Residence Life and Operations Manager, Pre-College Programs

This position is not eligible for sponsorship of non-immigrant or immigrant visa status through Wake Forest University.

About the Role

The Residence Life Manager (RLM) plays a leadership role in managing the student staff, hiring, onboarding, and training process, and fostering a positive, safe, and harmonious residential campus culture for Wake Forest University’s Pre-College Programs. This includes the College LAUNCH for Leadership program, which helps high school juniors grow as leaders and deepen their social awareness, and the Summer Immersion Program, a week-long, hands-on learning experience led by world-class faculty, researchers, and industry professionals.

Responsibilities

Recruitment, Staffing, and Training

• Develop and execute a targeted marketing and recruitment strategy to attract high-caliber Wake Forest undergraduate and graduate students for roles including:
  • Teaching Assistants (TAs): Support academic programming in the classroom.
  • Student Engagement Interns (SEIs): Build community and social connections while enforcing residential policies and procedures.
  • Marketing Interns: Capture the program story through photos, videos, social media, and newsletters.
  • Operations Interns: Support logistics and create materials for programming.
  • Residence Life Coordinator: Enforce residential policies while managing a team of SEIs, oversee evening activities, and provide high-level residential support.
• Manage and implement a comprehensive hiring process, including recruitment, interviews, and administrative requirements.
• Facilitate the hiring and onboarding of all seasonal student staff and plan and lead a comprehensive training week to align staff with the WFU Pre-College Programs mission and safety protocols.
• Develop and execute week-long training modules for 40+ undergraduate staff members, preparing them for operational and student-support demands.
• Design and implement a comprehensive evaluation strategy to assess staff recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and training processes using surveys, focus groups, and one-on-one meetings.
• Conduct a structured mid-summer assessment to identify successes, challenges, and opportunities for improvement.
• Develop and execute a targeted hiring strategy to attract College LAUNCH alumni as volunteers and work-study staff.
• Facilitate the hiring, training, and onboarding of College LAUNCH mentors, work-study staff, and volunteers.
• Ensure accountability of mentors, volunteers, and work-study students through meetings and 1:1 check-ins.

Residential Life Leadership

• Create and maintain a positive, inclusive, and constructive campus culture for seasonal staff and high school students.
• Develop and implement policies and procedures ensuring student and staff safety and well-being, including physical, mental, and emotional health.
• Develop and implement systems for addressing concerns to ensure a safe, comfortable, and welcoming environment.
• Oversee check-in/check-out procedures, including room assignments, inventory checks, and regular dormitory inspections to ensure cleanliness and safety standards.
• Ensure adherence to the student code of conduct within the residential community, empowering staff to address behavioral concerns and uphold program expectations.
• Provide guidance and oversight for conduct-related incidents and implement disciplinary actions, including dismissal procedures when necessary.

Operations Management & Logistical Coordination

• Serve as the operational point of contact between Pre-College Programs and university auxiliary departments, including WFU Conference Services, Dining Services, Facilities, IT, and Transportation/Parking.
• Oversee procurement, tracking, organization, and distribution of program assets, including academic supplies, operational technology, signage, evening activity materials, and residential access cards/keys.
• Manage reservations and logistical setups for academic classrooms, recreational facilities, and large-scale event spaces.
• Monitor and track summer operational expenditures, reconcile procurement cards (P-Cards), manage petty cash workflows, and ensure adherence to university financial policies.
• Coordinate with external vendors and charter bus services for field trips, off-campus excursions, and programmatic deliveries.
• Manage the end-to-end room assignment process, including room selection, roommate matching, room changes, and building maintenance requests.
• Oversee the development and management of all program rosters and staff assignments, including orientation groups, campus tour groups, check-in rosters, institute rosters, SEI group assignments, airport shuttle manifests, Google Classroom rosters, academic leader assignments, and medical/dietary accommodation rosters.
• Develop, manage, and maintain Google Classrooms for all Pre-College Programs and program staff, curating daily schedules, program materials, announcements, and resources.
• Coordinate the collection, organization, and dissemination of guest presenter materials, including presentations, handouts, biographies, and supplemental resources.

Safety and Security

• Oversee large-scale residential operations for students and staff, managing behavioral scenarios and exercising final authority on disciplinary actions, including participant or personnel dismissal.
• Collaborate with campus security and university personnel to address emergencies or health concerns.
• Maintain a secure environment through constant vigilance and adherence to university residential policies.

Evening Activities and Workshops

• Plan, coordinate, and oversee engaging evening activities and workshops in collaboration with Residence Life Coordinators and SEIs.
• Facilitate student participation to foster a sense of community and camaraderie.
• Ensure SEIs lead evening activities throughout the summer.
• Assess the impact of evening programs and adjust strategies to improve the student experience.

Supervision and Training

• Directly supervise and mentor a large team of seasonal residential SEIs and Residence Life Assistants.
• Provide ongoing training and regular check-ins to ensure staff effectively assist with logistics and maintain a positive atmosphere.
• Maintain high performance standards across the seasonal team through weekly staff meetings and 1:1s.
• Develop staff training for seasonal staff members in program operations, student safety and well-being, conflict resolution, disciplinary procedures, team culture, professionalism, and customer service.

Administrative Duties

• Maintain accurate records, including incident reports, maintenance requests, and program evaluations.
• Partner with program leadership to address programmatic, behavioral, social-emotional, or operational challenges.
• Oversee residence halls to ensure a clean, safe, and welcoming environment.

Schedule

• Residential Requirement: Live in an assigned Wake Forest University residence hall, supervising high school students and staff from Sunday afternoon through Friday afternoon for the duration of the program (June and July).
• Non-standard Work Schedule: Typically requires 37.5 hours per week. During summer, requires regular evening shifts until midnight. Flexibility is essential to accommodate weekend hours for student check-in/check-out days.
• Work 1 Saturday per month (September - May) to assist with the College LAUNCH for Leadership Program from 9 am - 2 pm in Winston-Salem and Charlotte, North Carolina.
• Required Staff Move-in: May 29, 2026 (2:00 pm – 5:00 pm).
• Required Staff Training: June 1 – 5, 2026.

A valid driver's license is required.