POSITION SUMMARY

The Area Coordinator is a full-time, 12-month, live-in professional responsible for supporting the daily management of a residential area and contributing to a safe, welcoming, and engaging living environment. The Department of Residence Life and Housing fosters community development through visible presence and relationship-building; creates opportunities for student leadership and involvement; provides individualized support to students navigating challenges; and helps shape meaningful engagement within the halls. This position supervises student staff, supports building operations, responds to student concerns, and collaborates closely with campus partners to promote student wellbeing and success. This position participates in a 24/7/365 on-call rotation and requires evening, weekend, and holiday responsibilities as needed.

Additionally, this role leads the recruitment and selection of student staff, ensuring equitable, consistent, and engaging processes that attract and prepare high-quality paraprofessionals for the residential communities.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Student & Community Development

• Build positive, welcoming, and supportive residential communities through visibility, relationship-building, and intentional engagement.
• Hold 1:1 conversations with students to address concerns, interpersonal conflicts, and referrals to appropriate campus resources.
• Foster a welcoming residential environment that supports all residential students.
• Promote community standards, positive peer interactions, and opportunities for student leadership and involvement.
• Support community-based initiatives, hall government, student leadership groups, and programs tied to student success.
• Incorporate a variety of engagement strategies into staff practices and community programming.

Crisis Response & Student Support

• Participate in the on-call rotation and respond to after-hours emergencies.
• Provide trauma-informed, student-centered support and make referrals to academic, wellness, or success offices.
• Serve as a Campus Security Authority and mandated reporter under Clery and Title IX.
• Support response protocols in accordance with the University’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).

Conduct & Accountability

• Serve as a hearing officer for low- to mid-level conduct cases.
• Support compliance with community standards and educational follow-up.

Operations & Facilities

• Assist with opening/closing processes, occupancy management, and room changes.
• Complete routine building checks, health & safety inspections, and work-order follow-up.
• Support front-desk operations and coordination with facilities partners.

Supervision & Staff Development

• Hire, train, supervise, and evaluate Resident Assistants.
• Conduct weekly staff meetings and regular 1:1 supervision conversations.
• Provide coaching, accountability, and ongoing support for programming and duty responsibilities.

Collaboration & Administrative Responsibilities

• Partner with campus offices including Residence Life and Housing, Counseling, ZipAssist, Conduct, and academic support units.
• Support departmental assessment, documentation, and reporting expectations.
• Assist with summer operations including training, onboarding, and community development support.
• Provide support for New Student Orientation (NSO) and admissions activities as assigned.

Community Development & Student Support

• Foster a welcoming residential environment that supports students of varying backgrounds and lived experiences.
• Promote community standards, positive peer interactions, and student leadership development.
• Promote practices and programming that uphold equal opportunity, respect for all individuals, and compliance with applicable state and federal nondiscrimination laws

Recruitment & Selection

• Lead recruitment and selection processes for resident assistants. 
• Coordinate marketing, outreach, and information sessions to build a strong applicant pool.
• Manage all components of the selection process, including communication, application review, interviews, and candidate tracking.
• Facilitate interview processes, ensuring equitable and consistent practices.
• Partner with Career Services to support recruitment and application readiness for student applicants.
• Coordinate mid-year hiring and support summer RA recruitment as needed.
• Maintain recruitment outcomes data and prepare annual reports.
• Ensure compliance with HR and institutional hiring policies.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 1 year of experience required working in residence life, student affairs, or a related student-support role (graduate assistantships accepted).
• Demonstrated ability to support college students and engage in community-building practices.
• Strong administrative, interpersonal, and communication skills.
• Ability to maintain documentation and utilize systems such as Maxient, StarRez, or other housing/case platforms.
• Ability to serve in an on-call rotation, including evenings and weekends.
• Ability to live on campus.

Preferred

• Master’s degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Counseling, or related field strongly preferred.
• Two or more years of related experience.
• Experience supervising student staff.
• Experience with crisis response, student support, conduct, or behavioral intervention.
• Experience developing and assessing student programs.
• Training in mediation, conflict resolution, or trauma-informed practices.
• Experience coordinating student staff hiring processes.
• Knowledge of equitable hiring practices and structured interview methods.
• Experience facilitating interviews or assessment activities.
• Experience with applicant-tracking tools such as eRezLife.

Leadership Disposition

The successful Area Coordinator – Recruitment and Selection will be:

• Student-centered and supportive, demonstrating care for student wellbeing and success.
• Approachable and visible, fostering trust and connection with students and staff.
• Clear and dependable in communication, follow-through, and daily responsibilities.
• Calm and steady in crisis, able to assess situations and act with sound judgment.
• Flexible and solution-oriented, adapting to evolving community and student needs.
• Organized and reliable, managing multiple tasks, priorities, and documentation effectively.
• Collaborative, working constructively with campus partners and contributing positively to team culture.
• Community-oriented, promoting welcoming environments that support students.

Application Instructions: In order to be considered for this position, please complete the online application and attach your resume.

Compensation: The compensation for this position is commensurate with experience.

Application Deadline: Review of applicants will begin on February 25, 2026.

Union Affiliation (if applicable):

For assistance with your application or attachments, please contact the Human Resources representative listed:

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Background Check Statement

The University of Akron is committed to providing a safe environment for all students and employees.  The University endeavors to protect the health, welfare and safety of all students, employees and visitors on our campus.  As such, all offers of employment with The University of Akron are contingent upon verification of credentials, and satisfactory completion of a criminal background check. Some positions may require additional credit investigation and a pre-employment driving record search. 

Non-Discrimination Statement

The University of Akron is an Equal Education and Employment Institution. View our Non-Discrimination Statement for more information. Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans.

State of Residence Statement

It is the expectation of the University of Akron that all work performed as an employee of the University will be performed in Ohio.