Community Director

Department: University Life

Classification: Professional Faculty

Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: On Site Required

Salary: Salary range starting mid $40k; commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

Housing & Residence Life (HRL) is an auxiliary organization within the University Life unit of George Mason University. HRL employs over 170 full-time and graduate staff members and over 200 undergraduate student staff members. HRL oversees student housing areas comprised of roughly 6,000 beds within over forty (40) residential facilities, as well as housing at distributed campuses including the Science & Technology campus and the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation. HRL is committed to provide a safe and student-centered environment that is inclusive of the global community, dedicated to creating a home that enriches the experiences of our students, staff, and faculty.

About the Position:

The Community Director is a 12-month, live-in professional staff member responsible for the educational, social, and cultural growth of the individual student and the overall residential community. The primary responsibilities include initiating, implementing, maintaining, and evaluating efforts in the assigned residential area(s) that result in a student-centered community that supports the academic mission of George Mason University. The Community Director is responsible for the overall administration and management of their assigned residential area(s).

This position is not eligible for international visa sponsorship.

Responsibilities:

Supervision and Leadership:

• Supervises and leads a team of Resident Assistants (RAs) to manage and guide the RAs effectively;
• Provides on-going training to RAs and Graduate Community Directors to develop leadership skills and enhance competencies essential to their positions;
• Educates and holds staff accountable to all University policies, Housing & Residence Life (HRL) policies, and HRL student staff expectations;
• Plans and implements staff development to aid RAs in creating positive team dynamics that foster collaboration and problem-solving skills;
• Supervises and supports RAs in their administrative assignments, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and completion;
• Provides opportunities for staff to receive feedback on the quality and effectiveness of their work, to support development;
• Formally evaluates the performance of RAs during the fall and spring semesters, to assess effectiveness;
• Leads weekly staff meetings with RAs in assigned area for team development and information sharing/gathering;
• Conducts bi-weekly one-on-one meetings with RAs for resident and student staff updates and addressing concerns/questions to ensure resident and staff success;
• Develops and maintains staff awareness of campus/community issues through training, programming, individual contacts, and role modeling;
• Recruits, interviews, evaluates, selects, and on-boards student staff candidates for all HRL hiring processes; and
• Supports any Residential Learning Communities (RLCs) in assigned residential area and engages in ongoing collaboration with respective academic and University Life partners. 

Student Support and Development:

• Addresses incidents of inappropriate behavior in or around the residence halls using an educational and developmental approach;
• Serves as a hearing officer to effectively resolve cases of student misconduct and violations of the Code of Conduct and/or Resident Student Handbook;
• Assists students with academic, vocational, and personal concerns to support students in overcoming challenges and achieving success;
• Connects students with on-campus resources when appropriate to help them succeed academically, personally, and/or socially;
• Manages situations involving various psychological, emotional, medical, or other safety related incidents in the residential community;
• Collaborates with appropriate campus resources to properly support students and provide adequate resources;
• Participates in evening, weekend, and holiday duty rotation with other Community Directors, to ensure adequate coverage and support for on campus students in crisis;
• Directly responds to on-campus emergencies and student crises as needed, to ensure student safety and support;
• Actively participates in cultivating an environment that supports the well-being of residential students through various university initiatives, committees, and events;
• Develops and maintains positive relationships with both residents and HRL staff that encourages on-going communication, mutual support, and respect; and
• Supports university-wide initiatives focused on student retention and early intervention efforts. 

Community Development and Programming:

• Implements the residential curriculum within assigned area to address the developmental needs of specific student populations;
• Designs proactive approaches to involve students in creating community values and engaging in ethical standards such as respect, courtesy, appreciation of differences, and civility;
• Coordinates and participates in department-wide and university-wide events such as Welcome Back events, Block Parties, Family Weekend, Orientation, Admissions events, and other programs as assigned;
• Engages instructional faculty, RLC stakeholders, and other university partners in community events and overall residential curriculum plan for assigned area; and
• Accurately tracks community development efforts and assessment data as requested by the Assessment Coordinator or HRL Leadership team. 

Administrative Duties, Collaborations, and Partnerships:

• Attends and participates in staff development activities as outlined by the department and attends regularly scheduled HRL and University Life meetings, to receive departmental and divisional updates, expectations, and guidance;
• Conducts regular community walk-throughs of assigned residence hall(s) to detect any maintenance or facilities concerns;
• When necessary and appropriate, utilizes the damage billing protocol outlined in the Student Housing Agreement, to ensure appropriate, consistent, and fair billing practice for student damages incurred in residence halls;
• Maintains all appropriate documentation related to facilities management and inventory control, and conducts equipment and building inventories on a regular basis, to ensure student safety and building maintenance and upkeep;
• Ensures timely and accurate documentation of all student interactions and processes as needed, such as incident reports, student conduct meeting notes, student care reports, etc.;
• Maintains accurate records regarding all purchases and budget reconciliations as required, to ensure compliance with financial policies and support effective budget management;
• In conjunction with Environmental Health & Safety, assists in the execution of fire drills and health and safety inspections as scheduled by HRL;
• Manages community and roommate agreements for all students in assigned residence halls, to aid in setting community expectations and mitigate potential conflict factors;
• Actively supports and complies with all university policies, department regulations, vision, and goals, to contribute to the overall success of the department;
• Serves in an assigned committee role to support other units within HRL or University Life, such as Mason Well-Being Initiatives, University Career Services, summer operations, etc.;
• Maintains a visible presence in the residence halls as a live-in professional and engages in positive, professional interactions with students after business hours to promote community development;
• Maintains positive relationships with other university departments (i.e., University Police, Student Involvement, Counseling and Psychological Services, Student Support and Advocacy, etc.);
• Assists in the recruitment and selection of HRL staff through participation in search committees, to ensure qualified and appropriate staff are selected for the HRL team;
• Participates in divisional hiring search committees as available, to support broader staffing efforts across the division;
• Supports and assists in the implementation of summer projects, including, but not limited to, summer housing operations, training, annual policy and procedure assessment/review, orientation, etc.; and
• Assists in fulfilling duties for vacant positions on the HRL team or within the department when necessary and appropriate. 

Other:

• Engages in assessment and reporting as needed;
• Actively supports and complies with all university policies, HRL regulations, and department vision and goals;
• Acts as 'essential personnel' in times of emergency and at critical times, to ensure safety, manage crises, and provide necessary support; and
• Performs other related duties as assigned by the direct supervisor and/or HRL Leadership team, to achieve broader unit and departmental goals and support the team. 

Required Qualifications:

• Masters degree in related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Previous leadership experience as an undergraduate and/or graduate student within a residential and/or university setting;
• Undergraduate and/or graduate student staff supervision experience;
• Knowledge and skills to demonstrate problem solving abilities;
• Demonstrated effective communication skills;
• Demonstrated leadership skills; and
• Demonstrated organizational skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience in a live-in housing and residence life position;
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects;
• Demonstrated relationship-building skills; and
• Ability to work in a highly autonomous environment.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for the Community Director at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and resume for review.

Posting Open Date:  May 13, 2025

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  May 27, 2025

Open Until Filled:  Yes