Residential Life Assistant

About the Role

The Residential Life Assistant (House Sister) supports the day-to-day execution of the HomeWorks residential program by providing direct supervision, mentorship, and support to scholars. This role helps maintain a safe, structured, and supportive residential environment where scholars can thrive academically, develop leadership, and grow as individuals. Reporting to the Assistant Director of Residential Life, the Residential Life Assistant ensures that residential expectations, routines, and systems are executed consistently and that scholars receive strong day-to-day support aligned with HomeWorks' mission and Theory of Change. This is a scholar-facing role focused on building relationships, modeling expectations, and supporting the daily implementation of residential routines, programming, and community norms. Because HomeWorks operates as a residential program, the Residential Life Assistant lives on campus and provides supervision and support from Sunday evenings to Friday mornings.

Responsibilities

Residential Life Culture & Scholar Development - 40%

• Model and reinforce residential expectations related to scholar behavior, routines, respect, and shared community responsibilities.
• Build strong relationships with scholars, serving as a consistent, trusted adult who supports their well-being and development.
• Support the planning and execution of residential programming, community meetings, and activities that strengthen scholar engagement and sense of belonging.
• Provide day-to-day guidance, encouragement, and accountability to support scholars in developing independence, responsibility, and life skills.
• Support scholars in completing homework, preparing for school, and maintaining strong academic habits during study hall and structured academic time.
• Support cohort leaders by accurately inputting, updating, and monitoring scholar data (including attendance, behavior, and engagement) to ensure timely and informed decision-making.
• Identify and communicate changes in scholar behavior, engagement, or well-being within 24 hours to support timely follow-up and intervention.
• Reinforce scholar support plans and expectations through consistent follow-through and encouragement.
• Support scholar communication by preparing materials and sending timely updates on weekly programming calendars and residential life events.
• Escalate significant or urgent scholar situations to the Assistant Director, with escalation to the Director as needed.

Residential Operations & Safety - 35%

• Support the consistent execution of daily residential routines, including morning, after-school and evening schedules.
• Provide active supervision of scholars throughout the residential environment, ensuring safety, appropriate behavior, and adherence to expectations at all times.
• Ensure scholars are present, prepared, and on time for all required activities, including school, programming, meals, and study hall.
• Support the implementation of attendance, sign-in/sign-out, and health-related procedures, ensuring accurate and timely updates are recorded and communicated to support team awareness and follow-through.
• Maintain awareness and communicate of who is present in the building at all times, including scholars, staff, and visitors, and ensure all guest and volunteer sign-in procedures are followed.
• Support a clean, organized, and safe residential environment by reinforcing expectations for shared spaces, cleanliness, and personal responsibility.
• Communicate safety concerns, facility issues, or supervision needs in real time to ensure appropriate awareness and response.
• Support residential inventory systems by maintaining organization of supplies, accurately updating usage or check-out logs (e.g., devices, materials), and proactively communicating low inventory or replenishment needs.
• Serve as the primary bus aide, ensuring scholar safety, appropriate behavior, and adherence to expectations during transportation to and from the dorm.

Residential Life Content Creation & Storytelling - 10%

• Capture photos and videos of scholars during programming, field trips, daily routines, and key events that reflect authentic scholar experiences.
• Document moments that highlight scholar growth, community, and engagement within the residential environment.
• Partner with scholars to co-create content, inviting their perspectives, ideas, and voice, so they feel ownership of how their stories and experiences are shared.
• Share and upload content to Google Photo albums in a timely manner to support organizational storytelling, communications, and development efforts.
• Create quarterly family and friends newsletters that capture and communicate the scholar experience within the residential program.
• Ensure all content is captured and shared in alignment with HomeWorks guidelines related to scholar privacy, consent, and appropriate representation.

Team Collaboration & Professional Growth - 15%

• Contribute to a strong and collaborative residential team environment by communicating updates, supporting team norms, and reinforcing expectations.
• Participate actively in team meetings, trainings, and professional development opportunities.
• Proactively seek and apply feedback to strengthen performance and effectiveness.
• Demonstrate reliability, initiative, and growth in taking on responsibilities within the residential program.
• Participate in scholar recruitment events led by the Enrollment & Engagement team, helping create a welcoming and engaging residential environment for prospective scholars and families.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or currently completing a degree (or equivalent experience), preferably in education, psychology, social work, or a related field.
• Experience working with youth or adolescents.
• Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to maintain clear expectations and boundaries.
• Ability to supervise and engage groups of scholars in a structured environment.
• Strong communication, attention to detail, and organizational skills.
• Reliable, flexible, and able to remain calm in a fast-paced residential environment.
• Demonstrated initiative, accountability, and ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Growth mindset and alignment with HomeWorks' mission and values.
• Willingness to live on campus and work Sunday evenings through Friday mornings.
• Familiarity with Google Workspace and/or willingness to learn systems such as Salesforce, Asana, or other data and project management tools.
• Proficiency in Spanish.

Schedule

Location: Our temporary dorm is located in Lawrenceville, NJ, but our permanent campus headquarters will be located in Trenton, NJ.

Start Date: August 3, 2026

School Year - September to June

• Sunday: 4:30pm-10pm
• Monday to Thursday: 1:30pm-9:30pm
• Monday to Friday: 6:15am-6:45am/8am (occasionally until 8am if on bus route)
• Monthly Wednesday Professional Development Training - 12:00pm-1:30pm

Summer - July to August

• Monday to Friday 9am-5pm

May work occasional weekends and night events when necessary. Please note that times may be scheduled to change, and may vary if an emergency or unexpected situation occurs.

Salary & Benefits

Salary: In your first year, expect a compensation package of $61,500 - $65,500, with a salary of $36,000 - $40,000, fully furnished housing valued at $22,000/year during the year and daily dinners valued at $3,500/year during the school year when the program is in session.

Benefits:

• Your own residential room in our new campus dormitory Fall of 2026, for the duration that you are employed with our organization.
• Medical, Dental, Vision plan offerings
• Long-term Disability Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• 401k plan
• Paid Time Off: During the school year - Following our partner school holiday schedules, which is approximately 22 days. During the summer - returning residential staff get 15 days off. Please Note: residential staff are unable to take vacation time off while our program is in session and our scholars are staying overnight in the dorm during the academic year.
• Smartphone and fully paid wireless plan through Mint Mobile
• Professional development and leadership growth opportunities
• A rewarding career that positively impacts our amazing scholars