Associate Director of Residence Life

Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Western North Carolina, UNC Asheville is the designated public liberal arts campus in the University of North Carolina system. UNC Asheville is nationally known for the quality of our student-centered teaching, mentoring of undergraduates in research, interdisciplinary learning, and a welcoming campus community.

In addition to award-winning faculty, UNCA has also ranked high in Research.com, US News & World Report and the Princeton Review in 2025.

Research.com - #8 in Best Colleges, #11 Most Affordable Colleges in NC, #16 Best Value Colleges in NC

US News & World Report - #9 in Top Public Schools

Princeton Reviews - #7 in Top 50 Guide to Green Schools

Employees of UNCA are provided with a comprehensive benefits package as well as other resources, policies and programs to ensure a happy and healthy work/life balance. Benefit eligible employees have access to dental, vision and health insurance plans - eligibility begins on the first of the month following date of hire. Retirement plan contributions begin on the eligibility date following election and include employer contributions for either a defined contribution or a defined benefit plan. Optional disability plans are also available. Eligible employees have access to tuition waivers for up to three courses per academic year; employees may enroll at any of the constituent UNC System campuses. Also offered are group exercise classes, and free access to the campus recreation center for full time employees, vaccine shots are also offered on campus, pretax flexible spending accounts, 12 paid holidays and 24 hours of paid community service leave each year. Leave earning employees (staff and 12-month faculty) who work at least half of the working days of their first month of employment will begin accruing vacation and sick leave immediately. Paid parental leave after 12 months of continuous service.

Routine office hours are defined as Monday-Friday from 8:00am - 5:00pm. However, due to the nature of this position, student support, and University needs, weekend and after-hours work is often required. In many instances after hours work is scheduled, however sometimes it is an emergency or unexpected incident that requires time outside of normal workday. On-call rotation is part of this role as well.

As part of the live-in requirements of the Associate Director position, it is required that the on-campus residence provided must be the individual's primary residence and that person must maintain high visibility within their residential areas of responsibility.

The Associate Director for Residence Life is a 12-month, live-in, senior-level administrative position within the Office of Housing & Residence Life and a key member of the departmental leadership team. This position provides strategic oversight and direction for all aspects of the residence life program, including the development and support of residence hall environments that promote student success and engagement. The Associate Director is responsible for the recruitment, supervision, training, and evaluation of live-on professional staff, and for establishing and maintaining high standards in community development, student support, and crisis response. Additionally, this role indirectly oversees the entirety of the Resident Assistant staff.

The Associate Director is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Residence Life while advancing departmental priorities, leading assessment, and continuous improvement initiatives. As a vital member of the Division of Student Affairs, the Associate Director exercises significant independent judgment, manages complex administrative functions, and fosters collaborative partnerships across the institution to enhance the residential experience.

A Master's degree in higher education, college student personnel, counseling, human development or a related field; four (4) or more years of full-time experience in student affairs (2 years of graduate assistant experience equates to 1 year of full-time experience); working knowledge of student development theory and the ability to incorporate this into your practice, especially with today's student population; ability to serve on a rotating on-call basis including nights, weekends and holidays.

Five (5) or more years of full-time experience in Housing and/or Residence Life; previous live-on staff experience; experience serving on a rotating on-call basis supporting residential students; experience supervising student staff, full-time staff, and/or graduate assistants; experience in coordinating student staff training and development.

Must be detail oriented and have excellent interpersonal, customer service, organization and planning, prioritization, problem solving, follow through, time management, and oral & written communication skills. Must be flexible and possess the ability to successfully handle multiple tasks/projects simultaneously and work well under pressure, independently, and in a team-oriented environment. Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and Google platforms is required.

The Associate Director is responsible for implementing protocol to address emergencies/crises/mental health issues including: eating disorders, incidents of self- harm, alcohol and drug use/abuse/overdose, and Title IX prohibited offenses.

As part of the live-in requirement of the Associate Director, this individual is responsible for providing support to other staff for critical incidents that occur in the residence halls including after hours and on weekends. While the Associate Director is not expected to remain on campus or in a residence hall at all times while in this position, the live-in requirement allows for prompt, professional responses when these situations arise. Even when not on-call, the Associate Director is expected to respond to major crises (student death, building fire, etc.) once becoming aware of them, provided he or she is on campus at the time of the event.

Applications must be submitted online no later than 11:59 p.m. ( EST) on the closing date for each specific position. Please note that any documents submitted to Human Resources or the hiring departments become property of UNC Asheville and will not be returned. Official verification from each college/university you have attended are required upon employment, and will be requested directly from the college/university by Human Resources or from the National Student Clearinghouse. Any expense will be the responsibility of the employee. Educational degrees must be from an appropriately accredited institution. If no applicants apply who meet the required competency and training and experience requirements, management may consider other applicants. Salary would be determined based on competencies, equity, budget, and market considerations. It is the policy of UNC Asheville to conduct pre-employment background investigations on all candidates selected for employment. If hired, the candidate will be required to submit proof of eligibility to work in the United States. New employees are paid only by direct deposit to the financial institution of their choice.

UNC Asheville uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify. Proper documentation of identity and employability are required at the time of employment.

All new employees are required to have listed credentials/degrees verified within 30 days of employment. All new employees who will be teaching are required to provide official transcripts within 30 days of employment. Transcripts should be provided for the highest earned degree and/or the degree which is being used to satisfy credential/qualification requirements.

The UNC Asheville Annual Safety Report is available online at UNCA Safety Report. For more information please contact the Assistant Vice Chancelor for Institutional Integrity & Access/Clery Act Compliance Officer at (828) 232-5658 or email oiia@unca.edu . The report, required of all universities participating in Title IV student financial aid programs, discusses crime statistics, procedures for reporting suspicious or criminal activity, security, police authority, crime prevention strategies, university policies on substance abuse and sexual offenses, workplace violence and fire safety.