Area Director

Job Title: Area Director
Department: Residential Life
Classification: Exempt
Grade: 10
FTE/Working Schedule: 1.0

Position Overview:

Carleton College provides housing for approximately 1850 students in eleven residence halls, twenty-six houses, and nine townhouses. The Area Director is a live-in staff member who works with staff and students to develop a safe, comfortable, living and learning environment and assists individuals with their personal development while supporting the mission and values of the College. As a member of the Residential Life Staff within the Division of Student Life, the Area Director will serve in many capacities including the roles of a community builder, educator, adviser, supervisor, and administrator. In these roles the Area Director helps ensure inclusivity and equity in residential experiences for students.

As a valued member of the Residential Life team, Area Directors provide input and feedback to help lead the development and vision of the Residential Life program. Area Directors individually take leadership with internal processes such as Student Staff Training and Development, Assessment projects, Diversity and Equity Working Groups, Resident Assistant Recruitment and Selection, and more. While serving in the Area Director role, staff can expect to have a cumulative professional experience with additional leadership opportunities over their time on the team. In addition to work with the Residential Life Office, Area Directors will have the opportunity to work closely with other divisional offices in collateral and project assignments to expand their functional knowledge and skill set.

Essential Job Functions/Responsibilities: 

• Community Development
• Be visible in the residential area and viewed by residents as available and approachable.
• Assess student needs and interests on a continual basis.
• Follow-up on student needs as determined by CARE team discussions or other interactions.
• Assist students in developing personal responsibility for their actions and respect for the rights of others.
• Establish an atmosphere conducive to academic success.
• Develop, encourage, and participate in activities and programs in the residential areas.
• Assist students with individual problems through advising, counseling, and referral.
• Provide oversight and investment in interest housing communities.
• Administration
• Attend and actively participate in weekly departmental meetings, monthly divisional meetings, and quarterly College meetings.
• Participate in the Residential Life 24/7 rotating on-call system including managing crisis situations and troubleshooting scenarios outside of College business hours.
• Complete weekly reports, term reports and end of the year reports.
• Communicate with Custodial Services, Facilities, Campus Services, and Security Services regarding building issues.
• Manage 2-3 traditional residence hall buildings and multiple houses including opening and closing for 3 academic terms and summer.
• Assist the department with the coordination of fire drills, fire safety inspections, and safety related issues.
• Provide assistance to the central office regarding accurate building occupancy, room changes, key distribution and collection, and other administrative processes.
• Develop, manage, and provide oversight of area programmatic budget of $4800-$6000 utilizing College purchasing guidelines and reconciliation process.
• Assist in the hiring processes of Area Directors and other professional staff in Residential Life, and occasionally serving on divisional search committees.
• Collaborate with other Residential Life staff on assessment initiatives.
• Perform other duties as assigned within the scope of Residential Life and Student Life.
• Campus Liaison
• Work collaboratively with College offices and processes to initiate collaborative programming, services, and support for students.
• Be familiar with campus resources for student referrals.
• Establish a working relationship with other student support staff to prevent and resolve student concerns.
• Work within the Division of Student Life on committees, task force groups, and special projects.
• Conduct and Community Standards
• Serve as a resource regarding department and College expectations and policies.
• File and review reports through the reporting system Advocate as appropriate.
• Act as a conduct hearing officer upholding College Community Standards.
• Meet with students to discuss situations that are not in accordance with our community standards and assign sanctions in line with College guidelines and individualized student scenarios.

Additional Job Responsibilities: 

• Supporting students on campus through follow up as necessary with conduct and CARE reports.
• Providing support of student and campus needs by serving in an on-call rotation.
• Creating and scheduling training and development plans for student staff for yearlong cumulative growth.
• Participating in the housing assignment process for students, including reviewing questionnaires and roommate matching.
• Continued work with college and divisional committees.
• Foundational aspects of committees within Residential Life.
• Creating structure and foundation with other offices through collateral projects
• Analysis and implementation of assessment project findings.

Supervision Received and Exercised: 

• Directly supervise a team of 14-18 undergraduate student staff Resident Assistants by providing on-going feedback, development, and support through consistent one-on-one meetings as well as formal feedback through performance evaluations.
• Conduct weekly staff meetings with Resident Assistants to provide information, coordinate initiatives, assist with residential issues, and provide on-going training and development.
• Assist in the creation and facilitation of the Resident Assistant Training and Development program, including pre-academic year orientation, pre-term trainings and on-going development throughout the year.
• Share in the responsibility for the recruitment, interviews, and selection of Resident Assistants.

Education/Experience/Skills: 

Required: 

• Carleton College Residential Life seeks candidates with a master’s degree and previous residential life experience. All Area Directors must be committed to working with individuals and groups of traditional aged college students in a residential setting. In addition, the Area Director must be available to work on some evenings and weekends. Area Directors are required to live in campus housing.

Must have the ability to understand and follow written and oral work instructions, operations, safety procedures, and hazardous labels. 

Note: This position description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may perform other related duties to meet the ongoing needs of the organization. 

Review of applications begins immediately and continues until the hire is complete. We accept only online applications.

Carleton College is an AA/EEO Employer: We are committed to developing our staff to better reflect the diversity of our student body and American society. Members of underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

Staff Salary and Benefits: The selected finalist’s salary will be based on the candidate’s qualifications, internal pay structure, and our overall compensation package. Carleton offers a generous benefits package, including comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, 403(b) retirement plans with a 10% employer contribution with immediate vesting, a health savings account with a college contribution, a generous paid time off package, as well as access to many other campus amenities. 

Founded in 1866, Carleton College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college of roughly 2,000 students located in the historic river town of Northfield, Minnesota.  Nationally recognized as the nation’s top college for undergraduate teaching, Carleton is known for its academic rigor, intellectual curiosity, and sense of humor. Carleton offers 33 majors and 38 minors  in the arts, humanities, natural sciences, mathematics, and social sciences.