Position Description

 Title:                                    Community Director

Category:                             Exempt, Regular employee

Supervisor’s Title:               Assistant Director of Resident Life for Communities

Campus Information

Founded in 1856, University of Maryland is the flagship institution in the University System of Maryland. Our 1,250-acre College Park campus is just minutes away from Washington, D.C., and the nexus of the nation’s legislative, executive, and judicial centers of power. This unique proximity to business and technology leaders, federal departments and agencies, and a myriad of research entities, embassies, think tanks, cultural centers, and non-profit organizations is simply unparalleled. Synergistic opportunities for our faculty and students abound and are virtually limitless in the nation’s capital and surrounding areas. The University is committed to attracting and retaining outstanding and diverse faculty and staff that will enhance our stature of preeminence in our three missions of teaching, scholarship, and full engagement in our community, the state of Maryland, and in the world.

Department Information

The Department of Resident Life serves a highly diverse population of approximately 12,500 undergraduate students living in traditional residence halls, apartments, and suites including some public/private partnership apartment communities. About 46% of all resident students are enrolled in twelve living-learning programs covering a wide array of academic areas. Resident Life employs a diverse workforce of 88 full-time and graduate staff members and about 600 undergraduate student staff members. The Department values respectful, equitable, and inclusive practices and actively seeks candidates who can represent and serve the diversity of persons who live and work in the University of Maryland’s residence halls. The University of Maryland campus is located in the greater Washington, DC metro area just eight miles from downtown DC and 30 miles from Baltimore, MD. Additional information about the Department of Resident Life is available at www.reslife.umd.edu.

General Description of Duties

The Community Director assumes responsibility for the supervisory, community development, and administrative functions for a residential community of approximately 1500-2100 students.  The Community Director assumes specific responsibilities in the areas of staff supervision and oversight (supervising three - four professional Resident Directors), administration of policy and procedure, community development initiatives and activities, behavior management, and crisis intervention.  The Community Director carries out their duties in an environment characterized by a diverse staff and student population. The Community Director actively leads and models practices that foster equity and inclusion in a diverse community of resident students, student employees, and professional staff. The Community Director participates as a member of the management team for a campus area of approximately 5,500-6,500 residents, working under the supervision of the Associate Director, in cooperation with Assistant Directors, other Community Directors, an Administrative Operations Coordinator, and a Residential Case Manager.

Conditions of Employment: This is a live-on required position. The Community Director will be provided a two-bedroom apartment. Some evening and weekend work required. This position is listed as an essential employee and may be asked to report for work during periods when the university is closed. We are unable to sponsor an employment visa for this position.

Qualifications

Minimum qualifications: Master’s degree in College Student Personnel Administration, Higher Education Administration, Counseling, or related field required. Minimum of two years of full-time experience in residence hall management that includes staff supervision is required. Strong supervisory, administrative, and communication skills required.

Preferred qualifications: Three to four years full-time experience in residence hall management that includes staff supervision preferred. Energy, commitment, flexibility, and enthusiasm highly desired. Successful candidates must actively demonstrate an appreciation for and promotion of diversity, multiculturalism, and inclusion in all areas of work.  Candidates should display strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build collaborative partnerships. 

Specific Responsibilities

The Community Director will be responsible for functions that include but are not limited to the following:

Staffing Functions (35%)

• Selects, trains, supervises, and evaluates three – four full-time Resident Directors; indirectly supervises 28 – 60 undergraduate Resident Assistants.
• Meets regularly with staff individually and in groups in order to provide coordination and oversight in the effect of policy and procedure.
• Leads and models management practices that foster equity and inclusion in a diverse staff team.
• Works in cooperation with centrally coordinated selection processes for undergraduate and graduate staff, and participates on search and screening committees for full-time staff.
• Provides input to Administrative Operations staff concerning service desk functions. Works with the Administrative Operation staff to ensure cooperation between service desk and hall staff.

Student and Community Development Functions (30%)

• Directs staff efforts to implement the goals of the departmental community development strategy; including the development of intentional plans for engaging residents in activities and events in the community and providing ongoing assessment regarding such efforts. Works in cooperation with department staff in the provision of centrally planned activities and events, including new resident orientation and Fall Welcome events and programs.
• Plans for effective advising of Hall and Area Councils as an integral component in the development of community.
• Works in cooperation with department staff in the provision of curricular support and academic enhancement programs.
• Provides leadership in implementation of the Department of Resident Life Multicultural Philosophy, Community Development Strategy, and department Diversity and Inclusion Plan in student and community development functions.
• Assumes responsibility for crisis intervention and management; develops and utilizes effective liaison and consulting relationships with UMD Mental Health unit and Counseling Center Dyad staff in order to affect mental health referrals.
• Plans and oversees expectation setting, norming, and accountability actions in order to manage student behavior effectively on behalf of the academic community. Works cooperatively with the Assistant Director of Resident Life for Student Conduct, Office of Student Conduct, and the University of Maryland Police in the investigation, documentation, and referral of students who violate Residence Hall and University policies.
• Represents their community on the Program Coordination Committee.

Administrative Functions (30%)

• Develops specific goals and objectives for their residential community, in concurrence with Department of Resident Life values, mission, and guiding philosophies and documents. Guiding documents include the Department’s Multicultural Philosophy, Customer Service Standards, Community Living Principles, and Community Development strategy.
• Assumes responsibility for the implementation of department and university policies and procedures within the community; participates in the development of department policy and procedure.
• Ensures and provides effective customer service to internal/external customers in accordance with the department's Customer Service Standards; identifies and initiates needed improvements in department services where necessary.
• Provides professional on-call emergency coverage by serving in the year-round Community Director on-call after-hours duty rotation.
• Assumes responsibility for the community budget.
• Works in cooperation with the Administrative Operations team to carry out check-in/check-out, assignment, room change, and opening/closing operations for both the academic year and break periods.
• Participates as a member of department and university committees as appointed.
• Prepares administrative reports, evaluations, and assessments. Provides effective documentation when necessary.
• Consults with other department and university staff and agencies when necessary in the management of community functions.

Additional information

Starting salary will be in the  low to mid $60,000s. Community Directors are required to live on-campus in an assigned staff apartment. Pets are allowed as stated in the pet policy. Full benefits including paid leave, health benefits, retirement, and tuition remission are available. https://uhr.umd.edu/benefits/

Minimum qualifications: Master’s degree in College Student Personnel Administration, Higher Education Administration, Counseling, or related field required. Minimum of two years of full-time experience in residence hall management that includes staff supervision is required. Strong supervisory, administrative, and communication skills required.

Preferred qualifications: Three to four years full-time experience in residence hall management that includes staff supervision preferred. Energy, commitment, flexibility, and enthusiasm highly desired. Successful candidates must actively demonstrate an appreciation for and promotion of diversity, multiculturalism, and inclusion in all areas of work.  Candidates should display strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build collaborative partnerships.