Senior Area Director

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General Description (Purpose and Function):

The Senior Area Director is the primary administrator of multiple residential areas, each housing approximately 400-850 undergraduate students. The Senior Area Director’s primary responsibilities include supervising live-in entry-level professional staff members and full-time administrative professionals, and to lead each area’s senior staff teams which consists of area professional and administrative staff, residential faculty and faculty fellows. The Senior Area Director will also be responsible for a major residential life initiative each year, such as departmental programs or a student staff training program. Additional responsibilities include staff selection, training, and supervision of professional staff, crisis management, serving as a conduct officer, collaborating with live-in faculty, co-curricular and educational programming initiatives, administrative operations, and the development of a comprehensive student development program. This position involves significant night and weekend work and is a live-in position.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Student Development & Programming

• Manages the operations and residential experience for two residential areas. Each residential area houses 400+ undergraduate students.
• Recruits and selects Desk Assistants, Resident Assistants, Programming Assistants, and where applicable graduate staff.  Assists in the recruitment and selection of Residential Life Coordinators.
• Supervises 2 or 3 Residential Life Coordinators, and where applicable graduate staff.
• Indirectly supervises 20-30 Residents Assistants, 4 - 10 Desk Assistants, and up to 2 Programming Assistants.
• Oversees employee performance evaluations and matters of staff discipline and recognition.
• Designs and implements training workshops and staff development sessions for student and professional staff.
• Advises and counsels staff regarding personal and professional matters.
• Oversees all programmatic and student engagement efforts for assigned residential colleges or apartment areas. Meets regularly with resident faculty and staff to coordinate and plan programming efforts, collaborate with other areas, and address learning outcomes where applicable.
• Develops effective and efficient methods to accomplish goals of community; communicate with professional colleagues; define responsibility and delegate authority to employees; and encourage creativity and motivation among staff.
• May work with residential faculty and faculty fellows to develop a comprehensive student development program which includes, but is not limited to academic, co-curricular, cultural, recreational, and social programs.
• Assists in developing and implementing a fall orientation program within the residential area for new and transfer students.
• Maintains visibility and contact with individual students and student groups.
• Provides leadership to staff and students in developing an inclusive community environment based upon the recognition of student rights and academic goals to foster learning and growth.
• Promotes diversity awareness, a sense of belonging, and cultural competence. Accomplishes this goal through role modeling, education and training, programming, and interventions as needed.
• Assists in student development through advising, counseling, and disciplinary conversations.
• Creates and promotes student leadership opportunities in the residential community.
• May work collaboratively with the Associate Director for Residential Education and undergraduate First    Year Fellows to create initiatives to further support the academic mission of the institution.
• Serves as the primary liaison with residential faculty concerning programming, programming models, staff supervision, community  goals, housing and residence life policies, and special areas of concern.
• Responsible for a major departmental initiative such as departmental programs, resident student council, or a student staff training program.  The initiative would be outlined based on the residential area placement.

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