Working Title: Area Director - Residence Life

State Role Title: Administrative and Professional Faculty

Position Type: Administrative & Professional (Non-teaching Faculty)

Position Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt: Not Eligible for Overtime

College/Division: Residence Life

Department: 300000 - Residence Life Admin

Pay Band: 

Pay Rate: Pay Range

Specify Range or Amount: $60,000 - $64,000 

Is this a JMU only position? No

Is this a grant-funded position? No

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? N/A

Beginning Review Date: 7/15/2026

About JMU:

Mission
We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

Vision
To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Who We Are
Situated in the heart of Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is a vibrant community with a population of approximately 52,000. Harrisonburg is conveniently located approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA.

JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and supportive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 21,000 undergraduate and 1,800 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

General Information:

The Office of Residence Life at James Madison University is accepting applications for an Area Director of Residence Life. The Office of Residence Life is committed to designing and maintaining a caring environment that encourages academic success, respect, personal growth and responsibility to one’s community.

The Area Director reports to the Associate Director of Residence Life for Community Development. This person will be part of the Residence Life team that serves over 6,900 residential students on a campus that continues to grow. We focus on creating a residential experience filled with opportunities for students to engage and learn about themselves and others.

This is a full-time, live-off campus position that is part of a close-knit department with over 35 full-time staff members and over 250 student staff members.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Leadership, Management, and Supervision – Directly supervise 4-9 Hall Directors including undergraduate, graduate and potentially full-time staff. Work directly with Hall Directors to manage hall staff performance, student development, student leadership, student conduct, and hall community engagement. Provide written performance evaluations twice per year for Hall Directors.
• Student Conduct – Manage administrative processes related to documenting, processing, and follow-up for student behavior. Meet with students and staff to discuss and manage behavioral concerns (mental health, policy/community violations, roommate conflicts, etc.).
• Crisis Management – Participate in on-call rotation for the residential campus. Provide support to staff during times of crisis.
• Community Engagement – Using the Residential Education Plan, monitor and support hall programming and community engagement efforts. Track and approve the use of hall programming funds. Support Hall Directors’ programming through the Community Learning Plan. Hold staff accountable to the Residential Education Plan requirements.
• Collaboration – Proactively develop and maintain effective, supportive relationships with departmental partners (Housing, Business Operations, Learning Initiatives) as well as with other stakeholders (ie: Office of Student Accountability and Restorative Justice, Title IX, Dean of Students Office, Office of Orientation and Transition, Office of Admissions, etc.) where such relationships would promote efficiency/effectiveness in fulfilling your job description.
• Student Staff Selection & Training – Provide active support of student staff selection (RA and HD) by assisting with interviews, reviewing applications, and participating on selection committees. Provide support for training efforts (pre-service, professional development, PSYC 100) through active participation on work groups and developing/facilitating training content.
• Committee Work –Serve on departmental and university committees as necessary.
• Professional Development – Accumulate a minimum of 20 hours of professional development during each performance evaluation period. Obtain hours by attending university, divisional, and department training. Attend conferences, get a certification, or complete other job-related training. Use professional development opportunities to stay relevant to trends and best practices. 

Qualifications:

Required:

• Bachelor’s Degree
• One (1) year or more of experience in Residence Life (graduate assistant or full-time experience considered)
• One (1) year or more of experience supervising staff or student employees

Preferred:

• Master’s Degree in Student Affairs, Higher Education, or a related field
• Full-time professional experience in Residence Life
• Demonstrated experience supervising residence hall or student staff
• Experience managing student conduct processes and documentation
• Demonstrated ability to respond effectively to crisis and student emergencies
• Experience creating and facilitating content for student staff training
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously

Additional Posting Information:

JMU’s Dual Career and Community Resources Program is available for candidates that will be relocating to the area. For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/2OTF1NG.

Conditions of Employment:  

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. James Madison University uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

EEO Statement:

James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.

We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality.

Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991.

Reasonable Accommodation:

If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance searching or applying for jobs please contact us at (540) 568-3597 or jobs@jmu.edu. You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office, located at 752 Ott Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 and we will be happy to assist you.