Residence Life Manager, Pre-College Programs

Job Description Summary

Wake Forest University’s Pre-College Programs Department, which includes the College LAUNCH for Leadership program and Summer Immersion program, is seeking a dedicated, enthusiastic, and experienced leader to join our team as the Residence Life Manager (RLM). This vital role is central to ensuring the success, safety, and well-being of high school students residing on campus during the summer program. The 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.

The RLM will support Pre-College Programs, including:

- The College LAUNCH for Leadership Program: Expands access to higher education by helping high school juniors grow as leaders, deepen their social awareness, and explore the opportunities available to them through college and beyond.

- The Summer Immersion Program: Offers high school students a week-long, hands-on learning experience led by world-class faculty, researchers, and industry professionals.

Job Description

*This position is not eligible for sponsorship of non-immigrant or immigrant visa status through Wake Forest University. All eligible applicants are encouraged to apply.

Essential Functions:

Recruitment, Staffing, and Training

The RLM is responsible for the recruitment, staffing, and training of seasonal student staff and volunteers, specifically targeting Wake Forest undergraduate and graduate students.

• Recruitment: Develop and execute a targeted marketing strategy to attract high-caliber Wake Forest students for various roles.
• Selection & Interviewing: Manage and implement the comprehensive hiring process that includes recruitment, interviews, and setting the key administrative requirements for the following positions:
• 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 SIP story through photos, videos, social media, and newsletters.
• Operations Interns: Support the logistics and create materials for programming.
• Residence Life Coordinator: Enforce residential policies while managing a team of Student Engagement Interns, oversee evening activities, and provide high-level residential support.
• Onboarding: Facilitate the hiring of all seasonal student staff, plan and lead a comprehensive training week to ensure all staff are aligned with the WFU Pre-College Programs mission and safety protocols.

Residential Life Leadership

• Foster a Culture of Belonging: Create and maintain a positive, inclusive, and constructive campus culture for seasonal staff and high school students.
• Student & Staff Safety: Develop and implement policies and procedures that ensure student and staff safety and well-being. Inclusive of physical, mental, and emotional health.
• Student & Staff Satisfaction: Develop and implement a system for addressing concerns, ensuring a safe, comfortable, and welcoming environment.
• Residence Hall Logistics: Oversee check-in/check-out procedures, including room assignments, inventory checks, and regular dormitory inspections to ensure cleanliness and safety standards.

College LAUNCH for Leadership Program Volunteers and Work-Study

• Recruitment: Develop and execute a targeted marketing strategy to attract high-caliber College LAUNCH alumni to serve as volunteers and work study staff members.
• Training and Onboarding: Facilitate the hiring of all College LAUNCH mentors and volunteers, plan and lead a comprehensive training to ensure all staff are aligned with the WFU Pre-College Programs mission and safety protocols.
• Accountability: Ensure all mentors, volunteers, and work-study students do their assigned job well and lead meetings and 1:1 check-ins as needed.

Safety and Security

• Enforcement: Oversee large-scale residential operations for students and staff; uphold program integrity by managing behavioral scenarios and exercising final authority on disciplinary actions, including the dismissal of participants or personnel when necessary.
• Emergency Response: Collaborate with campus security and university personnel to address emergencies or health concerns.
• Risk Management: Maintain a secure environment through constant vigilance and adherence to university residential policies.

Evening Activities and Workshops

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

Supervision and Training

• Mentorship: Directly supervise and mentor a large team of seasonal residential SEIs and Residence Life Assistants.
• Support: Provide ongoing training and regular check-ins to ensure staff effectively assist with logistics and maintain a positive atmosphere.
• Team Accountability: Maintain high performance standards across the seasonal team. Preside over weekly staff meetings and 1:1s to monitor progress, address challenges, and ensure all program goals are met.
• Training: Develop staff training for seasonal staff members, both asynchronous and in-person, in the following areas: program operations, student safety and wellbeing, conflict resolution and mediation, disciplinary procedures, team culture, professionalism, and customer service. 

Administrative Duties

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

Required Commitment & Logistics

• Residential Requirement: This position requires living 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: The role typically requires 37.5 hours per week. However, during the summer, the position requires regular evening shifts until midnight. Flexibility is essential to accommodate weekend hours required for student check-in/check-out days. Additionally, this position requires working 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. A valid driver's license is required.
• Required Staff Move-in: May 29, 2026 (2:00 pm – 5:00 pm)
• Required Staff Training: June 1 – 5, 2026

Required Education, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• A background in education, teaching, school administration, counseling or student affairs is highly preferred.
• Proven experience in Residence Life, student supervision, undergraduate staff recruitment and training, and behavioral program management.
• Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage complex logistics while maintaining a clear vision for the program.
• The ability to maintain composure, exercise sound judgment, and lead effectively in a high-energy, fast-paced environment.
• Strong affinity for the Wake Forest University community and the Pro Humanitate spirit.
• Demonstrated success in staff recruitment, training, and the management of large teams of seasonal employees and volunteers.

Accountabilities:

• Responsible for own work only.

Physical Requirements:

• Talking; Hearing; Repetitive motions; Close visual acuity; Communicating with others to exchange information; repeating motions that may include the wrists, hands, and/or fingers; and assessing the accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of the work assigned.

Environmental Conditions:

• No environmental conditions.

Additional Job Description

Time Type Requirement

Full Time

Note to Applicant:

This position profile identifies the key responsibilities and expectations for performance. It cannot encompass all specific job tasks that an employee may be required to perform. Employees are required to follow any other job-related instructions and perform job-related duties as may be reasonably assigned by his/her supervisor.

In order to provide a safe and productive learning and living community, Wake Forest University conducts background investigations and drug screens for all final staff candidates being considered for employment.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all qualified candidates to apply without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, disability and military or veteran status.  

Accommodations for Applicants

If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation to participate in the application or interview process, please contact AskHR@wfu.edu or (336) 758-4700.