Resident Director

WHITMAN COLLEGE

Located in the historic community of Walla Walla, Whitman’s vibrant and beautiful tree-lined campus is home to an intellectually diverse, dynamic, welcoming and supportive community of some 500 staff and faculty serving approximately 1,500 students from the local region and across the globe. With exceptional students, accomplished faculty and staff, and a fiercely loyal and growing number of engaged alumni, Whitman College continues to build on its national reputation for academic excellence as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country.  

Whitman College is cultivating a community built on inclusion and belonging. We recognize the value of those who can offer historically underrepresented perspectives and encourage applications from those whose background, knowledge, and insights from lived experience can add to the college’s working and learning environment. Whitman College is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer (EEO).

POSITION PURPOSE

The Resident Director plays a vital role in fostering a supportive, inclusive, and engaging residential environment that aligns with the educational mission of the College. As a live-in professional, the Resident Director serves as a mentor, educator, and community leader, helping students navigate their college experience and make meaningful use of campus resources and opportunities. Responsible for the overall management of one or more residential communities, this role oversees daily operations, supervises student staff, and leads efforts in community development, crisis response, and student support. 

This position offers a dynamic opportunity for emerging professionals to develop and refine leadership, problem-solving, and organizational skills within a collaborative and student-centered framework. Resident Directors are empowered to exercise sound judgment, adapt to changing needs, and grow through structured professional development and hands-on experience. 

This position offers a one-year appointment, at a 0.78 FTE, working 1,616 hours during the academic year, from mid-August through May 2026, and reports to the Director of Residence Life & Housing. 

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

Supervision (30%)

• Supervise a team of paraprofessional Resident Assistants, including leading team meetings, meeting with Resident Assistants one on one, and provide feedback and mentorship.


• Present and facilitate training for student and professional staff. 


• Provide ongoing team building and develop a sense of group support and learning for your staff.


• Participate in paraprofessional staff recruitment and hiring processes.

Community Development and Programming (30%)

• Develop strategic goals for learning and development within residential spaces. 


• Arrange and facilitate social and academic events and programs.


• Advise student group programming including student hall government. 


• Act as a resource for residents requesting program information.


• Encourage alcohol and drug education programs.


• Encourage residents to respect others’ rights and maintain a safe and secure community atmosphere. 


• Lead substantial projects and programming initiatives for all on campus students.

Counseling, Referral, and Crisis Response (20%)

• Be generally available to residents and communicate effectively with students, staff, and faculty. 


• Be supportive of inclusive excellence best practices to best support community members. 


• Counsel students concerning personal college concerns and refer to other resources when appropriate.


• Respond to student wellbeing concerns, including those referred through the College’s CARE Team, and keep clear records in the College’s care network platform.


• Participate in an on-call rotation to assist other junior professional staff in the event of a crisis or unexpected significant concern.

Administration (20%)

• Inform residents of College functions, resources, and beneficial off-campus agencies. 


• Attend Residence Life professional team meetings and facilitate student staff meetings.


• Open and close the hall at each hall closure period. 


• Collect and report information on hall maintenance problems.


• Maintain accurate and current hall records, including weekly logs, floor plans, key check-out and inventory, space scheduling, expenditure accounts, incident reports, damage reports, and room condition reports.


• Keep the Residence Life and Housing Office informed as to all room changes and change requests.


• Interpret and enforce College policy in residential spaces.


• Meet with students about student conduct violations when instructed to do so.


• Be responsive to communications including emails in a timely manner.


• Serve on campus committees as requested.


• Represent the College to parents and guests.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

Must be able to explain and/or demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skills, and abilities to safely perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation. Specifically,

• Ability to actively and positively contribute to the College’s core values of diversity, equity, inclusion, antiracism and access. 


• Ability to build community among residential undergraduate college students.


• Ability to stay organized, set attainable goals, and complete projects without reminders.


• Ability to facilitate team building, present training material, and speak to large groups. 


• Ability to be flexible and be comfortable with ambiguity.


• Ability to communicate clearly on difficult topics while being empathetic. 


• Ability to manage email and text communications and respond in a timely manner.


• Ability to work both independently and in a team-focused educational environment and be ready to jump in and take on new projects as needed.

PREFERRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Experience presenting to groups and leading trainings.


• Knowledge of Student Development Theory.


• Experience with diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, antiracism, and accessibility programming, theories, or analysis.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's Degree.


• Experience working with undergraduate residential college communities.


• Experience working in Student Affairs. 


• OR a combination of relevant education, training, and experience. 

Whitman College values diverse pathways to acquiring skills and knowledge and encourages applicants to demonstrate how their background aligns with the role.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Possess a valid driver’s license with the ability to pass a motor vehicle report and three years of driving history.
  

Please note that while the description details both required and preferred qualifications, we want applicants to be aware that they do not need to have all of the preferred qualifications to be considered for this position. If you meet the minimum qualifications and have passion for the work, you are encouraged to apply.

ADDITIONAL PERKS, BENEFITS AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• This is a live-in position and comes with a 1-2 bedroom/1-2 bathroom residence hall apartment.


• Position includes a full meal plan (more than $5,000 in meal money per year with some purchasing limitations on retail goods).

WORKING CONDITIONS

• This position includes evening and weekend work and offers a flexible work schedule. 

BENEFITS 

Whitman College offers a competitive benefits program that is designed to attract qualified candidates and retain talented employees. Full-time employees enjoy the following benefits:

Medical/Dental/Vision Insurances.

Basic life, accidental death and dismemberment and long term disability insurances with the capability to elect additional voluntary coverage.

403(b) Defined Contribution Retirement Plan with a 10% matching contribution after eligibility requirements are met.

Paid Time Off is accrued based on hours worked. 

Tuition Remission – Dependent Children

Employee
tuition waiver for two Whitman courses per semester.

Employee Assistance Program

Relocation assistance for eligible employees. 

Learn more about benefits eligibility here. 

DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION FOR JOB CANDIDATES

Contact Human Resources regarding requests for disability accommodation in the employment application process.

APPLICATION REVIEW

Application review will begin on June 22, 2025 and continue until the position is filled. 

START DATE

August 13, 2025