Job Description

Director, Residence Life

Agency

Prairie View A&M University

Department

Housing & Residential Life

Commensurate

Prairie View, Texas

Staff

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The Director of Residence Life serves as a senior member of the Housing & Residential Life leadership team and provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for the comprehensive residence life program. This position is responsible for advancing a residential experience that promotes student engagement, academic success, leadership development, and community belonging.

The Director oversees residence life staff, student engagement initiatives, community standards, and residential operations while fostering collaboration with campus partners. This role requires strong leadership, organizational management, and a demonstrated commitment to student development and excellence.

Candidate must be able to live on campus in a staff apartment provided for a temporary period as established by the Residence life senior leadership team. This position is not designed to be a live-in or live-on role permanently.

The salary is determined in accordance with the University’s compensation structure and will be commensurate with the candidates’ education and experience, within the assigned salary range for this position.

Responsibilities:

Education, Engagement & Student Success

• Provide leadership for the design, implementation, and assessment of student engagement and residential education initiatives.
• Promote student learning, leadership development, and success through intentional programming and community-building efforts.
• Collaborate with academic affairs and student affairs partners to enhance student learning within residential communities.
• Provide guidance and support to staff regarding student concerns, behavioral issues, and community dynamics.
• Oversee processes for addressing residential student conduct and behavioral concerns, including serving in adjudication roles (e.g., hearing officer, investigator, or appellate officer) as needed.
• Support student leadership development, student organizations, and live-in staff advising structures.

Supervision & Staff Leadership

• Provide leadership and supervision for residence life professional staff, including Assistant Directors, Coordinators, and graduate assistants.
• Oversee recruitment, selection, training, evaluation, and professional development of staff.
• Conduct regular staff meetings, one-on-one supervision, and performance evaluations.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performing, and student-centered Residence Life team environment.
• Provide oversight of residence life operations within assigned communities, including Living Learning Communities (LLCs) and partnerships.

Administration, Operations & Communication

• Oversee administrative functions of the residence life program, including operational planning and resource management.
• Develop and manage budgets for assigned areas and ensure responsible fiscal stewardship.
• Support and utilize housing management systems and digital platforms (e.g., StarRez or similar) for reporting, communication, and operations.
• Oversee departmental communications, including student messaging, move-in/out information, and operational updates.
• Coordinate move-in/out processes and support transition initiatives for residential students and families.
• Maintain operational calendars, reports, and documentation supporting residence life functions.
• Support summer housing, camps, and conference operations.

Leadership, Compliance & Risk Management

• Serve as a member of the Housing & Residential Life leadership team and contribute to strategic planning and departmental initiatives.
• Develop, implement, and enforce residence life and university policies and procedures.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and university regulations, including Clery Act, Title IX, and Drug-Free Schools Act requirements.
• Support crisis response and emergency management, including participation in system back-up (support first-level) on-call rotation.
• Represent the department on university committees, behavioral intervention teams, and external engagements as needed.
• Contribute to assessment, planning, and continuous improvement efforts within Housing & Residential Life.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Education & Experience:

• Master’s degree in higher education, student affairs, or a related field.
• Ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in residence life or student affairs.

Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Comprehensive knowledge of residence life operations, student development theory, and residential education practices.
• Strong leadership, supervision, and organizational management skills.
• Ability to manage complex operations and multiple priorities effectively.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and conflict resolution skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with campus partners and stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Terminal degree in higher education, leadership, or related field.
• Experience with housing management systems and data-informed decision-making.
• Previous experience supervising Assistant Director or Program Manager level positions (i.e. more than live-in hall staff or student staff members).
• Demonstrated experience leading large teams and complex residential programs.

Work Environment / Physical Requirements:

• Ability to work beyond normal business hours, including evenings and weekends as needed.
• Participation in an on-call duty rotation requiring availability for emergency response.
• Ability to respond to student and facility-related incidents across residential communities.
• Ability to perform physical tasks to include walking, standing, climbing stairs, and lifting moderate weight.

Other Requirements:

• Valid driver’s license required and ability to operate university vehicles.
• Commitment to fostering a safe, all-encompassing, and student-centered residential environment.
• Compliance with all university, Texas A&M University System, and state policies and regulations.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.