About the Opportunity
Department
Student Life
Location
London Campus
Term
Full-time; permanent
Salary
Up to £80,000 per annum
Benefits
The university supports staff maintaining a good work/life balance, offer flexible working and parental leave opportunities, an Employee Assistance Programme which provides free, confidential advice on both home and work concerns as well as optional private medical insurance, season ticket loans and being part of the cycle to work scheme.
Reports to
Senior Director for Student Life and Dean of Student in Boston
Start
1 August 2026
With dual reporting to the Senior Director for Student Life in London and the Dean of Student in Boston, the Director of Residence Services and Student Support hold co-equal accountability for two distinct but interrelated functions:
(1) residential operations serving approximately 1,000 mobility programme students living across multiple residence halls — the residential population is exclusively a mobility cohort; and
(2) student support services extending to the full London campus student population, including undergraduate, postgraduate, degree apprenticeship, and mobility programme students regardless of whether they live in university accommodation.
The Director supervises the Head of Residence Services and the Head of Student Support. This role requires strategic collaboration across Student Engagement, and Academics in London, and Student Life throughout the Network to create a seamless student experience in line with Northeastern’s goals. The Director ensures operational excellence in mobility housing services alongside strategic oversight of a robust, proactive, and campus-wide student support function. The Director is also responsible for staff development, fiscal management, assessment activities, and serving as part of the on-call rotation for escalated incidents.
30% — Residential Experience and Community Development
30% — Student Support, Wellness, and Case Management
Provide strategic leadership for the student support function across the full London student population, delivered through the Head of Student Support.
Set strategic priorities, hold the Head accountable for operational delivery, and support the DSL and relevant professionals in complex or high-risk cases. The DSL role is held by the Head of Student Support; the Director provides managerial backing and ensures the DSL has the capacity and resource to fulfil their statutory responsibilities.
Hold strategic accountability for the health of the following sub-functions: mental health and counselling; disability support and reasonable adjustments; SpLD advisory services; the SVLO function; the Report and Support platform; and Support to Study processes.
Ensure provision meets OfS Condition B3 requirements, is delivered equitably across all cohorts, and that Clery Act and OfS and OfSTED reporting obligations are met.
20% — Management, Supervision, and Training
Provide leadership, supervision, and training for the Head of Residence Services and Head of Student Support, along with their teams.
Develop and monitor departmental goals, objectives, policies, and procedures guiding employee performance, special projects and initiatives, crisis response protocols, fiscal planning, and strategic assessment of departmental activities.
Ensure staff are developing professionally and meeting performance expectations.
Lead employees while actively supporting a positive team culture.
Provide effective performance management with measurable goals, clear expectations, and regular feedback.
10% — Housing Operations and Management
Through the Head of Residence Services, oversee the full remit of housing operations, which operates across two distinct areas.
First, direct management of residential operations for mobility programme students : housing assignments, billing, cohort arrival and departure logistics, and building provider relations. Given the cyclical, high-volume nature of mobility cohort arrivals, ensure move-in and move-out processes are well-planned, well-staffed, and deliver a positive first and last impression of Northeastern University London.
Second, housing advisory and referral services for the wider student population, including UG, PG, and degree apprenticeship students seeking private rented accommodation: maintain landlord referral schemes, private market guidance, and tenancy support resources, ensuring students across all programmes have access to safe, affordable, and appropriate housing options.
Ensure both strands of housing provision are appropriately resourced, meet relevant regulatory and quality standards, and are accessible to students who need them.
10% — Collaboration and Strategic Partnerships
Create and sustain productive relationships with colleagues across Student Life and other divisions in Boston and London.
Collaborate across departments to increase efficiency, enhance the student experience, and create integrated approaches to student support and engagement.
Master's degree in Student Personnel Administration, Higher Education, Education Administration, or related field. (E)
The qualified candidate will possess a minimum of 5–7 years of progressively responsible supervisory and managerial experience in Residence Life, Student Support, or a combination of both. (E)
Experience leading or overseeing student support services — including mental health provision, disability support, or case management — in a higher education setting, given that this role carries campus-wide student support accountability extending beyond the residential population. (D)
Experience with UK, American, and/or international higher education contexts. (E)
Strategic thinking and planning skills; strong oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills; and the ability to work collaboratively with faculty, staff, administrators, and students at all levels in a complex, diverse, and international environment. (E)
The position requires proficiency in the development and management of budgets, knowledge of housing operations including managed residential provision and private rented sector advisory services, student development theory, collaborative learning, residence hall programming, building learning communities, crisis response, case management, and staff development. (E)
Demonstrated ability to lead organisational growth and foster cross-departmental collaboration, as well as experience directly related to residence life and wellbeing for students in higher education. (E)
Application Process
Participation in the equal opportunities section is encouraged, but voluntary.
Position Type
Student Services
Salary Range
Up to £80,000 per annum
Additional Information
About the University
Northeastern University London (NU London) is a prestigious higher education institution based in the heart of London and is part of Northeastern University’s global campus network. Overlooking the River Thames near Tower Bridge, NU London offers academically challenging educational programmes designed to inspire innovative thinking, encourage interdisciplinary study, and provide global experiences. The bright and modern campus offers award winning, contemporary facilities for students and staff including state of the art audio visual technology in its teaching and meeting spaces.
Inspired by excellence, infused with an energy of ideas and ability in motion, at NU London, being a part of our staff is to be a part of a collective of entrepreneurs and educators, builders and thinkers. NU London is growing quickly, offering opportunity and growth for our staff. Currently hosting 1,500 students, our aim is to have 4000 students by 2028/29.
Choose NU London
As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, the University supports staff maintaininga good worklife balance, your health and wellness are of utmost importance to us, and our offerings encompass:
25 days annual leave, plus 8 bank holidays and winter break holidays (normally 2 days between Christmas and New Year).
Access to personalised Continuous Professional Development (CPD) plans and opportunities.
Support with private medical insurance.
Eye test reimbursement.
Cycle Scheme vouchers.
24/7 employee assistance/ support via our Employee Assistance Programme.
Access to deals and discounts for food & shopping in the local area.
Enquiries
Informal enquiries may be made to:
Sheena Van Der Merwe
They can be reached at the following:
s.vandermerwe@northeastern.edu
However, all applications must be made in accordance with the application process specified.
Application process
Applications should be made by 00:00 on the job posting's end date (if applicable).
Participation in the equal opportunities section is encouraged, but voluntary.
Applications must include a covering letter of no more than one page that addresses the criteria for the role and a full curriculum vitae.
The panel will be shortlisting for this position on a rolling basis so please apply as soon as possible. We reserve the right to close this post before the closing date if we receive a large number of applications.
Please note all employees of Northeastern University London are required to undergo at least a basic DBS check. Our organisation acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard, protect and promote the welfare of our students and staff, and is committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice and Ofsted requirements. You must adhere to the above if you are offered a role with NU London.
For staff’s own wellbeing, for part time roles, the expectation is if you have multiple roles, they should not exceed full time (37.5 hours per week), and for full time roles, the expectation is that this will be your only role (apart from intermittent roles).
Applications are welcome from all sections of the community and will be judged on merit alone. We welcome applications from all underrepresented groups, including the Global Majority. Candidates must be able to demonstrate their eligibility to work in the UK in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.
