Director of Residence Services and Student Support

The role

With dual reporting to the Senior Director for Student Life in London and the Dean of Student in Boston, the Director of Residence Services and Student Support hold co-equal accountability for two distinct but interrelated functions:

1. residential operations serving approximately 1,000 mobility programme students living across multiple residence halls — the residential population is exclusively a mobility cohort; and
2. student support services extending to the full London campus student population, including undergraduate, postgraduate, degree apprenticeship, and mobility programme students regardless of whether they live in university accommodation.

The Director supervises the Head of Residence Services and the Head of Student Support. This role requires strategic collaboration across Student Engagement, and Academics in London, and Student Life throughout the Network to create a seamless student experience in line with Northeastern’s goals. The Director ensures operational excellence in mobility housing services alongside strategic oversight of a robust, proactive, and campus-wide student support function. The Director is also responsible for staff development, fiscal management, assessment activities, and serving as part of the on-call rotation for escalated incidents.

Duties and Responsibilities:

30% — Residential Experience and Community Development

• Provide strategic leadership for the residential experience function across the London student population, delivered through the Head of Residence Services.
• Set strategic priorities, hold the Head accountable for operational delivery, and act as the senior escalation point for complex or high-risk operational matters.
• Hold strategic accountability for the health of the following sub-functions: residence life and community development; housing operations and student placement; mobility programme residential provision; and on-call and out-of-hours staffing arrangements.
• Ensure residential provision meets the distinct needs of each student cohort — including the specific characteristics of mobility programme students (short duration stays, first-time international experience, and transition support needs)

30% — Student Support, Wellness, and Case Management

• Provide strategic leadership for the student support function across the full London student population, delivered through the Head of Student Support.
• Set strategic priorities, hold the Head accountable for operational delivery, and support the DSL and relevant professionals in complex or high-risk cases.
• Hold strategic accountability for the health of the following sub-functions: mental health and counselling; disability support and reasonable adjustments; SpLD advisory services; the SVLO function; the Report and Support platform; and Support to Study processes.
• Ensure provision meets OfS Condition B3 requirements, is delivered equitably across all cohorts, and that Clery Act and OfS and OfSTED reporting obligations are met.

20% — Management, Supervision, and Training

• Provide leadership, supervision, and training for the Head of Residence Services and Head of Student Support, along with their teams.
• Develop and monitor departmental goals, objectives, policies, and procedures guiding employee performance, special projects and initiatives, crisis response protocols, fiscal planning, and strategic assessment of departmental activities.
• Ensure staff are developing professionally and meeting performance expectations.
• Lead employees while actively supporting a positive team culture.
• Provide effective performance management with measurable goals, clear expectations, and regular feedback.

10% — Housing Operations and Management

• Through the Head of Residence Services, oversee the full remit of housing operations, which operates across two distinct areas.
• First, direct management of residential operations for mobility programme students: housing assignments, billing, cohort arrival and departure logistics, and building provider relations.
• Second, housing advisory and referral services for the wider student population, including UG, PG, and degree apprenticeship students seeking private rented accommodation.
• Ensure both strands of housing provision are appropriately resourced, meet relevant regulatory and quality standards, and are accessible to students who need them.

10% — Collaboration and Strategic Partnerships

• Create and sustain productive relationships with colleagues across Student Life and other divisions in Boston and London.
• Collaborate across departments to increase efficiency, enhance the student experience, and create integrated approaches to student support and engagement.

Person specification criteria

• Master's degree in Student Personnel Administration, Higher Education, Education Administration, or related field. (E)
• The qualified candidate will possess significant progressive supervisory and managerial experience in Residence Life, Student Support, or a combination of both. (E)
• Experience leading or overseeing student support services — including mental health provision, disability support, or case management — in a higher education setting, given that this role carries campus-wide student support accountability extending beyond the residential population. (D)
• Experience with UK, American, and/or international higher education contexts. (E)
• Strategic thinking and planning skills; strong oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills; and the ability to work collaboratively with faculty, staff, administrators, and students at all levels in a complex, diverse, and international environment. (E)
• The position requires proficiency in the development and management of budgets, knowledge of housing operations including managed residential provision and private rented sector advisory services, student development theory, collaborative learning, residence hall programming, building learning communities, crisis response, case management, and staff development. (E)
• Demonstrated ability to lead organisational growth and foster cross-departmental collaboration, as well as experience directly related to residence life and wellbeing for students in higher education. (E)