Associate Director of Residential Operations

Title: Associate Director of Residential Operations

Position Purpose

The Associate Director of Residential Operations oversees student housing operations including housing selection, first-year student assignment, maintaining the housing database, and managing essential administrative functions related to the Residence Life office. This position serves as the primary decision-maker for all student housing-related issues.

This is a live-on position.

Job Duties

Housing:

• Oversees all residential access and student housing processes: off-campus, summer, including StarRez housing processes.
• Supervise management of all housing-related inquiries (in-person, email, phone, etc.) with sound judgment and provide appropriate and timely follow up by relevant staff members.
• Navigates sensitive and/or high stakes conversations with both students and parents, taking into consideration risk management, policy consistency, and retention.
• In partnership with the Associate Director of Residence Life, develops and implements training curriculum to train others to navigate difficult conversations with parents and students through similar lenses.
• Manages relationships with campus partners to respond to complexities related to Lewiston code enforcement, compliance, and completion of housing projects.
• Supervises implementation of efficiency practices by optimizing use of departmental software such as StarRez and Banner through policy creation and database management.
• Supervises advertising and communication of essential housing information and policies to campus stakeholders via multiple platforms (website, email, etc.).
• Manages logistics and project management to ensure accurate and timely completion of housing processes.
• Supports students and families in the transition into residential college living by effectively communicating information and making referrals to appropriate resources.
• Develops and determines housing policy and procedures.

Residential Operations:

• Administers college residential operations in consideration of institutional vision and strategic planning.
• Develops and manages relationships with campus stakeholders to manage concerns and develop solutions to problems or concerns.
• Manages strategic partnerships between the Office of Residence Life and Dining, Conferences, and Campus Events, Access Control, Information Library Services, Facility Services, and others.
• Manages long term relationships with student housing-related external vendors including StarRez, Roomie, and others.
• Engages appropriately with confidential and classified information and exercises judgment and discretion as required.
• Supervises maintenance of Title IX compliance for records and processes as required.
• In partnership with Bates Communications & Marketing, develops and maintains the Residence Life website, and coordinates a social media presence.
• Provides support for on-campus emergencies and operational issues, including being on site to assist the Student Affairs team and campus partners as needed.
• Supervises and directs the Coordinator for Residential Operations in the effort to accomplish the above responsibilities.

Student Support Advisor:

• Serves as Student Support Advisor to a cohort of students throughout their academic career.
• Advises students navigating personal challenges to connect with support resources to ensure academic and personal success.
• Provides supplemental academic advising as needed as students negotiate their academic development.
• Assists students in negotiating academic policies such as leaves, course deferrals, and other processes.

Student Affairs Divisional Responsibilities:

• Leads the Office of Residence Life in close collaboration with the Associate Director of Residence Life, and under the advisement of the Associate Dean of Students for Residence Life & First-Year Experience. This includes high-level planning and strategy as well holistic support for the residential program broadly.
• Works closely with the Associate Director of Residence Life in the development and implementation of training for professional staff in Residence Life.
• Serves on the Student Affairs on-call rotation with responsibilities including managing risk, timely response, and primary contact for managing student emergencies (medical, mental health, Title IX, protest, etc.).
• Exercises discretion and confidentiality in all manner of crisis management for student well-being and safety.
• Participates in national and regional professional development opportunities to ensure the implementation and assessment of best practices related to student life.
• Collaborates with the Associate Director of Residence Life to develop and implement ongoing initiatives to assist professional and student staff in building social justice literacy and action skills.
• Participates in team projects and institutional events that enhance the quality and/or efficiency of Student Affairs. This includes engaging in the constructive dialogue initiative, New Student Orientation, Senior Week events, and Commencement.
• Lives in a designated on-campus apartment and provides a visible community presence, in support of strong community standards.
• Participates in departmental policy enforcement initiatives.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Master’s Degree preferred.

Experience

• 3+ years experience in residence life or other area(s) of higher education, including professional experience in health education, student government, student activities, outdoor education, other campus offices, etc.
• Experience working in collaborative, dynamic, and welcoming office environments.
• Experience working within a complex office environment with frequently shifting tasks and priorities.
• Experience supporting young adults and their families in the transition to a residential college environment.
• Demonstrated success in supporting students from underrepresented groups, including students from historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, first-generation-to-college students, and low-income students.

Skills and Knowledge

• Commitment to equity and inclusion, and serving the needs of a culturally and educationally diverse community.
• Excellent judgment and awareness for interpersonal dynamics.
• Strong interpersonal skills with ability to develop and maintain collegial relationships with clientele such as students, families, staff, faculty and co-workers.
• Excellent communication (written, verbal, listening & presentation) skills.
• Ability to engage in mediation and restorative justice practices.
• Ability to effectively engage with diverse personalities and manage difficult situations.
• Ability to work independently and handle multiple priorities with minimal supervision.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills for successful documentation, planning and execution.
• Proficiency in basic data management systems and basic computer software (e.g., Microsoft Word and Excel, Power Point, WordPress [website], Google docs, email and calendaring.)
• Must possess advanced skills and knowledge of platforms and systems relevant to the position, such as StarRez and Banner, or similar platforms.

Benefits

Bates College offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits (health, dental, 9% retirement contribution with potential for an additional 3% match, sick leave, 24 days of vacation, 2 personal days, 13 paid holidays, dependent care subsidy, free parking, access to library and athletic facilities & more), and a supportive, collegial environment in a drug and smoke-free workplace.

Hiring Range: The hiring range for this position is $54,359 to $65,400. Placement within the range depends on experience and other factors. This is a live-on position in college-provided housing.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Bates College is committed to the principle of equal opportunity and providing an educational and work environment free from discrimination. The college prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status and other legally protected statuses in the recruitment and admission of its students, in the administration of its education policies and programs, or in the recruitment of its faculty and staff. Bates College adheres to all applicable state and federal equal opportunity laws and regulations. All college faculty, staff, students, contractors, visitors, and volunteers are responsible for understanding and complying with the Non-Discrimination Policy.

Inquiries concerning the college’s policies, compliance with applicable laws, statutes, and regulations (such as Title VII, Title IX, and ADA/Section 504), and complaints may be directed to Gwen Lexow, Title IX Officer, 207-786-6445 or via email at glexow@bates.edu.

About Bates

Bates is internationally recognized as a leading liberal arts college, attracting 2,000 students from across the U.S. and around the world.

Since 1855, Bates has been dedicated to educating the whole person through creative and rigorous scholarship in a collaborative residential community. Committed to opportunity and excellence, Bates has always admitted students without regard to gender, race, religion, or national origin.

Cultivating intellectual discovery and informed civic action, Bates prepares leaders sustained by a love of learning and zeal for responsible stewardship of the wider world. Bates engages the forces — intellectual trends, demographic changes, and technology — that are transforming higher education and the world into which our students graduate.

Bates has highly competitive admissions, graduates over 90 percent of its entering students, and more than half of its alumni earn graduate degrees. Bates employs 200 faculty members and 550 staff.

The college is proud of deep roots in the Lewiston/Auburn community, Maine’s second-largest urban area with a population of approximately 65,000. Bates is located on a beautiful, 133-acre, traditional New England campus in Lewiston, an emerging city with an entrepreneurial climate, a lively arts scene, and a dynamic business community. Bates is 35 miles north of Portland, 140 miles north of Boston, and 350 miles north of New York City.