Associate Director of Residential

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary:
  Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard
  
  Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $68,300 - $75,000 Annually

The 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 above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Residential Life within Undergraduate Student Life (USL) plays a central role in shaping a vibrant co-curricular undergraduate experience where students grow as leaders, find belonging, and develop the skills and confidence to navigate complexity within Columbia College and Columbia Engineering and beyond. Grounded in USL’s commitment to holistic student well-being and community and culture, Residential Life fosters environments where students are supported, challenged, and connected through meaningful engagement and learning beyond the classroom.

The Associate Director is a key member of the Residential Life leadership team and will provide strategic leadership around student well-being and community and culture initiatives across the residential experience. This role is ideal for a student-centered professional who is passionate about building inclusive communities, fostering belonging, supporting holistic student development, and helping students navigate living and learning in a diverse and dynamic undergraduate environment.

The Associate Director will partner closely with colleagues across Undergraduate Student Life and Columbia College and Columbia Engineering to integrate curricular and co-curricular learning and strengthen the undergraduate student experience.

This live-in position reports to the Director of Residential Life (RL) and supports RL and Undergraduate Student Life (USL) within Columbia College and the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science. The Associate Director (AD) oversees a residential area of approximately 1,500–2,000 students. The AD supervises a staff and collaborates with partner offices to promote a vibrant and cohesive living and learning environment.

The AD ensures students are aware of rules and regulations in relation to residential living, serves on the emergency response team, and monitors the budget for the area. Working closely with RL and USL leadership, the AD will manage well-being initiatives for the department and think strategically and implement community building for the entire residential population. This position is assigned rotational on-call duties after hours/weekend/holiday to address any residential emergency.

• Provide strategic leadership for Residential Life’s well-being, community and culture initiatives in alignment with Undergraduate Student Life’s mission and strategic pillars. Lead the development, implementation, and assessment of initiatives that foster holistic student well-being and community and culture, and meaningful co-curricular engagement across the residential experience.
• Supervise 3-5 Residence Hall Directors (RHDs); oversee the RHDs in their management of approximately 50 Resident Advisers. The AD is expected to provide leadership development and training opportunities, set expectations, monitor performance, give instruction, and provide formal written performance appraisals. The AD will meet regularly with the RHD staff, providing support and developmental opportunities.
• Build a sense of community in the area that supports a living and learning environment. The AD will assess the needs of their area, integrate relevant resources and programs from other offices, and design and implement innovative and educational programs and resources. The AD will work with RHDs on community initiatives, Hall Councils, etc. The AD will monitor the efforts of the area staff to support community development in the residence halls and manage the area budget.
• Support holistic student well-being across the residential experience through developmental and…