Assistant Director, Residence Life

Staff - Non Union

Job Category

M&P - AAPS

Job Profile

AAPS Salaried - Student Management, Level D

Job Title

Assistant Director, Residence Life

Department

UBCO | Management | Housing and Conferences | Student Housing and Hospitality

Compensation Range

$8,554.25 - $13,340.92 CAD Monthly

The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Posting End Date

August 26, 2026

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

This position is subject to the satisfactory completion of required background checks

Job End Date

Ongoing

 

 

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career. 

Job Description Summary

This position contributes to the development, implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive framework of residence life services that foster student learning, success, community engagement, and meaningful orientation and transition experiences. Establishes a student-centred service culture and supports the delivery of the UBC residential experience. Residence Life is a 24-hour operation providing support to students and responding to all resident crises and residence emergencies as well as inquiries from students, parents, emergency services and other university personnel.

This position is responsible for providing a residence life program that furthers student recruitment, retention, academic success, personal, and community and leadership development. The Assistant Director, Residence Life sets operational goals for and provides leadership and direction to residence life program curriculum development, staff recruitment, training and development, and student leadership development.

Organizational Status

This position provides leadership and operational direction to a team of Residence Life Managers, unionized Residence Advisors, Senior Residence Advisors, and Program Resource Centre Advisors. This position contributes to establishing the overall vision for the UBC Okanagan residence experience and is responsible for the implementation and evaluation of the unit’s strategic priorities.

Reports to the Associate Director, Housing & Conference Services. Directly supervises 5 Residence Life Managers, and 2 seasonal Interns. Indirectly supervises, 10 Senior Residence Advisors, 3 Program Resource Centre Advisors, 72 Residence Advisors. Works closely with departmental and University senior managers and liaises with other departmental staff, campus priority initiative groups (C+CP, Sustainability, etc.) and Associate Vice President, Students units. Acts as the designate for the Associate Director, Housing & Conference Services, as required.
 

Work Performed

Employee Management
 

• Leads, influences and advances the implementation, assessment and continuous improvement of student experience standards within residence from application through departure.
• As part of the leadership team, works with the Associate Director, Housing & Conference Services to develop and assess the strategic goals and service standards of the unit.
• Builds, motivates and manages a team of Management & Professional and unionized part-time student staff. Leads and coaches towards effective performance and service excellence.
• Responsible for full cycle recruitment of Residence Life Managers, which includes job descriptions, interviews, training and onboarding.
• Manages, leads, and directs the orientation and training of 90 Residence Life student staff.
• Leads the development of an integrated and comprehensive professional development curriculum for student staff.
• Conducts performance management processes of all Residence Life Managers and Residence Life student staff, which includes discipline and terminations. This requires a thorough understanding of relevant department policies and the AAPS and BCGEU Collective Agreements.
• Responsible for the collection and processing of sensitive employee and student information requiring tact and discretion, adhering to UBC s policies related to privacy and information security.
• Responsible for implementing and overseeing employee absentee management.
• Works on human resources initiatives including succession planning and staff recognition programs.
• Provides 24-hour on-call support of staff responding to students in distress, and facilities emergencies.
• Ensures all employees work in a correct, safe manner, and are trained in regards to all necessary safety and environmental regulations, standards, practices and procedures. Ensures safety practices are in compliance with applicable WorkSafeBC regulations, UBC Student Housing and Community Services policy and UBC policy.

Strategic Planning

• Works in consultation and collaboration with the Associate Director, Housing & Conference Services to strategically influence and orchestrate cultural change in the work environment.
• Assesses, develops, and evaluates Residence Life programs, services, policies, procedures, and initiatives to support student wellbeing, leadership development, community enrichment, and alignment with University priorities and student needs.
• Establishes residence curricular approach, reflecting UBC's values and experiential education goals. Develops innovative, responsive, and professional programs and services.
• Oversees the stewardship and strategic cultivation of programs and designated spaces that promote and strengthen student communities.
• Develops, implements, manages and reviews departmental workplace policies and protocols for on-call staff to ensure safety, wellbeing and positive workplace culture.
• Strategically develops and directs work assignments and projects to maximize resources, strengthen cross functional work processes, and improve efficiencies. Develops initiatives and action plans to support service excellence.
• Assesses and supports the determination of the human and financial resources required to sustain Residence Life programs and services; and is accountable for their responsible operational oversight through budgeting, monitoring and controlling.
• Represents the department on various University working groups: e.g. Athletics and Recreation, UBC Orientations, Sustainability, Faculty in Residence, Sexual Assault Education and Prevention Team, Student Case Management Committee, Behavioural Intervention Team, Suicide Prevention and Education Team.

Crisis Management

• Acts as Case Manager for critical incidents that occur in residence involving any of the 2,120 residents that live in residence.
• Liaises with parents, faculty, staff who may be impacted by critical incidents to ensure they are appropriately supported and works with AVP Students Office, Campus Security, RCMP, and emergency services to support broader investigations.
• Assesses complex and serious incidents and coordinates appropriate interventions to mitigate risk and ensure students receive timely and effective support. A densely populated community of vulnerable youth means significant volume (weekly) of crisis incidents.
• Develops solutions for campus-wide crises response intervention.
• Ensures the ongoing post-incident support of resident and staff impacted.

Project Development and Management

• Implements, manages, and monitors business improvement and change projects for the Residence Life portfolio.
• Leads and manages the establishment of best practices across all areas of Residence Life.
• Supports the management of the StarRez system and works in collaboration with the Associate Director, Housing & Conference Services as well as IT to improve the software and systems technology that support student and staff services. Trains staff on use and ensures databases are maintained. Researches and recommends enhanced or new modules.
• Leads the design, delivery and evaluation of cohesive and integrated academic and co-curricular programs in support of the First-Year Experience, Graduate Students and Undergraduate students, in partnership with faculty and professional staff.
• Directs the Residence Life judicial system in response to Residence Contract (conduct) violations, to ensure a positive living/learning environment consistent with University goals.

Partnerships

• Provides critical guidance as the advisor to the Residence advisory groups. Provides continuity across academic years, is an information resource and educates and advises regarding departmental or university protocols, policies, perspectives. Navigates and responds to competing and complex requests from the residence community.
• Proactively seeks and develops opportunities to foster collaborative partnerships with UBC Campus Partners including: student development professionals, UBCSUO, Sustainability,  Wellbeing and Accessibility Services professionals, Faculty members, Athletics and Recreation, Equity and Inclusion, Access & Diversity.
• Develops and maintains collaborative partnerships with a diverse range of community stakeholder groups to strengthen residence services which support student success, retention, learning and enriching student life at UBC, including RCMP, Interior Health etc.
• Consults with Case Managers, Campus Security, Behavioural Intervention Team, Health Safety and Environment to formulate and operationalize a broad scope of student wellbeing initiatives.
• Engages with Faculties, campus and community partners to deliver a suite of Living Learning Communities and experiential education opportunities to residence students
• Ensures that the priorities of student residential experience are aligned with the strategic plan and priorities of the University, in coordination other Managers and Associate Directors in the Student Housing and Community Services portfolio.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

This position represents the University and Residence Life department. Serves as the senior Residence Life professional responsible for student development, wellbeing, conduct and community engagement within Student Housing. Incorrect decisions/judgments will directly affect the University’s reputation with the professional community, community groups, students and faculties. Incorrect decisions would have an impact on the University’s current and future ability to recruit and retain students, the operation of the programs and services, Student Housing occupancy, revenue generation and the reputation of the department, and the University.

Poor judgment or failure to maintain policies and standards could result in poor public relations, loss of property or harm to residents or staff, loss of revenue, loss of prestige and potential legal liability for the University.

Supervision Received

Reports to the Associate Director, Housing & Conference Services. Works independently in accordance with general directives and goals. Work is reviewed in terms of achievement of goals and overall effectiveness in management of services.

Supervision Given

Directly supervises 5 Residence Life Managers, and seasonal Interns. Indirectly supervises a unionized student staff team id approximately 10 Senior Residence Advisors, 72 Residence Advisors, and 3 Program Resource Centre Advisors.

Minimum Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of five to six years of related experience or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own
• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion
• A satisfactory Criminal Record Check.

Preferred Qualifications
 

• Masters degree preferred.
• Experience in a senior leadership role, preferably in a student residence environment and proven ability to lead, coach and motivate staff.
• Demonstrated years of live-in university residence supervisory experience (e.g.: Residence Life Manager, Area Director, or equivalent) preferred.
• Demonstrated professional experience in a service centered environment that shows progressive responsibility and ability to work effectively in a 3,000+ bed system preferred.
• Experience required in a service-centered environment, preferably within a university residence context.
• Previous experience and demonstration of sound judgement leading responses to complex student crisis.
• Previous experience advising volunteer university student leader organizations required.
• Experience with project planning and management required.
• Proven experience with analyzing and redesigning workflow/business processes to enhance efficiencies and align with organizational goals.
• Previous experience developing, directing, supporting, managing and evaluating programs to enhance student learning preferred.
• Previous experience with Student Information Systems or other enterprise database solutions/customer relationship management systems preferred.
• Experience applying technology to improve student and or client services an asset.
  Sound and current knowledge on best practices in residence life and student services an asset.
• Proficiency with standard office software required.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, influence and support organizational and cultural change.
• Demonstrated ability and aptitude for progressive, creative and innovative thinking.
• Demonstrated ability to independently exercise superior judgment to make important decisions on complex matters which may fall outside of the scope of established policies.
• Demonstrated facilitation, presenting and communication skills with the ability to effectively facilitate discussions to achieve appropriate outcomes.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills with the ability to use an inclusive approach to develop and cultivate relationships with students, faculty, staff and members of the external community.
• Demonstrated accuracy and attention to detail, especially when working under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate and share expertise within a team environment.
• Demonstrated time management skills with the ability to effectively prioritize, multi-task and organize work.

Ability to work flexible hours and days of the week, as well as respond to after-hours calls. Work cycle experiences annual peaks. As part of a 24/7 operation, the Assistant Director, Residence Life manages and responds to complex student and community crises. This includes situations involving risk of harm, behavioural concerns requiring immediate intervention, student death or suicide, physical or sexual violence, and other critical incidents that may require coordination with emergency services or law enforcement.