EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HOUSING AND RESIDENTIAL LIFE

Academic Career & Executive Search is pleased to assist the University of Bridgeport in their search for an Executive Director of Housing and Residential Life.

This is an extremely rewarding opportunity for an accomplished, student-centered, strategic leader to join a passionate, focused and collegial campus dedicated to student success. An exceptional student body adds to this uniquely rewarding and fulfilling environment.


The ideal candidate is an experienced residential life leader able to develop and articulate a clear vision and empower their team to achieve goals. The successful candidate is collaborative and excels in establishing and maintaining relationships across campus. Technical proficiency and fiscal creativity round out the needed skillsets.


Reporting to the Vice President of Student Affairs/Dean of Students, the Executive Director of Housing and Residential Life will be responsible for the overall management of the on-campus community living/learning environments and overseeing implementation of department goals in pursuit of the mission of the University.


The Executive Director serves as a member of a variety of university committees including the Behavioral Intervention Team and the Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Team. The Executive Director must exercise high levels of discretion, independent judgment and the ability to work collaboratively with a large number of university community members and offices.

The Executive Director of Housing and Residential Life will:

• Develop, implement, and evaluate educational, social, cultural, co-curricular programming for resident students
• Prepare budgets and monitor expenditures for all programs assigned and ensure proper maintenance of records
• Facilitate the development, implementation, and evaluation of training and policy/procedures/protocols, manuals, handbooks, etc.…
• Market Residence Life and Housing to the public and the university community
• Coordinate conference housing with the Office of Event Management
• Develop a rapport with students and serve as an advisor and mentor for concerns related to the position and provide informal counsel to student residents and employees concerning academic and social needs
• Establish positive working relationships with other appropriate staff and groups within the campus community
• Provide leadership in partnering with university offices to create and facilitate Special Interest Living Communities for the specialized development of residential students
• Participate in departmental, division and university goal setting, committees and special projects
• Provide leadership for strategic and fiscal planning for housing renovation and construction
• Respond as necessary to immediate, on-campus problems, (floods, power outages, severe student behavioral problems, etc.)
• Provide on-call responsibility for the campus on a rotating basis with other Student Affairs professional staff members as part of the Administrator On Call rotation
• Work collaboratively with university staff/administration members (faculty, residential life staff, campus security staff, etc.) for the well-being of students
• Perform related duties as necessary to support the University of Bridgeport mission

Essential Qualifications:

• Master's degree in higher education/college student personnel or related field
• Minimum three years of full-time, progressive professional, experience working in Residence Life, Housing, or closely related experience
• Experience in managing overall operations of residential life and housing, including: policy development, marketing, managing staff, budgeting, billing, damage assessments, safety, etc.
• Experience managing residence life programs
• A demonstrated understanding of how to promote student learning and academic success in a residential life environment
• Demonstrated skills of leadership and communication, sensitivity to individual differences and an interest and enthusiasm for working with students
• Excellent communication skills
• Technically proficient

• Significant professional experience with progressively increasing administrative responsibilities in student affairs at a high management level
• A strong vision for a purposeful residence life program and demonstrated resourcefulness towards achieving/implementing such vision
• Experience in student living-learning communities and assessment
• Significant, progressive full time experience working in residence life that includes: mentoring students, safety programs, alcohol awareness programs, educational programming, recreation and social programs and orientation programs
• Experience writing grants

About the University of Bridgeport

With its beautiful 50-acre seaside campus alongside Long Island Sound, the University promotes academic excellence, personal responsibility, and commitment to service. Distinctive curricula in an international, culturally diverse supportive learning environment prepare graduates for life and leadership in an increasingly interconnected world. Academic programs are offered through thirteen schools, colleges and institutes. Concern for student development and support predominate. A career-oriented focus in academic programs is complemented at the undergraduate level with a state-of-the-art core curriculum that helps students secure competencies for lifelong learning and knowledge about our world. The graduate, professional and health sciences programs offer career-oriented Master’s and Doctoral degrees.

Living in Bridgeport, Fairfield and New Haven County

Bridgeport, located in Fairfield County and only 35 miles from Manhattan offers options for urban, rural and shoreline living. Six of the “Top Ten Towns to Live In Connecticut” (as voted by Movoto) are located in Fairfield County. Considerations included quality of life (cost of living, median home price, median rent, median household income, and student-teacher ratio), total crimes, tax rates (sales tax and income tax), unemployment, commute time and weather (temperature and air quality). Forbes ranks Fairfield County as 10th in the country in Education.

The region includes easy access to thirty miles of coastline, shopping, restaurants, museums/galleries and some of the best areas for hiking and cycling. New York City is easily accessible utilizing the Metro North train line.

EEO

It is the policy of the University of Bridgeport to prohibit discrimination in admissions, educational programs and employment, and in the provision of services on the basis of legally protected class characteristics (unless there is a bona fide occupational qualification related to employment), or any other unlawful factor. Protected class characteristics include race, color, ethnicity, religion, age, creed, ancestry, workplace hazards to reproductive systems, sex (gender identity, gender expression, sexual harassment), marital status, civil union status, sexual orientation, genetic information, pregnancy, national origin, physical/mental/learning disability, veteran status and any other group protected by civil rights laws.

The University of Bridgeport complies with Clery Act and maintains records of campus crime statistics and security policies. Copies of University of Bridgeport Annual Security and Fire Report reports are available at https://files.bridgeport.edu/public/Security/Annual_Security_Report.pdf