Director of Residential Life

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), part of the State University of New York and an  internationally renowned college of art, design, business and technology with a strong emphasis  on liberal arts, invites applications for the Director of Residential Life.  FIT Residential Life houses approximately 2,300 undergraduate students living within 4  residence halls comprised of traditional and apartment style housing.

Job Description:

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Student Success & Dean of Students, the Director of Residential Life will be responsible for all aspects of the residential educational and housing operations of campus residence halls. This position will provide strategic direction, leadership, budget management and supervision of an environment that aims to develop the holistic living and learning experiences of FIT students.  The role is critical to the support of FIT's Institutional Strategic Plan, with a particular focus on creating an empowering student experience. 

• Provide strategic direction and supervision for all aspects of the residential education and housing operations for FIT residence halls.
• Guide the ongoing execution of the department's residential curriculum, providing holistic development for residential students, assessing learning outcomes, and supporting staff in its implementation
• Work in conjunction with the Associate Director to develop and supervise residence hall staff, including professional development, evaluation, recruitment and onboarding
• Oversee and provide recommendations for facility improvements to the residence halls, including short and long term planning that aligns capital projects with programmatic needs
• Work collaboratively with faculty, staff, and students across campus to develop and support student progress and retention initiatives
• Ensure departmental initiatives are appropriately assessed and reported on through regular, ongoing assessment efforts, including participation in national benchmarking surveys
• Create and manage emergency protocol response for residence hall staff and provide on-call support as needed.
• Manage large-scale residential planning initiatives and implementation including the development of RFPs for education and facilities related initiatives. 
• Work with the Associate Director to support residential programming experiences including RHA, living-learning communities, and special interest housing
• Review, approve, and enforce all residence life policies, regulations, contracts, and procedures.
• Respond to and manage residential life crisis response, problem resolution, student advocacy, and manage parent and community relations. 
• Oversee the management and execution of housing operations including housing placement and selection processes, summer conferences and intersession housing with the Assistant Director of Housing Operations.
• Work with the Residential Life Coordinator of Community Standards and Student Support to coordinate enforcement of the campus code of conduct, ensure compliance with community standards and work with the residential life team to implement restorative approaches to resolving student conduct
• Manage the department's personnel and programmatic budgets and participate in their development annually with Finance and Administration
• Serve on the campus Care Team which includes an on call rotation with other members of the campus community in concert with the Dean of Students. 
• Work evening and some weekends as needed and dictated by position responsibilities.
• Serve on additional college-wide committees such as the Felony Conviction Committee, Refund Committee, and others
• Other duties as assigned

Requirements:

Education and Experience

• Bachelors Degree required.
• Master's degree in student development, educational administration, counseling, or related field required
• Five years of professional residence life experience including supervision of staff required.
• Two years of experience with administration of campus judicial procedures required
• A commitment to student learning through the residential experience required

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• A broad knowledge of contemporary student development issues, trends, and best practices, particularly in residence life and student conduct
• Excellent managerial, planning, supervisory, interpersonal, team-building, and communication skills
• A genuine interest and satisfaction in working with students, families, faculty, and staff
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion

MENTAL REQUIREMENTS

Read Comprehend- Constant; Perform Calculations- Constant; Communicate Orally- Constant; Reason & Analyze- Constant; Write- Constant

WORKING ENVIRONMENT

Office

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Sit- Frequent; Stand-Occasional; Bend- Occasional; Walk- Frequent; Climb- N/A; Pull- Occasional; Push- N/A; Lift<10- N/A; Lift 10-20- Occasional; Lift over 50- N/A; Reach- N/A

Additional Information:

Days/Hours: Monday through Friday/ 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (35 hours per week). Some evenings and weekends required. Work schedule subject to change based on the needs of the Department.

Full Time Benefits

Paid Time Off

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

Compensation is commensurate with experience.  Staff in Residential Life are employees of the FIT Student Housing Corporation, a 501(c)(3) entity.  Compensation and benefits are determined through the Housing Corporation governance process and are subject to change as such.

FIT is firmly committed to creating an environment that will attract and retain people of diverse racial and cultural backgrounds. By providing a learning and working environment that encourages, utilizes, respects, and appreciates the full expression of every individual's ability, the FIT community fosters its mission and grows because of its rich, pluralistic experience. FIT is committed to prohibiting discrimination, whether based on race, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, religion, ethnic background, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military service status, genetic information, pregnancy, familial status, citizenship status (except as required to comply with law), or any other criterion prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local laws. FIT is committed to providing equal opportunity in employment, including the opportunity for upward mobility for all qualified individuals. Applications from minorities, women, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged. Inquiries regarding FIT's non-discrimination policies may be directed to the Affirmative Action Officer/Title IX Coordinator, 212 217.3360, titleix@fitnyc.edu.