educational experience of the highest quality -- one that prepares them for leadership in an increasingly complex, interdependent and pluralistic world.

What makes Occidental special? An intellectually rigorous academic environment. Small classroom settings where students collaborate with professors and their peers while pursuing or discovering their passion. A beautiful residential campus that offers students hands-on engagement with the cultural and intellectual resources of Los Angeles. A community open to stimulating conversation and divergent points of view. Some 2,100 students from 46 states and 28 countries choose from 41 majors and minors and participate in one the country’s top undergraduate research programs. Oxy students routinely win top awards and fellowships; its first Rhodes Scholar was named in 1907. Dedicated to excellence and equity, Occidental also is one of the country’s most economically diverse campuses, according to the New York Times. Some 71 percent of Oxy students receive some form of financial aid; 20 percent are Pell Grant recipients; and 19 percent are the first in their family to attend college

Title: Resident Director

Department: Housing Services

Duration: 10.5 months per year. This position is a three-year, fixed-term position based on performance.

Job Summary

The Department of Residential Education and Housing Services fosters safe, inclusive, and educational residential environments. It intentionally challenges and supports students to embrace global citizenship, civility, and self-accountability both on and off campus.

The Resident Director (RD) is a 10 1/2-month live-in position responsible for the overall administration of co-educational residential communities. RDs will provide direct supervision to a paraprofessional staff of 11-18 and a set of residential communities ranging from 315-515 undergraduates (with a total on-campus population of 1670 undergraduates). Our RDs are responsible for fostering an appreciation for diversity, equity, inclusion and cultural competency in the halls, staff supervision, student conduct, counseling/referral, programming, and general building administration.

The Resident Director reports to the Assistant Director of Residential Education and serves as a member of the Student Affairs Team.

Job Duties


STAFF SUPERVISION, TRAINING & EVALUATION

• Actively participate in the planning and facilitation of training sessions for undergraduate staff.
• Conduct weekly Area Staff and 1:1 meetings.
• Assist in the development and implementation of the Resident Advisor selection process.
• Provide ongoing feedback to staff through a mid-year formal evaluation.
• Assist staff with managing conflicts in a positive and productive manner.
• Assist staff with problem-solving, conflict mediation, and crisis management in the residential community.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

• Actively encourage the concept of educational programming by serving as an information source, program presenter, motivator, etc.
• Supervise the staff in meeting program expectations as outlined in the staff manual.
• Actively engage with programs in the assigned area.
• Lead semesterly social programming in communities (at least one large-scale program per residential community per semester.)
• Assist in supporting the department’s social media efforts to engage current residential students and incoming first-year students.
• Identify students with personal, social, academic or disciplinary problems and assist them with such problems conscientiously and appropriately either directly or through referral to the Emmons Student Wellness Center or other community resources.
• Take lead role in managing crisis situations.
• Oversee successful implementation of special interest programs in various theme halls (First Year Communities, Multicultural Hall, Substance-Free Halls, etc.).

JUDICIAL MANAGEMENT

• Serve as a judicial officer within the Office of Student Conduct.
• Support and supervise hall staff in taking appropriate actions when dealing with students whose behavior needs to be limited or corrected.
• Meet with students who are involved in serious or ongoing behavioral incidents.
• Advise students in making appropriate and empowering choices regarding peer group pressure, conflict management, interpersonal skills, etc.
• Design and assign appropriate educational sanctions conducive to student learning, retention, academic success, and behavior modification.

ADMINISTRATIVE/OPERATIONAL DUTIES

• Be available to staff and students during the day and evening duty and office hours.
• Be present in the general main office during college hours of operation, Monday-Friday, 9am - 5pm.
• Keep accurate records of programming efforts, judicial concerns, etc.
• Prepare reports as requested (programming, judicial, annual report, etc.)
• Meet deadlines and provide appropriate follow-up.
• Process reimbursements to staff and students in a timely manner.
• Share rotational on-call responsibilities, serving the entire campus community.
• Head one area of development within ResEd (RA Training, RA Selection, Housing Operations, etc.)
• Adhere to all College expectations regarding COVID testing and health and safety protocol.
• Participate in the department's office hour schedule.
• Oversee departmental committees/initiatives as needed.

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

• Maintain accurate room condition reports for all rooms within eRezLife.
• Be in constant contact with the Associate Director of Housing Services about issues within the halls.
• Be aware of and actively encourage safety within the assigned area. Follow-up with ongoing security concerns such as propped doors, maintenance issues, etc.
• Assess the physical condition of assigned buildings by completing a bi-weekly area walk-through.
• Disseminate necessary information to staff and residents through meetings, department website, and residence hall mailing lists.

CAMPUS SUPPORT

• Be available to assist and support campus-wide programming efforts (Oxy engage, Orientation, etc.)
• Attend important campus community events (Orientation, Convocation, Homecoming, Graduation, etc.)
• Serve on campus committees and task forces as needed.

COLLATERAL ASSIGNMENT

• Assist in the oversight of one collateral assignment area within the department (Housing Operations, RA Selection, RA Training/Development, Themed Living Communities Development)
  

OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED

• Be available and open to participating in other activities as needed.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree Required with a Master’s Degree in higher education administration, student development, counseling, social work or related field preferred.
• One year of post-baccalaureate residence life experience (graduate or professional)
• Strong leadership ability and excellent communication skills.
• This position is required to live on campus in an apartment provided by the College.
• This position is expected to be in-person, and general office hours are Monday-Friday, 9am to 5pm. Remote days may be occasionally available, and would be approved directly by the supervisor.
• This position is a three-year, fixed-term position based on performance. A fourth year is possible at the discretion of the Assistant Dean & Director of Residential Education, Housing Services, and Student Conduct.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Strong knowledge and experience in judicial affairs.
• Demonstrated excitement and interest in the residential college student experience.
• Demonstrated experience in developing diverse, inclusive, welcoming, and global communities in a residence hall environment.

COMPENSATION

• Competitive salary and full benefits package (domestic partner benefits available).
• Furnished apartment, access to streaming shared cable, internet, and utilities included
• Meal plan
• Professional development funding
• This is a 10 1/2-month position that will typically have the following dates off the last week of May through the first week of July (6 weeks total). You will have access to your apartment and all campus resources during the times you have off. Meal plans will be active during your time off. You will be paid fully for the weeks you work, and will not receive payment for the weeks you are off-contract.

EXPECTED HIRING RATE: $56,420 per year

We also offer a generous compensation and benefits package.

Advertised: 16 Jun 2023 Pacific Daylight Time
Applications close: