Assistant Director of Residence Life & Housing

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $70,000 - $70,000

Position Summary

The Assistant Director of Residence Life & Housing reports directly to the Associate Director of Residence Life & Housing. Operating within the areas of Student Wellbeing and Residence Life within the School of General Studies (GS) Dean of Students Office, this role provides administrative, operational, and residential community development support for GS Housing. The Assistant Director plays a key role in managing daily housing operations as well as directly supervising a team of GS Resident Advisors (RAs) and serving as a primary point of contact for students navigating residential living concerns. Additionally, this role participates in the GS Administrator-on-Call rotation, providing critical after-hours crisis response and student support.

Responsibilities

Supervision & Student Staff Support

• Directly supervise the GS Resident Advisor program, including the hiring, training, daily management, professional development, and evaluation of 8 Resident Advisors.
• Evaluate the growth and efficacy of the Resident Advisor program to meet the expanding needs of GS students living in University housing.
• Develop and implement training and leadership opportunities for the professional development of the residential life team.

Crisis Response & Wellness Support

• Assist with case management for wellness-related issues, including student outreach, resource referral, and follow-up.
• Collaborate closely with campus partners (GS Dean of Students Office colleagues, Columbia Public Safety, Columbia Residential, Center for Student Success and Intervention, Columbia Health, etc.) to address student challenges.
• Participate in the 24-hour on-call rotating schedule as a member of the GS Admin-on-Call team.
• Manage emergencies for GS residential students, including interfacing with Public Safety, assisting with medical transports, and conducting in-person residential wellness checks.
• Maintain strict confidentiality and track student cases and incidents using Maxient.

• Serve as an active member of the GS Housing Committee and assist with GS Housing communication efforts.
• Execute tasks and duties deriving from the Housing Committee’s work.
• Partner with Columbia Residential to interpret, explain, and enforce housing policies.
• Develop resources and opportunities to connect GS students to off-campus housing options.

• Oversee planning, execution, and marketing of all events sponsored by GS.
• Residence Life and the GS Resident Advisors.
• Track budgets to ensure financial targets are met, collaborating closely with direct supervisor.
• Provide direct support to individual residents through conflict resolution and roommate mediation.
• Design innovative and creative strategies for meeting the diverse needs of the non-traditional GS residential community.
• Collaborates closely with the GS Student Life Office on community building programs and initiatives.

• Live-in position with a university-provided apartment included.
• Requires 24-hour on-call availability to monitor student emergencies during the assigned on-call week. Needs to remain local to address issues at other times.
• Travel beyond the local area needs to be approved in advance for proper coverage to be assigned.
• Staffing school-wide events and evening/weekend events as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned by leadership.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and/or equivalent related experience required. 
• Minimum three to five years of related experience in Residence Life, Housing Operations, Student Affairs, or Customer Service.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to explain complex policies clearly and effectively to diverse audiences.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritize and manage competing demands. Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and campus partners to advocate and support students.
• Willingness and flexibility to work occasional nights and/or weekend hours as needed and serve on-call as required.
• Effective communicator and strong experience with public speaking.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Higher Education Administration, Student Personnel, Counseling, or a related field. 
• Experience in a student-facing advisory role, with responsibility for guiding individuals through complex processes or decisions.
• Knowledge of FERPA, Title IX, Title VI, Clery Act, and other state and federal laws as they relate to residential life administration.
• Experience working in a fast-paced, service-oriented environment with a focus on student or customer experience outcomes.
• Previous supervisory, co-supervisory, or peer leadership experience.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.