Senior Director of Student Affairs (Residence Life & Student Engagement)

Search:	#965
Date Posted:	09/22/2021
Type/Department:	Administrator in Dean of Students
Search Status:	Position Filled
Apply Now:	Currently we are not accepting resumes for this position.

Hampshire College

Department: Student Life           

Job Title: Senior Director of Student Affairs (Residence Life & Student Engagement)

Position Type: Full Time

Schedule: 35 Hours a week

Pay Range/ Status: $65,000 - $70,000 / Exempt

Location: Hampshire College Campus in Amherst, MA

Reports to: Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students

Anticipated Start Date: Immediately

 

Hampshire College, an independent, innovative liberal arts institution and member of the Five College consortium, is located on a beautiful rural campus in Amherst, Massachusetts. We provide residential undergraduate education to nearly 600 students. Each department at Hampshire College contributes to the collaborative culture of the organization and plays an important role in the success of the College. Student Life fosters and supports an optimal educational environment for our students, both inside and outside the classroom. With students as our primary focus, we intentionally create and support opportunities and experiences that promote a diverse community steeped in respect, intellectual and emotional growth, integrity, justice, and safety for all members of the Hampshire community. As part of the Student Life team, you will be instrumental in the department achieving its mission and goals!

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Senior Director of Student Affairs (Residence Life and Student Engagement) is a full time, 12-month professional staff member responsible for the administrative and budgetary management of Residence Life, Housing Operations and Campus Leadership and Activities (CLA). The Senior Director of Student Affairs reports to the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students. The Senior Director is a key organizer of efforts for the College's residence life, housing, and student leadership/organization functions, including coordinating staff efforts and unit processes to align with divisional and campus-wide priorities, developing residential communities that promote student success, and managing effective office procedures. The Senior Director supervises and leads professional staff, several of whom serve in an on-call capacity, administrative support staff, and the residence life student staff.

The Residence Life and Student Engagement team led by the Senior Director serve all students, while paying close attention to the varying needs of students from different cultural backgrounds and identities that may require focused support and considerations in the residence life and student engagement capacities. The matter of diversity, equity and inclusion is evolving and fluid and the needs of underrepresented students are ever changing, hence, the Senior Director needs to be open-minded, enjoys learning new knowledge, ready to adapt and evolve the office accordingly to successfully support students.

The Senior Director is a key member of the Division of Student Life, who will lead staff members towards creating an environment where students are able to work diligently to support its community and pursue excellence; eager to learn, be open to new information and are prepared to be out of their comfort zone to enable learning and growth. The Senior Director will also work collaboratively with Student Life departments, particularly Office of Community Advocacy and other campus constituents to build a community that will be open and honest with one another and act with integrity and civility at all times, treating one another with respect, care and kindness as we work through conflicts and seek justice and understanding within and beyond the campus community. Centered in both Restorative and Transformative Justice, this will aid in creating a campus culture that is more actively anti-racist, inclusive and equitable. Additionally, the Senior Director will model the way to cultivate and support students’ campus involvement and develop co-curricular programs that creates an environment that have its community members take personal responsibilities to build a community that is fun, happy, vibrant, socially and civically engaged; a community who values and contributes to each other's safety, health and wellness.

The Senior Director is a student development practitioner who cares deeply about forming strong relationships and engaging in meaningful experiences with students, open to new and challenging experiences directed towards professional growth. This position needs to be highly visible, maintain strong connections and work successfully with students, faculty, staff, parents and external constituents. The Senior Director must have experience in program design and management and feel comfortable working in an evolving, fast-paced, organizational framework with shifting responsibilities.

As a leader in the Division of Student Life, the Senior Director contributes to campus-wide educational initiatives, for instance the ENGAGE Day of Learning, New and Transfer Student Orientation, Community Orientation, and Community Education Day that advances the College’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Participates in the emergency response “on call” duty rotation. decision-making, goal setting, and staff development and as a committed member of the Student Life team in college and divisional committee work, projects, meetings, retreats and overall community development: assists in the coordination and facilitation of academic courses, co-curricular activities and services for students. Availability to work evenings and weekends is required.

REQUIRED SKILLS:

• Directly related educational background and relevant work experience
• Demonstrated success in higher education program management and leadership, particularly regarding student housing, leadership and management of student housing staff and programs, and standard business practices pertaining to student housing
• Passionate about working in an organization that values and promotes diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism.
• Experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Demonstrates skill in understanding of cultural differences.
• Employs anti-racist practices and principles to accomplish work.
• Ability to serve as an advocate for individuals of all ethnicities, genders, ages and backgrounds.
• Ability to flex communication style to multiple cultural environments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, ability to present to diverse audiences, specifically racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse communities.
• Ability to cultivate and develop inclusive and equitable working relationships with students, faculty, staff and community members.
• Supports and enhances a sense of belonging and success of students from traditionally marginalized populations.
• Teaches using equitable and inclusive pedagogy.
• Experience incorporating the perspectives of multiple communities, including communities of color.
• Knowledge of high impact strategies that promote persistence and degree completion, and reduce time to completion, particularly for underrepresented students
• Understanding of Student Development Theory, knowledge of higher education trends and best practices, administration and governance
• Ability to function independently and complete projects with limited supervision
• Excellent interpersonal and team building skills.
• Ability to analyze data, interpret results and make recommendations.
• Ability to develop and maintain positive, professional relationships.
• Highly organized and able to prioritize in a fast-paced, team- oriented environment.
• Ability to manage ambiguity as well as collaborative decision-making structures
• Experience presenting to groups
• Strong supervisory, problem-solving and collaborative skills
• Ability to pay close attention to detail for budget tracking
• Familiarity with computer programs: Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Creative Suite, Information management (Colleague), social media applications, student activities platforms, etc.

REQUIRED CERTIFICATION, EDUCATION, AND EXPERIENCE:

Advanced degree (e.g. MA, MS, JD, PhD)

Five years of job-related experience

Alternatives to formal education and paid work experience may be considered as equivalent qualifications to include military service/training, volunteering, activism, and other non-traditional programs and experiences related to the position.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

BENEFITS:

Hampshire College offers an excellent benefits program for eligible employees such as medical, dental, vision, life insurance, generous retirement plan contributions, flexible leave plans, and many other fringe benefits. For information on Hampshire College, including more information on employee benefits and our company culture, visit our website at www.hampshire.edu.

WHO SHOULD APPLY:

Hampshire College is an equal opportunity employer and deeply committed to a community of excellence, equity, diversity, and inclusion. We are particularly committed to revealing and combating the social and institutional structures that support racism and white supremacy in all phases of employment and college life. We believe that the educational and employment environment is enhanced when diverse groups of people with diverse ideas come together to work and grow. We encourage applications from women, underrepresented minorities, persons with disabilities, sexual minority groups, veterans, and other candidates who will contribute to the diversification and enrichment of ideas and perspectives. Hampshire College is committed to removing barriers to employment faced by equity-seeking groups and encourages (but does not require) members of these groups to self-identify in their application materials. Applicants whose work incorporates a global perspective and a demonstrated commitment to issues of diversity in the work environment are particularly encouraged to apply.

HOW TO APPLY:

Please submit your cover letter, resume and names/phone numbers of three professional references via our website at https://jobs.hampshire.edu/

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. 

Hampshire College is an equal opportunity institution, committed to diversity and inclusion in education and employment.