Residential Community Coordinator

Position Title: Residential Community Coordinator

Department: Lincoln Hall

Advertised Pay: Mid $40,000's

Campus Location: Washburn University

Application Review:  Application review will begin as applications are received and will continue until the position is filled. 

Position Summary: This position is a full-time, live-in professional staff member responsible for creating a residential experience that supports student success, personal development, and community engagement. Guided by the Residential Living mission to create a community where every student can grow, connect, have fun, feel secure knowing they belong here, and cultivate a supportive and welcoming environment where students are empowered to thrive both personally and academically.

This position provides leadership for an assigned residential community by balancing student development, staff supervision, crisis response, student conduct, facilities management, occupancy coordination, and administrative responsibilities. Serves as a collaborative member of the Residential Living team, working closely with campus partners to promote student well-being, support institutional initiatives, and enhance the residential living experience.

Evening and weekend commitments are required to support student programs, respond to emergencies, and fulfill the operational needs of Residential Living.

This position may oversee one or more of the following communities: Living Learning Center, Lincoln Hall, West Hall, Phi Delta Theta, and/or Washburn Village. Washburn Residential Living serves approximately 1,000 students across its residential communities.

About Washburn University: Washburn University is a teaching-focused, student-centered, public institution located in the metropolitan setting of Topeka that has earned national recognition for its high-impact programs for first-generation students. Washburn has a student body of just over 7,000 students, a significant and growing number of whom are first-generation and Pell-Grant eligible. The University has created educational pathways for all students to be successful and achieve their educational goals.

Washburn is dedicated to recruiting and retaining a dynamic faculty, staff, and student body and cultivating a robust learning and working environment and curriculum. We employ more than one thousand faculty and staff on our campuses throughout Topeka and strive to offer competitive wages, an excellent benefits program, and 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. In 2024, Washburn was recognized as one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, according to Great Colleges to Work For® program.

Essential Functions:
• Foster a welcoming and engaging residential community that promotes student learning, personal growth, belonging, and academic success.
• Provide individual student support through intentional conversations, coaching, referrals, conflict resolution, restorative practices, and crisis intervention.
• Oversee the planning, implementation, and assessment of educational, social, and developmental programming facilitated by Resident Assistants.
• Encourage student leadership, community involvement, and positive relationships among residents.
• Build collaborative relationships with campus departments to connect students with campus resources and services.
• Recruit, select, train, supervise, mentor, and evaluate Resident Assistants and other assigned student employees.
• Conduct regular staff meetings, one-on-one meetings, and ongoing professional development for Resident Assistants.
• Coordinate and facilitate in-service training sessions and other staff development opportunities throughout the academic year.
• Provide coaching, constructive feedback, accountability, and recognition to support the development and success of student employees.
• Collaborate with Residential Living staff to support department initiatives, training programs, and staff selection processes.
• Serve as a Student Conduct Administrator for alleged violations of Residential Living policies and the Student Conduct Code.
• Utilize educational and restorative approaches to address student behavior while promoting accountability and community standards.
• Respond to emergencies, student crises, maintenance concerns, and other after-hours situations requiring professional staff intervention.
• Maintain appropriate documentation of incidents, conduct cases, and follow-up actions.
• Assist with coordination of room changes and housing assignments while maintaining accurate occupancy records.
• Monitor occupancy trends and communicate housing needs to support operational planning.
• Assist with housing opening, closing, break periods, and other departmental operational processes.
• Prepare reports, budgets, and other administrative documentation as assigned.
• Conduct regular facility inspections and collaborate with Facilities Services to ensure residential communities remain safe, functional, and well maintained.
• Review maintenance requests and advocate for timely resolution of facility concerns.
• Coordinate housing logistics for summer residents, conferences, camps, and external groups while balancing maintenance schedules and occupancy needs.
• Schedule facility usage to maximize efficiency and minimize disruption to residents.
• Collaborate with Residential Living staff to develop student learning outcomes, assessment strategies, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support departmental assessment efforts by collecting and evaluating program and student engagement data.
• Maintain knowledge of Title IX, Clery Act, FERPA, and other applicable federal, state, and institutional regulations.
• Serve as a resource to Residential Living staff regarding Title IX reporting obligations and collaborate with campus partners to support compliance initiatives.
• Review departmental communications, website content, and other published materials for accuracy and relevance.
• Participate in departmental and university committees representing Residential Living.
• Pursue professional development opportunities and contribute to the advancement of Residential Living initiatives.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned or as appropriate.

Required Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree.
• One year of experience in college/university housing or other student life/affairs areas in higher education.
• Demonstrated effective communication and problem-solving skills, interpersonal skills, and commitment to student development.
• Proven ability to respond appropriately to complex student situations while maintaining a student-centered and educational approach.

Preferred Qualifications:
• Familiarity with Ellucian, Housing Cloud, Maxient, SafeColleges, and data entry.
• Master’s degree in Student Personnel/Development, Leadership, Counseling or a related field or current enrollment in a Master’s level certification program in College Student Administration, or enrollment in a certified College Student Administration Program.

Exempt, Full-time   
Background Check Required