Area Coordinator for Residence Life

Location: Hickory, North Carolina

About the role

The Area Coordinator (AC) is a 12-month, live-in professional staff member within the Office of Residence Life at Lenoir-Rhyne University. The AC is an integral member of the Residence Life team, providing direct support to students through community engagement, programming, crisis response, and individualized student outreach. As part of a collaborative and student-centered Student Life team, the AC helps foster a safe, inclusive, and vibrant residential environment.

The AC is responsible for the day-to-day management of a residential area housing approximately 400 students, including training and supervising a team of resident assistants. The AC also serves in an on-call rotation to provide crisis intervention and emergency response support. To support on-call responsibilities and integration within the residential community, the AC is provided with a private, fully furnished apartment in a residence hall. This includes a full kitchen, utilities, cable, and internet, offered as part of the overall compensation package.

Responsibilities

• Train, supervise, and evaluate a team of undergraduate and graduate Resident Assistants, ensuring strong performance, leadership development, and support of departmental goals.
• Promote individual and community growth through one-on-one and group advising, staff development, intentional role modeling, and collaborative programming.
• Collaborate with campus partners to enhance community engagement, share resources, and increase visibility of residence hall events and initiatives.
• Oversee the student development and housing operations of assigned residence halls in collaboration with the Director of Residence Life and Student Conduct.
• Coordinate and support check-in/check-out procedures and related housing logistics.
• Develop and implement programs independently and in partnership with staff and students that foster inclusive communities and meet the educational, cultural, recreational, and social needs of residents.
• Serve as the lead on one or more departmental collateral areas (e.g., RA recruitment and selection, RA training and development, housing operations, facilities, assessment) based on departmental needs, individual strengths, and professional growth goals.
• Assist with student retention initiatives as needed.
• Serve as a hearing officer for student conduct matters, providing fair and educational processes that support student growth and uphold community standards.
• Provide occasional support to the Office of Student Support and Outreach, contributing to broader student well-being efforts.
• Respond to emergencies efficiently and compassionately to ensure the safety and well-being of residents.
• Participate in a rotating on-call schedule with other Residence Life staff, providing 24-hour emergency response, including responding to medical incidents and accompanying students to the hospital when necessary.
• Assist the Director of Residence Life and Student Conduct in reviewing and developing residential policies and procedures.
• Build and maintain collaborative partnerships with campus stakeholders across all university locations.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Director of Residence Life and Student Conduct.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Experience using social media platforms for communication or engagement.
• Prior experience in Residence Life or a related student affairs area.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to manage sensitive and confidential situations with professionalism and effectively interact with individuals at all levels of the university.
• Exceptional time management and organizational skills with strong attention to detail.
• Well-developed analytical, problem-solving, and conflict resolution skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Counseling, or a related field.
• Experience in planning and implementing residence hall programming.
• Experience supervising student staff or peer leaders.
• Experience using residential software, such as eRezLife.
• Training in crisis intervention, de-escalation, or related response techniques.

Benefits

Compensation includes salary, benefits, a private one- or two-bedroom, one-bath apartment in student housing with utilities, cable, internet, free parking, and a limited meal plan.

Schedule

Standard office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with rotational and occasional evening and weekend responsibilities as needed. Participation in an on-call rotation with other Residence Life staff is required. Schedule is subject to change based on university needs, the academic calendar, and institutional growth.

About Lenoir-Rhyne University

Lenoir-Rhyne University is a co-educational, private, comprehensive institution founded in 1891, with its traditional campus located in Hickory, North Carolina, a city of more than 40,000. The university has additional graduate centers in Asheville, N.C., and Columbia, S.C. Situated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Lenoir-Rhyne is less than an hour’s drive from Charlotte, and the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area has a population of about 365,000. The university now offers more than 45 undergraduate and 20 graduate degree programs to approximately 2,400 students.

Lenoir-Rhyne University seeks to liberate mind and spirit, clarify personal faith, foster physical wholeness, build community, and promote responsible leadership for service to the world. Affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Lenoir-Rhyne is open to people from all religious and non-religious backgrounds.