Residence Life Manager

The purpose of the Residence Life Manager position is to plan, implement and evaluate the UBC Student Residential Experience. The RLM is the manager for all Residence Life operations in their assigned on-campus area, including aspects of Residence Life operations that intersect with the work of other Student Housing teams.

The RLM directly supervises and provides direction to a team of 20-30 Residence Advisors. In particular, the RLM supports student success by fostering healthy and engaging student communities, managing the response to emergency and crisis situations, and independently investigating reports of disruptions to community standards. The RLM also shares responsibility with peers for managing Residence Life operations that span multiple residence areas.

At all times, the RLM upholds and seeks to achieve the Residence Life mission, vision and values. The RLM role models an efficient, results-oriented, critical-thinking perspective. The RLM exercises tact and discretion, in particular in terms of independently identifying how information should or should not be shared.

The RLM embraces opportunities for self-improvement, responds objectively to criticism and manages ambiguity with patience. The RLM guides students, including staff and volunteers, towards appropriate resources to help them take ownership of their concerns and challenges, as opposed to solving such issues for them. The RLM champions academic and other educationally purposeful initiatives.

Work Environment

The work is complex and requires managing multiple, sometimes simultaneous deadlines. The RLM must balance a range of tasks and responsibilities, many of which are very different in nature or function. Some objectives require quick, decisive, independent action, whereas others require patient, repeated follow-up and depend on multiple stakeholders. The RLM must seamlessly transition between working alone with minimal supervision, collaborating with peers on self-contained projects and contributing with staff from various areas to larger departmental or campus initiatives. Some contexts may require taking charge, whereas others may require stepping back. Interactions with students, colleagues and the broader university community are constant and require professionalism, precision, attention to detail and quick, critical thinking. Interactions may be stressful, for example when dealing with cases of significant mental health issues, serious conflict or facilities emergencies.

The RLM is required to live in an assigned apartment, is highly visible and works flexible hours. The RLM is on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for their assigned area and participates in an additional rotating residence-wide on-call schedule for facilities emergencies. Frequent irregular hours include extended workdays, attendance at evening and weekend meetings or other functions. Work has seasonal peaks and an annual cycle. Where applicable, the RLM is expected to dine on a regular basis in the residence dining room and to interact with staff and students.

The RLM’s area assignment may temporarily or permanently change based on operational needs. As well, the RLM may temporarily cover an additional residence area while colleagues are out of the office.

Organizational Status

The RLM reports to an Associate Director Residence Life.

The RLM provides supervision and direction to a team of Residence Advisors, Senior Residence Advisors, and/or Community Assistants.

As the manager for all Residence Life operations in their assigned on-campus area, the RLM works particularly closely with the Building Services Manager, Residence Front Desk Services Coordinator and Residence Dining Room Manager for that area to ensure efficient and effective Student Housing operations.

The RLM works with and provides direction as appropriate to a range of Student Housing colleagues, in particular Facilities and Building Services staff, Residence Front Desk staff and other administrative staff.

The RLM works collaboratively and proactively with UBC and community partners, including but not limited to the Early Alert Team, the Centre for Student Involvement and Careers, the Centre for Accessibility, the Equity and Inclusion Office, the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office, Campus and Community Planning, Campus Security, the Vancouver Fire Department and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The RLM advises the Area Council for their assigned residence area.

Work Performed

To be responsible for residence management in the following areas:

• Builds, motivates and supervises a team of part-time student staff. Leads and coaches towards effective performance and service excellence.
• Conducts performance management processes of Residence Life student staff which includes performance evaluations and discipline.
• Responsible for full cycle recruitment of Residence Life student staff which includes job descriptions, interviews, training and onboarding.
• Organizes and implements the orientation, training, and ongoing development of Residence Life student staff responding to current needs as necessary throughout the year.
• Provides 24 hour on-call management of staff responding to students in distress, and facilities emergencies.
• Ensures all employees work in a correct, safe manner, and are trained in regard to all necessary safety and environmental regulations, standards, practices and procedures. Ensures safety practices are in compliance with applicable WorkSafeBC regulations, UBC Student Housing and Community Services policy and UBC policy.

• Assist in budget preparation for Residence Life in assigned residence area and approves and dispenses departmental programming funds at an area level.
• Develop a year-long outline of educational, recreational, social and wellness programs and manages the programming in an assigned residence area.
• Direct Residence Life student staff in developing and implementing community building initiatives that foster healthy and engaging student communities.

• Promote, regulate, and administer residence behavioural standards process.
• Manage administrative judicial process (residence standards) in assigned residence area.
• Independently investigate and determine judicial sanctions.
• Assists with appeals of standards decisions.
• Reviews and revises residence behaviour standards, annually.

• Manage the response to emergency and critical incidents, including determining how best to support students who are directly involved and mitigate community impacts.
• Liaise with parents, faculty and other campus partners who may be impacted by emergencies or critical incidents.
• Building security and safety in residence.

• Guides students, including staff and volunteers, towards appropriate campus resources to help them take ownership of their concerns and challenges, as opposed to solving such issues for them; this includes helping identify the most appropriate campus resource when that is not initially clear.
• Responds to challenging inquiries regarding Student Housing policies and expectations by clarifying context and relevance.
• Guides and as necessary directs students in managing conflict that may not easily be resolved.

• Reviews and assesses all aspects of student life in residence including assessing the effectiveness of previous years’ policies, services and programs. Researches and writes reports with recommendations.
• Assist in the review and development of departmental policies and procedures.
• Initiate, develop and implement orientation programs that support students in their transition into and through their time in residence and university.

• Assist in developing and revising departmental documentation and other resources.
• Develops and implements other projects, as directed.

• Represent the Department with non-residence groups; including parents and campus organizations, regarding residence policies, student issues and concerns.
• Participate in other university committees as directed by the Associate Director Residence Life.
• Advise student council in assigned residence area. Provides guidance and continuity across academic years; is an information resource and educates and advises regarding departmental protocols, policies, and perspectives.

• Investigate and make decisions regarding damage assessment appeals.
• Develop and administer procedures for facilities/equipment reservations and use.
• Respond to reports of after-hours facilities emergencies. Investigate; decide appropriate course of action; authorize over-time for trades staff or make alternate arrangements for residents.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

The RLM represents the University and Student Housing & Community Services.

Incorrect decisions/judgments would directly affect the University's reputation with the professional community, community groups, students and faculties. Incorrect decisions would have an impact on the University's current and future ability to recruit and retain students, the hiring and supervision of Residence Life staff, various Student Housing operations, and the reputation of the University.

Poor judgment or failure to follow procedures or uphold standards could result in poor public relations, loss of property or injury to residents or staff, loss of revenue, damage to building and equipment, loss of prestige and potential legal liability for the University.

Department and University credibility and image are strongly impacted by ongoing interactions with students, parents, campus organizations and the community at large. Poor performance would result in failure to provide a safe and secure living environment for residents, as mandated by the University.

Supervision Received

The RLM reports to the Associate Director, Residence Life.

The RLM works independently in accordance with general directives and goals in implementing and administering departmental policies, directives and plans. The RLM’s work is reviewed in terms of achievement of goals and overall effectiveness in management of services.

The RLM meets regularly with an Associate Director, Residence Life to provide information, discuss cases of significantly heightened complexity or risk, advise on issues related to Student Housing operations that extend beyond the scope of the assigned residence area, and to assess current and future Student Housing operations.

The RLM is expected to make decisions with a managerial mindset and to exercise particularly good judgment regarding whether or not, and how, to escalate or refer a case or decision. The RLM remains independently attentive to detail and follows through to achieve outcomes.

Supervision Given

The RLM directly supervises 20 to 30 part-time staff.

Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of three to four years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Satisfactory Criminal Record Check
• Experience working in Student Housing

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own
- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

• Additional professional experience in another field strongly preferred
• Demonstrated ability to make independent managerial decisions and give direction
• Demonstrated ability to manage ambiguity
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate sensitive and/or contentious information, both verbal and in writing
• Demonstrated ability to respond to individuals in distress with care and empathy, while also maintaining appropriate boundaries
• Demonstrated ability to convey a calm, courteous and assertive sense of leadership when dealing with cases of heightened complexity or in situations of heightened tension
• Demonstrated ability to manage conflict that may not easily be resolved
• Demonstrated ability to nurture relationships with colleagues within other SHCS units and elsewhere on campus in order to achieve work outcomes
• Demonstrated ability to deliver presentations and/or speak in front of large groups of people
• Experience applying independent judgment to discern key information, issues and/or risks within complex or unclear situations
• Experience leading the development of a sense of community strongly preferred
• Experience developing engaging, outcome-focused training modules is an asset
• Experience manipulating data in spreadsheets and/or database software
• Experience managing a budget, approving expenditures and reconciling accounts is an asset
• Experience conducting assessment and evaluation is an asset
• Experience supervising unionized staff is an asset