The Hun School of Princeton seeks a Director of Residential Life beginning in July, 2025. Reporting to the head of school and serving on the Senior Administrative Team, this full-time position is exempt, and works twelve (12) months per year and resides on-campus in School-provided housing.  

The director oversees a seven-day Residential Life Program and is responsible for the care, well-being and growth of 140 residential students in grades nine through-post graduate who live in two dormitories on campus. In this effort, the director leads a committed team of thirty  dorm parents, all of whom serve as teachers, coaches, and student life professionals in other areas of school life. The director is directly supported in this work by an associate director of residential life and a residential life coordinator.

Relationships come first in Hun’s residential life program, and the director will lead by example by forging meaningful connections with and serving as a compassionate mentor to all resident students.  As the program welcomes students from fifteen states and twenty two countries, cultural competency and a global perspective are requisites for success in the role.  Additionally, the director will lead the continuing evolution of an innovative residential life curriculum that identifies and grows specific skills in residents that will allow them to thrive in college and life beyond, through student-centered educational and recreational programming.

Excitingly, the new director will oversee the opening and first year implementation of a brand new, state-of-the-art dormitory (to be completed in August 2025) Featuring three stories, six wings, three central lounges, outdoor courtyards; the dorm will house 112 students and eight faculty families. Together with the Wilf Family Global Commons (opened in 2014), this dorm will make Hun’s residential facilities among the most modern of its boarding school peers.

Responsibilities and Essential functions:

• Develop a vision and strategic plan for residential life at Hun which aligns with the School’s mission and inspires a community of adults and students to pursue this shared purpose. Envision and develop a residential life curriculum, which intentionally grows specifically identified skills that will benefit resident students in college and beyond;
• Forge individual and meaningful connections with residential students and serve as a compassionate mentor to them, while steadfastly ensuring their care, well-being, safety, and growth;
• Supervise a talented team of thirty dorm parents, including developing and maintaining mechanisms for regular communication and feedback, providing growth-oriented annual evaluations, implementing specific and germane professional development, and providing modeling and mentorship towards achieving the program’s vision;
• Serve as the primary liaison to the families of resident students, developing and engaging regular mechanisms for communicating about their students’ experiences and responding to questions and concerns in a timely fashion;
• Develop and manage all residential life policies and procedures, including creating and maintaining on-duty structures and coverage assignments, dorm and rooming assignments, supervision systems and technologies (including Orah), transportation policies and procedures, student and faculty resident rules and regulations, campus leave and return travel policies, and review and update the Residential Life Handbook;
• Working with the associate director of residential Life, plan on- and off-campus social and recreational activities for resident students, especially weekend activities, special trips, and weeknight programming (such as What’s Happening Wednesday, Skills and Snacks, Community Dinners). Envision new programs and traditions that can become hallmarks of the Hun residential life experience;
• Create and maintain residential student life policies and structures with student growth in mind, including all disciplinary protocols, the proctor program (residential student leadership), and squad and dorm meeting structures;
• In coordination with the head of school, oversee and manage all faculty housing assignments on campus, with both the specific needs of the program and holistic needs of the school in mind;
• Maintain close coordination and engage in regular meetings with other departments germane to the residential experience, including the Senior Administrative Team (attend biweekly meetings) the Upper School Council (attend weekly meetings), the dean of students and Students Support Committee (attend regular meetings), the Calendar Committee, the Health Office, the Athletic Department, the Counselling and Wellness Department, the Cultural Competency Committee, the Marketing and Communications Department, the International Students Association, Dining Services, and the Facilities and Maintenance Department;
• Develop and maintain close relationships with the Office of Enrollment Management, serving as an ambassador for the residential programs to prospective families;
• Develop and provide a robust orientation and registration program for new resident students and families each August;
• Working with the head of school and the chief financial and operations officer, develop and manage the Residential Life Program budget;
• Teach at least one class during the academic day, and serve as an Upper School advisor.

The ideal candidate will possesses the following qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred;
• Minimum of five to seven years direct experience in residential life programs at the secondary or post-secondary level, with demonstrated residential life leadership experience preferred;
• Demonstrated experience in direct supervision or management of colleagues in an educational setting;
• Experience in an independent school environment a plus;
• A love for working with young people in residential environments;
• A commitment to cultural competency and a global perspective;
• A passion for working in an innovative, experiential, and student-centered environment;
• Ability and desire to work collaboratively and effectively with students, parents, faculty, and staff;
• Personal qualities including flexibility, resilience, approachability, empathy and compassion;
• Inclination to connect with students, colleagues, and families with curiosity, energy, warmth, humility, and humor;
• Demonstrated, commitment to meet deadlines, organization, and management skills;
• Excellent listening, counseling, verbal and written communication skills;
• Excellent technology skills and experience integrating technology into residential life; experience with Orah or other student supervision systems is a plus.

About The Hun School of Princeton

The Hun School of Princeton is an all gendered, private day and boarding school in Princeton, New Jersey. Individual attention and strong student-faculty relationships are the hallmarks of the School. On the 50-acre campus between Philadelphia and New York City, student-centered, hands-on learning prepares students for the global community in which they will live and work. The Hun School is comprised of nearly 700 students in its Middle School, Upper School, and Postgraduate Program. Our campus is home to students from twenty-two countries and fifteen states. Our campus is located in historical Princeton, New Jersey, a short train ride away from both New York City (50 miles) and Philadelphia (45 miles). Home to Princeton University, The Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton Theological Seminary, and an array of cultural centers and organizations, Princeton is regarded as one of the most academically-minded communities in the world. Often named one of the country’s best places to live, Princeton is a friendly, multicultural community surrounded by mountains, parks, and lakes. There are award-winning museums and theatres, celebrated public and private schools, destination resta...urants and hotels, and a robust calendar of community events to enjoy. Our mission: The Hun School of Princeton empowers each student to thrive in a diverse and ever-changing world, by nurturing resilient character, providing individual mentorship, and inspiring vigorous and joyful learning. Our community: In our mission of educating global citizens with resilient character, we actively seek candidates who can bring a diversity of experiences and perspectives to our community. The Hun School of Princeton is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristics or activity protected by law.

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Connections working at The Hun School of Princeton