Associate Director, Residence Life

Department

Student Engagement and Wellness

Position Summary
 

Metropolitan State University of Denver is launching its first on-campus residential community, a 550-bed living environment that will transform the student experience at a historically commuter institution.

The Associate Director of Residence Life for Residential Education & Student Experience is a full-time, 12-month professional who provides vision, leadership, and strategic direction for the residential education program.

Reporting to the Executive Director of Housing & Residence Life, the Associate Director is responsible for developing a strong residential experience model, implementing learning outcomes, coordinating student support structures, supervising professional staff, and ensuring that the residential community is a welcoming, connected, and developmental environment for MSU Denver students.
 

The Associate Director provides primary leadership and oversight for the residential curriculum, academic and student success initiatives, crisis response structures, case management collaboration, and student engagement strategies.

This position supervises Residence Directors (RDs) and Assistant RDs and oversees the Resident Assistant (RA) program, including training, development, and performance expectations.

The Associate Director collaborates closely with the Assistant Director of Housing Operations & Business Services, the university’s CARE/Student Support teams, counseling services, academic partners, and the university’s O&M partner to ensure a seamless and student-centered residential program.
 

Key Responsibilities
 

Residential Education & Student Experience Leadership

• Provide vision, leadership, and direction for MSU Denver’s first-ever residential learning and engagement model, including the development of learning outcomes, curricular frameworks, and programmatic priorities.

• Establish a cohesive residential experience that supports belonging, community development, leadership engagement, academic success, and holistic student wellbeing.

• Develop and assess a residential curriculum or engagement framework that reflects MSU Denver’s diverse student population, including first-generation, transfer, traditional-age, and non-traditional students.

• Lead initiatives that integrate academic partners, student success units, and campus programs into the residential experience.

• Ensure that residential programs and community practices are aligned with institutional goals for retention, success, equity, and student engagement.

Student Support, Case Management Collaboration & Crisis Response

• Serve as a campus leader in developing residence life protocols for crisis response, behavioral concerns, wellness checks, and after-hours incidents.

• Coordinate closely with the CARE Team, Counseling Services, Conduct, Accessibility Services, and other student support offices to implement individualized care plans, follow-up strategies, and proactive outreach.

• Train staff in conflict resolution, de-escalation, and student support best practices.

• Maintain high standards of documentation and communication, including use of Maxient or similar systems.

• Participate in an on-call rotation and provide leadership-level consultation during emergencies or high-priority incidents.

Staff Supervision, Training & Talent Development

• Supervise Residence Directors and Assistant Residence Directors and indirectly oversee the RA program.

• Provide consistent coaching, performance management, and professional development for direct reports.

• Oversee the RA experience including hiring processes, training, ongoing development, community engagement expectations, and accountability.

• Develop and facilitate professional staff training, continuing education, and cross-campus partnership learning opportunities.

• Promote a positive, inclusive, and growth-oriented team culture.

Community Development, Conduct & Student Engagement

• Oversee community development practices that foster positive peer interactions, strong community standards, and a sense of belonging.

• Ensure RA teams are effectively supporting residents through programming, 1:1s, and regular engagement practices.

• Provide leadership for hall council, peer leadership programs, and other residential student leadership structures.

• Serve as a conduct hearing officer for mid-level cases and ensure consistent follow-up and restorative, educational outcomes.

• Partner with Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and ide