Rapid Response and Community Support Manager

Position Summary

The Student Affairs Rapid Response and Community Support Manager is part of the Student Affairs division at Vanderbilt University and is a leader responsible for overseeing coordinated, real-time response to student-related crises, incidents, and high-impact events across the University. This position plays a critical role in ensuring student safety, wellbeing, and continuity of care by leading response efforts, supervising professional staff, and strengthening institutional crisis response systems, and also engages proactively with students to support a relationship-driven model.

About the Work Unit

Student Affairs serves a central role in student learning and development at Vanderbilt, advancing the University’s mission of teaching, research, and service. Student Affairs at Vanderbilt cultivates vibrant, inclusive communities that foster a student’s sense of belonging and wellbeing through collaborative partnerships, transformative learning experiences, and an accessible and holistic network of resources. We value connection, belonging, compassion, development, and innovation. Our staff are committed to continued growth in knowledge, awareness, skills, and experience engaging with these priorities in a higher education environment.

Key Functions and Expected Performance

• Serve on the Student Affairs Rapid Response and Community Support Team, a comprehensive crisis and incident management system that is responsive, flexible, and engaged in the University community, and provide direct, on the ground responses with discretion and effective decision-making.
• Manage staff in Specialist role and assist with position design, hiring, onboarding, training, scheduling, and on-call expectations.
• Aid in planning and participating in a comprehensive training program for response team staff, including crisis response, trauma-informed practices, mediation and conflict resolution, de-escalation techniques, and coordination with campus and community partners.
• Build and sustain relationships proactively with students in residential communities, student organizations, and other spaces through advising, event/program attendance, and support to ensure an understanding of campus culture and dynamics necessary in a relationship-driven model.
• Execute 24/7 incident response involving students, including individual student crises, demonstrations and protests, event-related incidents, and other emergent situations.
• Coordinate institutional responses to individual student crises, including mental health emergencies, safety concerns, behavioral incidents, and other urgent student needs.
• Assist with implementation of protocols and actions in the event of a student death.
• Manage demonstrations, protests, and high-impact student activities and events, ensuring appropriate planning, monitoring, and response in collaboration with students, student organizations, and campus partners.
• Participate in the University Emergency Operations Center (EOC) during large-scale events or emergencies involving students.
• Engage with parents related to emergencies, crises, and/or incidents, as needed.
• Cook up response and support efforts in residence halls or for student living off campus when students require immediate support or intervention.
• Aid in mediation or conflict resolution for conflicts involving students or student groups.
• Serve in an on-call leadership capacity to support Specialists.
• Elevate issues to the Associate Dean, when needed, and ensure clear and consistent documentation of responses.
• Aid in implementing an assessment and evaluation framework for the Student Affairs Response Team.
• Aid in reporting and post-incident review processes to evaluate response effectiveness, identify trends, and strengthen institutional preparedness and student support systems.
• Collaborate with campus partners including Public Safety, Residential Experience, Student Care Network, Office of the General Counsel, and Communications to ensure coordinated, consistent, and student-centered responses.
• Cook up response and support efforts in residence halls or for student living off campus when students require immediate support or intervention.
• Coordinate transitions of care following crises or incidents by connecting students to appropriate campus and community resources for ongoing support and follow-up.
• Contribute to the broader mission and objectives of Student Affairs and the University by serving on divisional and institutional committees, task forces, and working groups.
• Actively participate in key divisional initiatives and events, including Move-In Day and all-division meetings and gatherings.
• Maintain a working knowledge of relevant university policies, procedures, and systems—such as those related to travel, procurement, expense, and time reporting—to ensure effective, compliant, and responsible operations.
• Demonstrate a collaborative spirit by supporting divisional colleagues and engaging in efforts that advance shared goals and strategic priorities.

Institutional, Divisional, and Department Administration

• Contribute to the broader mission and objectives of Student Affairs and the University by serving on divisional and institutional committees, task forces, and working groups.
• Actively participate in key divisional initiatives and events, including Move-In Day and all-division meetings and gatherings.
• Maintain a working knowledge of relevant university policies, procedures, and systems—such as those related to travel, procurement, expense, and time reporting—to ensure effective, compliant, and responsible operations.
• Demonstrate a collaborative spirit by supporting divisional colleagues and engaging in efforts that advance shared goals and strategic priorities.