Closes: July 23, 2025

Position Title:

Manager, Residence Life

Office:

Office of Residences and Student Operations

Supervisor

Director of Residences and Student Operations (formerly “Dean of Students”)

Hours:

35 hours per week, in person (flexible schedule required). Live-in on-call duties.

Compensation:

$103,665 – $105,700; this position includes on-campus housing, a taxable benefit.

Pay Band:

PM3

Terms:

Full-time permanent position (in-person)

Posting Date:

July 9, 2025

Closing Date:

July 23, 2025

Apply to:

hr.stmikes@utoronto.ca

Attention: Human Resources

(please include your full name and position title in subject line of email when submitting resume and cover letter)

ABOUT ST. MICHAEL’S COLLEGE

The University of St. Michael’s College boasts a diverse and vibrant community of over 5,400 undergraduate students registered within the Faculty of Arts and Science at the world-renowned University of Toronto.

The College is home to students enrolled across a full range of the undergraduate courses and programs offered in the Faculty of Arts and Science. It also sponsors four acclaimed interdisciplinary programs (Book & Media Studies, Celtic Studies, Christianity and Culture, Medieval Studies) and numerous year one courses. These courses and programs are open to all students in the Faculty of Arts and Science and are grounded in the interdisciplinary strengths, intellectual history, and special collections and resources housed within the College.

St. Michael’s is home to one of the busiest and most popular libraries on the St. George campus; to an acclaimed art collection; to a Print Studio featuring a variety of working historic printing presses; to an Academic Success Centre housing dedicated supports in writing, research, and learning strategy; and to a dynamic community of student groups and clubs. It is also home to a recognized community of supportive faculty, fellows, and librarians who teach across various subjects at U of T and who participate actively in the provision of mentorship, research, and co-curricular opportunities for undergraduates.

Located in the downtown core only steps away from the Royal Ontario Museum, Queen’s Park, and the two main subway lines, St. Michael’s offers a “home away from home” to commuter and resident students alike. The College is well-known for its beautiful historic grounds and peaceful campus setting. Home to a variety of residence buildings that range from historic old houses to more modern constructions, it provides a unique atmosphere of a friendly and characterful neighbourhood to all students across a variety of spaces that include a library late-night café, a Wellness Studio, numerous green spaces, and a basketball court.

Committed to supporting and empowering students in all aspects of their university experience, St. Michael’s continues to build upon its informing strengths in teaching and scholarly excellence, academic support, interdisciplinary exploration, and the provision of a close-knit community that recognizes the uniqueness of every student’s journey. Never complacent in this commitment to the student experience and ever-responsive to the enlivening potential of challenge and initiative, St. Michael’s is currently embarking upon a renewed investment in key areas of student support.

POSITION SUMMARY

St. Michael’s College is seeking an exceptional, experienced leader to oversee and manage a residence community comprising over 650 students living across a variety of residence buildings on campus.

Reporting to the Director of Residences and Student Operations (formerly “Dean of Students”), the Manager, Residence Life will be responsible for the development and implementation of programming, process, and procedures dedicated to fostering an atmosphere of academic success, personal growth, individual wellbeing, and community belonging within a diverse community of undergraduate student residents. Highly experienced in after-hours crisis management and care, cognizant of the complex factors that can influence student well-being, they will possess an instinctive understanding and thorough knowledge of College, University, and community resources and referral mechanisms available to ensure holistic student care. They will also act as the first point of escalation for addressing complex student concerns and conflicts in residence, including residence conduct and disciplinary issues.

The Manager, Residence Life is responsible for the strategic leadership and management of the residence community. As direct line manager of the part-time live-in Residence Care Coordinators and a team of unionized dons, they will possess excellent interpersonal skills informed by a professional confidence that ensures the appropriate training, consistent review, and constructive management of a dedicated team. Working with other College stakeholders, they will develop and oversee the curriculum for and the hiring, training, management, and support of the work of up to 18 live-in unionized student dons; they may be asked to participate in collective bargaining negotiations. They will be responsible for the appropriate management of don performance to ensure residence security, effective leadership and support, appropriate maintenance of interpersonal boundaries, seamless move-in move-out procedures, and safety and care of residents.

The successful candidate must be instinctively collaborative both within and across the office of Residences and Student Operations. They will be a regular member of the cross-unit SMC Care Team (that also includes the Wellness Manager and representatives from the Registrar’s Office) that is being established to ensure holistic attention to academic, financial, and other realities that can inform student well-being and conduct. The Team is as much strategic as it is responsive, and will be constantly gauging and assessing supports, procedures, and process across College and University support and advising teams.

Another key collaborative responsibility of the MRL is to ensure that residence and unit-adjacent staff (e.g. security, food services, facilities) support students sensitively and responsibly within the remits of their role – and to support the collaborative interaction between these offices at all times.

This position provides an exceptional opportunity for an experienced manager who is dedicated to promoting a seamless relationship between students’ academic pursuits, personal and intellectual growth, social development, and residence experience. The Manager, Residence Life will work closely to ensure that dons and other student representatives are collectively enabling and supporting proactive, inclusive academic and social programming for residents. They will be fundamentally committed to fostering an environment in which students with diverse backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences are encouraged to thrive and contribute.

The MRL must be available to consult on or attend to emergencies and participate in residence activities outside of normal office hours. This is an in-person live-in position.

Duties Include

Student Care

• In consultation with College stakeholders, plan, facilitate, and implement programming aimed at promoting personal growth, community responsibility, wellness, and academic success among residence students.
• Collaboratively develop, implement, and assess crisis management protocols.
• Ensure staff knowledge of appropriate referral mechanisms and resources.
• Lead emergency response efforts after hours and, in collaboration with other key stakeholders (e.g., Registrar and Director of Student Advising; Manager, Student Wellness; Director of Student Residences and Operations), ensure appropriate follow-throughs (with referrals and/or care plans), and work closely with relevant College, UofT, and external support partners.
• Act as first point of contact, where relevant, with offices and resources at SMC, U of T, and local crisis support to refer students to a wide variety of residence life, academic, financial, and personal issues.
• Resolve interpersonal disputes between students and/or student staff.
• Determine and apply appropriate guidelines and protocols in relation to policy violations.
• Respond in person to urgent resident issues that occur outside of regular business hours and act, report, and refer appropriately according to established standards.
• Investigate community standard and housing policy breaches.
• Convene and attend regularly scheduled meetings with relevant offices.
• Serve on various committees related to residence life, College life, and student care at both SMC and the U of T.
• Keep the Director, Residences and Student Operations informed of significant residence problems and/or issues.
• Ensure the management of support for students with dietary accommodations.
• Act as a resource for one-on-one problem solving with residents.
• In consultation with appropriate stakeholders, ensure the provision of appropriate individual support to residents regarding hospital discharge planning, after the initial crisis period has passed, to help reintegrate into the residence community and implement treatment/support plan (in consultation with appropriate College and U of T stakeholders).

Student Community

• In coordination with Residence Operations, track arrival dates of incoming students and appropriate room assignments.
• In coordination with Residence Operations, Housekeeping, and Conferences, ensure effective move-in and move-out procedures at the beginning and end of each academic year and summer residency period.
• Ensure the provision of resource information, individual support (where appropriate), and referrals for students who are experiencing difficulties.
• Oversee the provision of training, oversight, and mentorship to the St Mike’s Residence Council (SMRC) and the various House Councils.
• Oversee, manage, and assess staff programming in residence life, assessing its alignment with established strategic directives.

Don Training and Support

• Manage and oversee, with appropriate College and University offices, the Manager, Student Wellness, and the Residence Care Coordinators (RCC), the appropriate training of student residence dons.
• Oversee the editing of policies and procedure documents, including the SMC On-Call Staff Process and Support Guide and Don Training Handbook.
• Ensure that all dons have consistent training and knowledge on how to identify students in distress/concerning behaviours; receive disclosures; maintain boundaries and appropriate channels of communication; address, document, and refer issues of concern; arrange additional training sessions as needed throughout the year.
• Meet with the RCCs on a regular basis to facilitate information exchange, program planning, problem solving, and staff development.
• Promptly review incident reports and follow up and/or refer as necessary.
• Ensure appropriate performance of don employees.
• Participate in collective bargaining, when appropriate.

Other

• Oversee, manage, and attend any off-campus residence initiatives and field trips.
• Maintain a close collaborative and strategic relationship with UofT stakeholders.
• Maintain a close collaborative relationship with student-facing College Offices (e.g., Registrar, Principal) and key stakeholders in campus security, food services, conferences, facilities, housekeeping, and maintenance.
• Other duties and special projects as required.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Master of Social Work or other related degree (e.g. education, student affairs, leadership) preferred.
• First Aid Training

EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of three years of experience in residence life, preferably in a leadership or supervisory capacity, at least two of which must have been in a live-in context.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning and operations management in residence life.
• Experience in residence community program development and evaluation.
• Proven experience in the creation and implementation of departmental standards, processes, and procedures.
• Previous experience in community management and crisis response, with a focus on supporting student safety and wellbeing.
• Proven experience in budget and expenses management, including financial planning.
• Previous experience in human resources management, including hiring, training, performance evaluation, and employee development, preferably in a unionized context.
• Experience in stakeholder relationship management, including maintaining positive relationships with students, staff, and external partners.
• Knowledge of equity, diversity, and inclusion principles and practices in a higher education setting.
• Experience in data analysis and reporting, including preparing reports that evaluate program effectiveness.
• Experience in management of confidential information.

SKILLS

• Strong strategic planning and operational management skills, with the ability to set priorities and achieve short- and long-term goals.
• Proven flexibility and responsiveness to strategic direction from senior management.
• Proven leadership and team management skills, capable of motivating and developing a team of diverse professionals.
• Strong counselling and advising skills.
• Excellent communication skills in English, both written and verbal, with the ability to articulate complex information clearly and concisely to various audiences.
• Ability to make, communicate, and enforce disciplinary decisions with confidence and authority.
• Extremely strong interpersonal and collaborative skills, with the ability to build rapport, negotiate effectively, and resolve conflicts professionally.
• Analytical skills with the ability to interpret data, identify trends, and make data-driven recommendations for continuous improvement.
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities, with a focus on identifying opportunities, mitigating risks, and achieving organizational goals.
• Organizational and time management skills, capable of managing multiple priorities and deadlines simultaneously.
• Technical proficiency in relevant software systems, including StarRez, Microsoft Office Suite, and other data analysis and reporting tools.
• Knowledge of and ability to act immediately according to crisis management and emergency response procedures.
• Proficiency in equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives and strategies.
• Ability to develop and deliver training programs for students and staff.

We thank all applicants for their interest. Only those considered for an interview will be contacted.

The University of St. Michael’s College is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons/persons of colour, women, Indigenous/Aboriginal people of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ persons, people who take a religiously informed view of human experience, and others who may contribute to further diversification of ideas.All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

If you require accessibility accommodation, please contact Human Resources at 416.926.7101 or hr.stmikes@utoronto.ca***.***

• Department

  Office of Residences and Student Operations