Careers

About UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.

Job Summary

The Area Assistant Director of Residential Life is responsible for leading the overall student experience within a residential area. This includes student learning and community development, student support and wellbeing, staff supervision and development, and response to a range of complex student and staff concerns.  The Area Assistant Director will provide leadership for full-time and student staff and leads department initiatives and projects.

Essential Functions

• Provide high-quality supervision of assigned staff including 4-6 full-time staff members, 1-6 Graduate Assistants, and up to 90 undergraduate Resident Assistants.  Build a strong and collaborative work team among direct and indirect reports, as well as all assigned student staff.  Implement staff performance management processes, progressive discipline, and recognition efforts for all positions within scope of supervision.
• Provide direction and leadership for and assessment of the comprehensive residential experience in a residential area (housing between 1800 and 3000 students). This includes student learning using a curricular approach, living-learning communities, student leadership initiatives, student support, crisis/incident response and community standards.  
• Collaborate with campus partners to support the residential student experience.  Maintain positive working relationships with staff in Campus Facilities, Residential Life assignments, Residence Hall Security, Police Department, Center for Counseling and Psychological Health, Dean of Students Office, Conduct and Community Standards, Residential Services and others to ensure coordinated delivery of services to residential students. Respond to parent/family and campus partner inquiries related to the student experience in the residence halls.
• Demonstrate working knowledge of applicable collective bargaining agreements (CBA) for collective bargaining units (CBU) in the supervision and leadership of staff.
• Serve as lead instructor for the EDUC 391R: CORE, the one credit, pre-employment requirement of all Resident Assistant and Peer Mentor candidates. 
• Uphold the Code of Student Conduct and Residential Life policies and ensure accurate reporting of conduct violations.  Supervise and train staff to ensure compliance with student conduct policies and standards.  May adjudicate student conduct cases and serve as a member of the University Hearing Board.
• Responsible for management of case loads with the CARE system for residential area. Audit and facilitate successful completion of assignments to assure appropriate response to, follow-up for and prepare documentation of student concerns, crisis situations, and bias incidents.  Coordinate response to significant incidents in residence halls including facilitating student staff meetings and community meetings, drafting follow-up communications, and coordinating with campus partners.
• In a rotation, provide 24 hour on-call coverage and response for campus residential community of over 14,000 students including during university break periods and holidays.  Respond to campus in-person as needed to support live-in staff and students. Demonstrate excellent critical problem-solving experience during times of high stress and emergencies.  Understand university emergency preparedness practices and respond effectively and in collaboration with emergency responders.
• Serve as project lead for a range of Residential Life initiatives or committees, such as, residence hall operations, move-in/move-out, significant incident planning, department technology platforms maintenance and development, student wellbeing initiatives, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, staff selection and training initiatives, summer and break housing. Supervise committees in areas of responsibility as assigned.
• Responsible for budget management of residential area and assigned project lead (less than $100,000) including monitoring, forecasting and reporting of variances/problems and recommending solutions.  Ensure financial resources are utilized in accordance to established policies and procedures.
• Support and participate in university initiatives such as New Students Orientation and Transition initiatives, student organization events, and others related to the overall student experience. Participate in Residential Life processes including searches, move-in/move-out, training, and events. 
• Engage in professional development activities related to Residential Life and position responsibilities. Remain current in related best practices and relevant trends.  

Other Functions

• Performs related duties as assigned or required. Understands responsibilities with respect to Title IX, Clery and other compliance requirements.
• Demonstrates capacity, skill, and willingness to engage students and contribute to student success.
• Understands responsibilities with respect to conflicts of interest and behaves in ways consistent both with law and with University policy.
• Contributes toward creating a positive and respectful workplace. Uses access to sensitive and/or not yet public university related information only in the performance of the responsibilities of position and exercises care to prevent unnecessary disclosure to others.
• On an as needed basis, signs out and operates University golf cart or vehicle. 

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Master’s degree in a related field including but not limited to higher education, counseling, education, social justice, social work, or business management.
• Three (3) academic years directly related full-time experience working in Higher Education.
• Valid Driver’s License.
• Excellent interpersonal skills including, strong ability to relate effectively with highly diverse work force, ability to establish and maintain positive, effective working relationships, and superior communication (oral and written) and active listening skills.
• Demonstrated success supervising student staff and leading a successful work team.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Demonstrated skills in supervising a diverse staff; facilitating learning experiences for student/staff related to diversity, equity and inclusion; self-awareness of own social identities; the ability to work effectively with students and staff from diverse backgrounds.
• Demonstrated project management skills.
• Established skills in typical office suite software such as Microsoft Office applications and web-based data management systems.

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Work experience in medium to large residence life program (min 5,000 beds) at a public institution.
• Understanding and/or experience with a curricular model of student learning outside the classroom.
• Experience working in a unionized work environment. Understanding of collective bargaining process and agreements.
• Demonstrated understanding and experience working with Living Learning Communities.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

• Typical office environment/activity within a residential setting.
• Ability to lift boxes and materials that weigh up to 30 lbs. for transport and set up.
• Ability to access and reach residence halls throughout the campus for purposes of responding to incidents and meeting with staff, students and groups of students.

Work Schedule

• 37.5 hour work week.
• Monday – Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm.
• Required to work evenings, approximately one evening per week during academic year.
• Required to work some weekends.
• In a rotation, provide 24 hour, on-call coverage and response for campus residential community.
• This position is designated by Residential Life as essential personnel who may be expected to work in the event of an emergency or university closure.
• Position tasks are generally required to be performed on-site with some flexibility for a remote or hybrid work schedule on occasion.

Salary Information

Level 28

PSU Hiring Ranges

Special Instructions to Applicants

Along with the completed application, please upload a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three (3) professional references.  Posting will remain open until position is filled.

UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, caste, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, disability, political belief or affiliation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related condition(s), veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, natural and protective hairstyle and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.