Job No. 158878
- Job Title:
- Associate Director for Residential Education
- Employer:
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The College of New Jersey
- Location:
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Ewing , NJ
- Posting Date:
- 25-Jun-2026
- Description:
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Position Overview:
The FYE Associate Director of Residential Education serves as a key leader within the Department of Residential Education and Housing, providing comprehensive oversight for the educational, safety, and community development efforts within a residential population of over 3,500-4,000 students. Reporting to the Executive Director of Residential Education, Housing, & Dining, this position oversees the operational and developmental functions of a dynamic residential program, including after-hours duty and crisis response, student conduct, residential care outreach, and initiatives that promote student health, wellness, and safety in alignment with campus-wide policies, fire safety standards, and federal guidance.
This role provides direct supervision to 3-4 masters-level Residence Directors, offering mentorship and leadership in the day-to-day management of residential communities, staff development, and program implementation. The First-Year Area Associate Director plays a central role in implementing the residential curriculum and providing a comprehensive training program that addresses all departmental policies, procedures, and applicable local and national regulations for student staff.
As a live-off position, the Associate Director is expected to serve in the senior-level duty rotation with three other professionals, providing critical leadership during after-hours and crisis situations. Crisis management responsibilities include supporting students in distress; engaging with families, senior leadership, and campus police when appropriate; responding to significant building safety or facilities issues; and demonstrating sound judgment and effective problem-solving under pressure.
During periods of vacancy at the Residence Director level, the Associate Director provides hands-on leadership and direct oversight of a residential area and its student staff team, ensuring continuity of support and supervision.
This position actively collaborates with campus partners to create environments that foster learning, belonging, and student success through intentional educational programming, effective crisis planning, alignment with the Colleges strategic plan, and evidence-based practices.
Responsibilities:
Supervision & Staff Development
The Associate Director hires, trains, supervises, and evaluates 4 masters-level professionals Residence Directors, while providing indirect oversight for 200+ student staff, including Community Advisors (CAs), Student Managers/Resident Officers (SMROs), Desk Assistants, Mailroom staff, and other residential support personnel. This role ensures that all hiring, training, and evaluation processes align with Affirmative Action procedures and institutional standards.
The Associate Director partners with other Associate Directors to plan and implement comprehensive in-service training programs for both professional and student staff. These programs emphasize the full spectrum of student development, residential curriculum, community building, and equity and inclusion principles. Staff are trained on all relevant College policies, federal and state regulations, and procedures—examples include cannabis response protocols, domestic violence response, Title IX reporting, and student conduct policies—as well as resources available to support students’ academic, social, and personal needs.
This role fosters a culture of continuous learning and professional growth, ensuring that staff are equipped to respond effectively to the evolving challenges of residential life, contribute to a safe and inclusive community, and support student success and development both inside and outside the residence halls. Additionally, assumes all responsibilities of an RD during times of staff turn-over.
Health & Wellness for Students
The Associate Director plays a key role in promoting the safety, well-being, and mental health of 3,500–4,000 residential students and campus guests. As a live-off position, the Associate Director serves in the after-hours senior-level duty rotation, responding to high-level mental health concerns, significant safety issues, and building emergencies that may require the relocation of dozens to hundreds of students. This role also responds to urgent requests from Campus Police, the Presidential Office, and occasionally, parents or families. Provides oversight and support for Care Referrals, coordinating staff follow-up, outreach, and case management to ensure students receive timely and appropriate support. Monitors Care trends, guides programmatic and curricular interventions, and ensures staff are trained on referral processes, crisis response, and updated campus protocols. Associate Director can be first-point of contact when a student is experiencing a mental health crisis.
Critical Incidents and Duty
The Associate Director contributes to the development and refinement of critical incident protocols and assists the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Executive Director with the design and implementation of related training programs for professional and student staff. This includes coordination and maintenance of the professional and student staff duty system. The Associate Director ensures that the Executive Director is informed on a daily basis of critical incidents, trends, and emerging concerns within the residence halls, facilitating timely and strategic responses. Update crisis manual, other relevant manuals, publications, and coordinate the update of job books.
Educational Initiatives
The Associate Director administers and supports the implementation of department-wide co-curricular residential education experiences for approximately 4,000 students across first-year and upperclass areas. This includes guiding live-in staff in applying the departments programming philosophy to ensure that residential experiences are intentional, engaging, and aligned with defined learning goals and outcomes. The Associate Director coordinates residence hall programs and services, reviews programming data, produces reports with analysis, and provides recommendations to enhance the quality and impact of the educational program.
This role provides oversight for Special Interest Housing, often partnering with other offices or academic programs, and serves as a liaison with faculty and academic offices to coordinate Living-Learning Environments. The Associate Director provides leadership, mentorship, and support to area staff to achieve curriculum goals and objectives. During the summer, the position collaborates with Housing to manage student housing placements and ensure a seamless transition for incoming residents.
Student Personnel Administration
Provide centralized leadership and support for Residential Education’s student staff training and onboarding of nearly 300 undergraduate staff across five positions, including SMROs, Community Advisors, Key/Desk Assistants, Mailroom staff, and Night Desk Assistants. Develop and implement comprehensive training programs that equip all student staff to support residential students effectively, including policy and procedure compliance, crisis response, community development, and student resources. Ensure adherence to the College’s affirmative action, EEO, and Residential Education policies, including investigating any claims of departmental ethics violations and maintaining a consistent, equitable approach to staff oversight.
Residential Student Behavior (leads)
Provide leadership and oversight for the application of the Student Code of Conduct within the residential program, ensuring a consistent, educational, and developmental approach. Responsibilities include:
Oversight: Review incident reports, determine allegations, assign cases to conduct officers, and ensure sanction consistency. Implements interim housing removals if warranted in high level conduct incidents that pose a threat to the community or facilities.
- Contact information:
- The College of New Jersey
- Ewing, NJ 08628
- United States
- Employer's Website:
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