Resident Director

About the Role

At Bethel, being a Resident Director (RD) means you aren't just managing a building—you're building a home. We're looking for someone who wants to do life alongside our students, serving as a mentor, leader, and a steady presence in our Christ-centered community. The Resident Director plays a vital leadership role in shaping a vibrant, student-centered residential experience at Bethel University. This full-time, 10-month, live-on campus position provides holistic leadership for a residence hall community, fostering a living-learning environment where students thrive academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. Resident Directors lead through presence, mentorship, and collaboration by supporting students directly, developing student staff, managing day-to-day operations, and responding to emergent needs. This role requires a thoughtful and intentional integration of professional responsibilities and residential life, grounded in Bethel's Christ-centered mission.

This position includes on-campus housing as part of the total compensation package, featuring a two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment located within a residence hall. A meal plan may also be included, helping reduce out-of-pocket living expenses. The starting annual salary is $37,647, in addition to the housing and meal benefit.

What You'll Do

• Community Development (30%): Cultivate a welcoming and engaging residence hall community through intentional programming, relationship-building, and regular visibility. Support students' holistic development by fostering connections that encourage growth, belonging, and accountability.
• Student Staff Supervision (25%): Recruit, hire, train, and supervise a team of Resident Assistants (RAs). Provide ongoing coaching, feedback, and leadership development for student staff.
• Student Care & Crisis Management (20%): Support student well-being through advising, care coordination, and administrative follow-up. Participate in a professional on-call rotation, including emergency response and crisis management.
• Administrative & Operational Leadership (20%): Oversee residence hall operations, including housing logistics, facilities coordination, and budget management. Maintain accurate housing records and ensure organized, compliant administrative processes.
• Collaboration & Professional Engagement (5%): Meet regularly with the Director of Residence and Community Life and collaborate with the Residence Life and Student Engagement teams. Participate in committees, professional development opportunities, and other responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred.

Experience: Prior experience in residence life or a closely related student development role required; 1+ year of professional residence life experience preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong interpersonal and written communication skills.
• Excellent organizational and administrative abilities.
• Demonstrated leadership and supervisory experience.
• High emotional intelligence and ability to manage confidential information.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Proficiency with Microsoft and Google Suites.
• Capacity to mentor students spiritually, professionally, personally, and emotionally.
• Must be able to respond effectively in high-stress or emergency situations.
• Ability to live on-campus in a residence hall apartment 12-months per year.

Additional Responsibilities

Bethel's mission is to educate and equip students to lead lives of impact through transformative academics in a Christ-centered community. Bethel's employee community plays a central role in developing our students as whole and holy persons. To carry out this mission, Bethel uses the foundation of our guiding documents, the Affirmation of Faith, Community Covenant, and Key Policies. Bethel expects all employees to actively participate in creating our Christ-centered community by agreeing with and abiding by our core beliefs in the Affirmation of Faith and supporting all other beliefs as Biblical, responsible, and thoughtful approaches while avoiding dissension and divisiveness. Employees teach and mentor students and help one another uphold our Community Covenant commitments. As a result of these expectations, all University employees act as ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ by actively partnering with the University to carry out its mission and foster Bethel's Christ-centered covenant community.

Work Environment

• This is a live-on position, requiring residency in a campus residence hall. Housing is provided as a benefit.
• Evening and weekend work is required as job responsibilities demand.
• Work schedules fluctuate and are responsive to the rhythms of residential life.
• This is a full-time, 10-month position, averaging 40+ hours per week.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. Specific vision abilities required include close vision and ability to adjust focus. The job requires traversing the Bethel Campus on a regular basis. Must be able to respond effectively in high-stress or emergency situations. Reasonable accommodations may be made to ensure people are able to perform the essential functions.

Benefits

Bethel is committed to offering meaningful benefits to our employees including health insurance, retirement plans, and a generous time off package.