"Residence Hall Director"

Job Details

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Position Title: Residence Hall Director

Job Category: Academic Staff

Employment Type: Regular

Job Profile: Residence Life Coordinator II

Department: Residence Life

Compensation: $43,888 / year

Job Duties

The Residence Hall Director is an essential employee of the Professional Staff within Residence Life which is in the Division of Student Affairs. The Residence Hall Director’s primary responsibility is to the overall management of a residence hall. The Residence Hall Director is supervised by an Associate Director of Residence Life. The position is a twelve month appointment with reappointment contingent upon an annual evaluation.

The job responsibilities will require Residence Hall Directors to work evenings and some weekends to meet the needs of the department, and to maximize our effectiveness in working with students.

The review of applications starts on February 15, 2026. Applications received on or before February 15th are prioritized and review will continue until the position(s) is/are filled. Initial interviews will be conducted virtually, with shortlisted candidates invited to campus.

UW-La Crosse does not offer H-1B or other work authorization visa sponsorship for this position. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and maintain work authorization throughout the employment term. If you have questions regarding this, please contact Human Resources at 608-785-8013.

Key Job Responsibilities

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND ADVISING

• In collaboration with Assistant Hall Director, advise CORE Team (in-hall student leadership group).
• Ensure that the Assistant Hall Director is supporting CORE Team in their positions.
• Work with the Assistant Hall Director to implement orientation and training of CORE Team ensuring students of all identities are able to find success in this leadership role.
• Assist core leaders in organizing and implementing events for students.
• Ensure a wide array of development opportunities are available to residents in assigned residence hall.
• Disseminate knowledge of campus resources, policies, and procedures to students to assist with their initiatives.

RESIDENCE HALL MANAGEMENT

• Responsible for the overall administration and facilities management of assigned residence hall.
• In collaboration with the Assistant Hall Director, provide oversight of desk operations within the residence hall ensuring quality customer service as well as efficient and effective systems in the delivery of services.
• Coordinate payroll verification and approval of student employees in assigned residence hall.
• Maintain occupancy and facilitate room change processes through StarRez and have frequent communication with the Residence Life Operations Team.
• Manage internal residence hall budgets and have frequent communication with Residence Life Operations Team regarding purchasing and adhering to UWL spending guidelines.
• Work to establish and maintain a positive relationship with Custodian(s) and Facilities Team. Coordinate with them to create safe, clean, and visually appealing residence halls with timely response to repairs and facility improvements as a foundational component in meeting our students' needs.
• Respond to mechanical, heating, electrical and plumbing issues, assessing the situation and communicating with the appropriate university personnel.
• Responsible for all keys within the assigned residence hall and proper security of these keys.
• Advocate for processes that meet student needs; centering and addressing barriers for underrepresented students.
• Attend Residence Life team meetings, departmental meetings and professional developments as scheduled.
• Assist with departmental initiatives which may include committees and advising student organizations/delegations.
• Assist with Residence Life summer camps and conferences, a critical component of our annual operation as a revenue source to keep student housing rates low.

COMMUNITY AND EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Establish effective relationships with students and encourage interaction to develop interpersonal relationships.
• Implement a residence hall community development model with intentional outcomes.
• Design a system for accountability to ensure student staff are achieving expectations of the community development model.
• Create a residence hall environment that supports student success and learning.
• Provide and promote educational opportunities that focus on awareness and appreciation of cultural differences, and building an inclusive and respectful community.
• Provide opportunities for cooperative planning between CORE Team, student staff and residents.
• Collaborate with campus entities in developing residence hall initiatives.
• Utilize department and UWL assessment data to develop and revise the residence hall student experience. Initiate additional assessment and feedback pathways within assigned building to determine student needs.

STUDENT CONDUCT AND WELL-BEING

• Provide direction and accountability to student staff for the enforcement and documentation of Residence Life policies.
• Responsible for adjudicating policy violations involving students living in assigned residence hall and maintaining current records within Maxient.
• Work to establish a positive working relationship with the Student Life Office maintaining a high level of communication and consultation involving behavior of students in assigned residence hall.
• Responsible for reporting mental health and student safety concerns to supervisor. Follow up may include collaborating with Counseling Center staff, the Campus Assessment Response and Evaluation (CARE) Team, and/or other appropriate campus partners, as well as following up with students regarding care and treatment.
• Respond to incidents of hate/bias with an ethic of care for all impacted students.
• Work in conjunction with University Police through incidents that involve serious student behavioral or welfare issues.
• Respond to emergencies and crisis situations providing support and resources to students including proper referrals to other university offices.
• Serve in a 24/7 on-call duty rotation for Residence Life, that does involve responding in person to situations to assist Student Staff, University Police and/or Facilities Staff.

STUDENT STAFF SUPERVISION AND DEVELOPMENT

• Directly supervise undergraduate residence hall staff in assigned residence hall. This includes the following: Assistant Hall Director, Resident Assistants, and Desk Assistants.
• Responsible for supervision and evaluation of residence hall staff according to their position descriptions and employment expectations agreement; including accountability for job performance that may lead to job action including termination.
• Develop and cultivate an understanding of the intersecting identities on your team. Promote opportunities to share and discuss topics of social
• Convene and facilitate weekly student staff meetings to coordinate initiatives and information exchange.
• Promote and coordinate student development and staff team development.
• Share in the responsibility of annual department recruitment, selection, and training of residence hall staff.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Prior Residence Life leadership experience
• Interest in living in a Residence Hall with a highly engaged student population
• Commitment to learning and growing in identity development and creating welcoming communities

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Student Affairs, Counseling, or a related field
• Experience with managing administrative and operations functions of a residence hall
• Student supervision or co-supervision of one or more people
• Understanding of students, student development, and the value of student voice

How to Apply

Required application documents

• Cover letter (that addresses the required and preferred qualifications)
• CV/Resume

Contact Information:

Lisa Weston lweston@uwlax.edu