Associate Director OF Residence Development Division of Student Life Residence

The Associate Director of Residence Life for Staff Development is a key operational leader responsible for shaping a modern, inclusive, and high-performing residential experience. This role is responsible for advancing the effectiveness, consistency, and responsiveness of the professional staff team through strategic recruitment, onboarding, training, and performance development initiatives. The Associate Director fosters a culture of continuous learning, collaboration, and accountability, ensuring that staff are equipped to support student success and uphold community standards.

This position supervises Assistant Directors and plays a central role in building a cohesive, student-centered team. The Associate Director collaborates closely with campus partners on DEI initiatives and serves as a thought partner to the Director of Residence Life in advancing departmental goals and strategic planning.

The ideal candidate is proactive, data-driven, and comfortable leveraging technology and analytics to inform decision-making, track staff performance and absences, and optimize operations. This position plays a critical role in strengthening Residence Life’s capacity to support students and respond effectively to the demands of a complex, fast-paced university environment.

• Supervise and support Assistant Directors, providing clear expectations, regular feedback, structured accountability, operational insight, and individualized professional development plans.
• Cultivate a collaborative and inclusive work environment that promotes morale, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to student success.
• Foster a results-oriented departmental culture centered on high standards, effective communication, and continuous process improvement through professional development organizations, and Boston University offerings.
• Recognize and celebrate staff contributions through formal and informal appreciation efforts.
• With other Associate Directors, lead the department when the Director is away from campus.
• Represent the department at key university events and initiatives and emergency response efforts.

• Lead comprehensive recruitment, selection, and onboarding processes for Residence Hall/Area Directors and Assistant Directors that ensure consistency, quality, and efficiency.
• Design, develop, and implement robust and comprehensive onboarding and training programs that reflect data and performance trends, operational effectiveness, responsiveness, role clarity, and best practices in student affairs and higher education.
• Plan and facilitate ongoing professional development for Residence Life staff, with a focus on leadership, communication, skill building, and student engagement.
• Promote professional development opportunities for professional staff members.
• Champion a continuous learning environment that supports staff growth, retention, and advancement.
• Ensure staff are trained and prepared to respond to student needs, uphold community standards, and manage crisis situations effectively.

• Contribute to long-range planning and the development of departmental goals aligned with the university’s mission and strategic priorities.
• Lead special projects and initiatives that modernize and elevate the Residence Life experience and strengthen the overall Residence Life operation.
• Establish tracking systems to monitor training participation, staff attendance, and overall performance.
• Identify and implement technology solutions to streamline operations, improve internal processes, and enhance staff effectiveness and productivity.
• Promote data-informed decision-making and assessment practices across the department to guide decision-making and address gaps.

• Collaborate with campus partners (e.g., BUPD, Public Safety, Student Health, Behavioral Medicine, Dean of Students) to manage and respond to student crises and community concerns and ensure coordinated support.
• Provide leadership in managing complex student issues and emergency situations.
• Participate in the on-call rotation and…