What are the responsibilities and job description for the Leading Residential Life Director position at Cranbrook?
Director of Residential Life Position Overview
Cranbrook Schools seeks a seasoned and visionary leader to serve as the Director of Residential Life. This senior-level administrative role reports directly to the Director of Schools and the Head of Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School.
The ideal candidate will possess a deep understanding of adolescent development, residential life program management, and staff supervision. They will be responsible for establishing a vision and direction for the residential program at Cranbrook's Upper School, developing student-facing programming, hiring and ongoing professional development, and partnering with school administrators to ensure consistency and coordination of residential programming.
Responsibilities
- Foster a positive and collaborative work environment within the residential program.
- Recruit, train, supervise, and evaluate residential faculty and staff, providing ongoing professional development opportunities.
- Provide leadership, supervision, direction, and collaborative support to the Head House Advisor (HHA) and House Advisors (HAs).
- Maintain a consistent presence in both residential dormitories in the evenings by working alternate hours throughout the week.
- Serve as an on-call person/resource for Administrators on Duty in challenging situations/events/emergencies.
Residential Programming
- Develop and implement a comprehensive residential life program and curriculum that supports students' academic, social, and emotional growth.
- Collaborate with All-Schools Administrative Team and Upper School Leadership Team to identify opportunities for cross-campus collaborations and partnerships.
- Develop and maintain a weekly, monthly, and annual assemblage of evening and weekend extracurricular activities.
Student Support
- Serve as a mentor and role model for residential students, providing guidance and support.
- Implement and enforce school policies and procedures in residential settings.
- Manage residential-life-related student disciplinary issues in coordination with other school administrators.
- Participate in the Upper School Student Support Committee and the CARE team.
Communication
- Partner with Dorm Office Assistants to manage communications to and with boarding parents/guardians.
- Build and maintain relationships with residential students, families, and faculty rotation teams.
- Act as a liaison between residential life, academic departments, parents, and external stakeholders.
- Communicate critical and confidential information to the HHA and HAs.
Campus Operations
- Assume responsibility for the management of both the Cranbrook and Kingswood campuses.
- Coordinate with Facilities managers to organize and prioritize campus maintenance and improvement efforts.
- Partner with the Director of Business Operations to manage the overall budget for the residential program.
- Coordinate shared facility usage with the Schools' Horizons Upward Bound (HUB) program.
