Director, Residential Living and Assistant Dean of Students

Position Title: Director, Residential Living and Assistant Dean of Students

Department: Residential Living

Advertised Pay: Base pay $76,497, with the potential for a higher rate commensurate with experience

Campus Location: Washburn University

The screening committee will review all eligible applications submitted by October 8, 2024

Position Summary:  Washburn University is a student-centered public institution with a diverse population. Washburn is a 2024 best college to work for, according to the Great Colleges to Work For® program. Located in the heart of Topeka, we are proud to be a cornerstone of the community. Our mission is to provide opportunities for our students to realize their full potential; we can’t do it without our dedicated faculty and staff. Join us at Washburn, and you will be part of a long tradition of excellence.

Washburn employs more than one thousand faculty and staff on our campuses throughout Topeka. We strive to offer competitive wages, an excellent benefits program, a supportive culture and a healthy work/life balance. Washburn seeks to create an environment that reflects our core values for creating positive IMPACT: inclusion, modernization, partnership, achievement, community and transformation.

The Director, Residential Living and Assistant Dean of Students (ADS) is responsible for a comprehensive living-learning environment for all campus housing and is also responsible for administrative functions such as contracting, budgeting, and billing. The Director, Residential Living/ADS is a student conduct administrator, a University Behavior Assessment Team (UBAT) member, and works collaboratively across campus to benefit Washburn students.

Essential Functions:
• Direct responsibilities include unit operations management, annual budget development, administration, professional staff training and development, supervision and management, student educational and social development, learning community development, program development, student judicial education, occupancy management, and crisis management.
• The Director, Residential Living/ADS facilitates collaboration with other university units, such as Washburn University Police, Counseling Services, Facility Services, Business Services, and other campus resources to develop, support, and implement safety and security policies and procedures to provide emergency response for the residential community.
• Engages in strategic planning for the unit in collaboration with the Vice President of Student Life and the Associate Vice President for Student Life (AVPSL)/Dean of Students, promotes Washburn University Core Values, and directs the Department toward meeting the goals outlined in the Strategic Plan. Responsible for recommending improvements to the program to appropriate staff.
• This position requires highly independent thinking, decision-making, diplomacy, policy development and implementation, problem analysis, and strategic planning.
• The Director, Residential Living/ADS supervises and develops full-time and indirectly part-time residential and support staff, recruits, hires, trains, schedules, and evaluates assigned staff and students’ performance and effectiveness, providing feedback and professional development opportunities. The director independently oversees day-to-day operations and determines subordinates' goals and performance expectations. The director effectively manages the team to maximize employee performance and facilitate professional growth.
• As the team leader and motivator, maintains a healthy, fair, and inclusive work environment by promoting and exercising teamwork and collaboration. Actively promotes a professional workplace culture of mutual respect and collegiality for all members of the institution. Works to build positive and cooperative professional relationships, encouraging staff to work toward individual and departmental goals.
• Performs additional job-related duties as assigned or as appropriate.

Non-Essential Functions:
• Serves on various university and Student Life committees to represent the unit’s interests and support University and Departmental activities.

Required Qualifications:
• Master’s degree in Student Personnel, Counseling, Education, Higher Education, or a related field.
• Five years of experience in Residential Life, Housing, or related areas, including campus judicial affairs experience.
• Three years of supervisory experience.
• Demonstrated intercultural competence and knowledge of organizational development and evaluation, group dynamics, strategies for change, and principles of community.
• Demonstrated effective interpersonal, group, and cross-cultural communication and leadership or personnel management skills. Proven ability to effectively communicate clear and concise policy statements, reports, and memoranda on subjects of a sensitive nature with sound arguments. Experience interacting in sensitive situations with individuals from various academic, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds. Skilled in leading and promoting leadership with varied populations, particularly students.
• Proven effective leadership skills with the ability to act independently and exercise sound judgment successfully, while maintaining a calm and professional demeanor to promote civil and professional communication to identify system performance measures and actions to improve performance, and the acumen and sensitivity to determine decisions and activities requiring higher-level consultation or group collaboration.
• Theoretical and experiential knowledge in budget development, planning, and financial management.
• Demonstrated successful project and program management with the ability to implement and evaluate comprehensive projects and programs.
• Proven ability to comprehend, explain and enforce university and departmental policies, regulations, processes, and procedures.
• Demonstrated knowledge of principles and procedures involved in risk assessment for housing units/communities and proven experience with facilities management regarding residential living areas. Demonstrated experience in facilities management in relation to residential living areas.”
• Knowledge of standard University-specific computer application programs and a commitment to regularly update technology skills as required.

Preferred Qualifications:
• Knowledge and understanding of national practices and trends in residential life and on-campus housing, which affect higher education and student development.
• Familiarity with and understanding of student needs and concerns.
• Ability to research, evaluate, assess, and find solutions for changing student needs.
• Experience with occupancy management.

Full-time Exempt    
Background Check Required