Community Director

Community Director

Pay Status and Classification: Exempt, Regular full time. This position is not eligible for relocation assistance or visa sponsorship.

Supervisor: Associate Director of Residential Education or Housing

Position Purpose:

The Community Director (CD) is responsible for the comprehensive management of 1-2 residence halls or smaller cluster of houses, approximately 350 residents and supervising up to 12 student staff members. The CD serves as an active and visible residential life staff member that is responsible for facilitating an engaging building community-level residential experience that is highly relational; fosters curiosity and learning; centers well-being; and supports students in successfully finding their way.

This is a full-time, twelve-month live-in position that includes a furnished on-campus apartment including utilities with responsibility of serving on-call and supporting evening and weekend activities. Primary duties and responsibilities include: implementing the residential engagement model, administration and supervision, support for student development, crisis management, student conduct administration, community development, collaboration with facility management, as well as college and departmental committee assignments.

Essential Responsibilities and Duties:

Community Development:

• Works proactively toward creating an inclusive community atmosphere in which people respect each other’s rights, cultures, and sensitivities.
• Develop, implement, manage, and assess student engagement and community development initiatives as well as collaborate with other departments across the college through the Student & Campus Life.
• Provides accurate advice and guidance to students based on their individual needs.
• Establishes a schedule that is appropriate for a student-facing, residentially focused role. Schedules work hours that meet the needs of students inside the assigned community. This includes some evening and weekend hours essential for programs and training. Maintains a visible and active presence in their residence hall(s).
• Actively engage with students and community through frequently attending community engagement and campus events, community walk throughs and open office hours.
• Support specific community needs as associated with assigned residence halls, which could include fraternity/sorority housing, theme communities, the Minerva Program (our living learning community), and others.

Supervision:

• Select, train, supervise, evaluate and develop student staff, consisting of an undergraduate Head Resident Assistant (HRA), several undergraduate Resident Assistants (RA) and possible House Managers (HMs), who shall jointly assist in the development of a residential environment for learning
• Ensures ongoing staff development to help student staff learn leadership skills and mentor others.
• Plans weekly staff meetings and meets with each staff member individually on a routine basis.
• Educates all student staff about various campus resources.
• Manages and supports community development efforts, including the implementation of engagement and corresponding assessments.

Health and Safety:

• Support and intervenes with students who may be struggling academically and/or with other behavioral and developmental issues.
• Refers accordingly to services as needed.
• Participates in regular professional staff on-call rotation, providing crisis intervention and serving as a resource or referral agent. Responsible for performing weekly and break on call duty coverage as directed
• Understands and enforces Code of Student Conduct and other policies regarding behavior, safety, security, health, and other matters in cooperation with the appropriate offices.
• Serves as a campus hearing officer through service as an educator during discussions with the involved resident(s) in an attempt to instill an understanding of the educational philosophy of the conduct process.

Building Management:

• Collaborate with Res Ed Leadership team regarding resident management operations (e.g., initiating and tracking space changes, making resident space assignments, annual room selection and re-selection process, summer conference housing, etc.).
• Work cooperatively with Residence Life staff in coordinating move-in/move-out processes each term in assigned hall or apartment area.
• Promotes fire safety through programs, inspections, and scheduled fire drills.
• Ensures damages are reported and documented to the facilities department.
• Routinely walks assigned residential areas to check for any facilities issues and submits work orders as needed.

Administration:

• Oversee the daily operation of residential communities, including, check-in and checkout procedures, and facility management
• Manages the budget for assigned staff, allocating resources to support programming, events, and operational expenses.
• Assist the Res Ed Leadership team with the coordination of annual projects [e.g., Student Staff Selection, Room Selection, Training, Opening/Closing, Room Changes, Publications/Website, Summer Conference Housing] and Serves on college committees as assigned.
• Assists with administrative office duties.
• Offers to pitch in to help colleagues during crunch times and overlapping deliverables.

Area Specifics Information:

• Coordinate with Associate Director daily operations of one of the designated communities: first year, upperclassmen, apartments, minervas and themes, or fraternity/sorority life
• Maintains statistics, rosters, and community records as needed for designated communities.
• Participates in departmental teams for leadership development and student group advisement, including leadership development, skills training, hazing prevention, and wellness initiatives.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree in Higher Education preferred , College Student Personnel, Counseling or related field and/or a combination of relevant education, training, certifications, and/or work experience.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including nights and weekends.
• Ability to exercise exceptional judgment, ensure strict confidentiality, and demonstrate outstanding professionalism in a range of situations.
• Able to support, contribute to, and strengthen a vibrant, culturally diverse, and inclusive learning community of students, alumni, faculty, and fellow staff colleagues.
• Ability to proactively identify and pursue relevant learning and professional development opportunities and apply new knowledge, insights, and skills to enhance results.
• Preferred Qualification: Membership in a fraternity or sorority or previous experience working professionally with a fraternity or sorority community.

Compensation:

The annual salary range for this position is $53,135.80. Except for roles with a set rate of pay, the wage/salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The stated hiring rate/range represents the College’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the rate/range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Location: Schenectady, NY

We know some job seekers may not apply for career opportunities unless they meet every qualification in the position description including the preferred qualifications. We are most interested in hiring the best staff and faculty colleagues, and recognize that a successful candidate may come from a less traditional career path. We encourage you to apply, even if you don’t believe you meet every one of our preferred qualifications.

We offer exceptional benefits including:

• Generous Vacation, Sick, and Personal Time
• Winter Recess Break in Addition to Paid Holidays (in accordance with policy)
• Healthcare: Medical (PPO & HDHP), Dental, and Vision Insurance (Flexible Spending and Dependent Care Accounts)
• Free On-Campus Fitness Facility Access and Discounts for On-Campus Wellness Programs
• Pre and Post Tax participation in a 403(b) Retirement Plan
• Salary Continuation Program in the event of Disability
• Tuition Exchange

Background Checks: In accordance with our background check policy, finalists for hire will undergo a background check that includes education, employment, and criminal convictions.

E-Verify Participation: Union College participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify and your Right to Work (Derecho a Trabajar).