Community Director

Posting Details

Posting Details

Posting Number: 0603123 Recruitment Type: Open to All Applicants Position Title: Community Director Position Type: Staff Benefits Status: Benefits Eligible FLSA: Non-Exempt Hiring Range: $20.43 per hour with benefits. Hours worked over 40/week paid overtime. Position includes on-campus housing ($15,130.00/yr value) and meal plan ($7,174.00/yr), will be prorated based on start date. Location

Tacoma, WA 98447.

Department: Campus Life Posting Date: 08/06/2026 Closing Date When a sufficient number of qualified applicants have been identified. Work Schedule:

Full-time; schedule may vary.

General Description:

Community Directors are an integral part of the educational community at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU). They collaborate with faculty, staff, and students to create and manage purposeful and dynamic learning environments across campus that support student wellbeing and thriving. They have a broad knowledge of student development theories and implement these theories into daily practice, particularly in support of retention and persistence for historically marginalized students (e.g., Students of Color, First Generation, LGBTQIA+, and other students). Finally, Community Directors are reflective educators who are able to communicate with diverse individuals and communities. Community Directors report to the Associate Director(s) for Campus Life.

Campus Life integrates the traditional work of Student Engagement, Commuter Services, and Residential Life to create a more cohesive, intentional, and holistic student experience while enhancing student learning, engagement and success at PLU. Campus Life is situated within the Student Life Division, Through shared departmental leadership, vision and work, the Campus Life department enhances student learning, engagement and success at PLU.

The Campus Life Community Director team comprises five (5) staff members with responsibility for student communities including PLU's residence halls, the Commuter Lounge - a learning community space for commuter students, and the ARENA - a collaborative workspace for student leaders across campus. This team directs our twelve (12) learning communities, provides care through participation in an on-call duty rotation, and supervises our student leaders (Resident Assistants [RA], Commuter Advocates [CA], Residential Operations Student Assistants [ROSA], and Campus Life Coordinators [CLC]).

Working at PLU and with Campus Life, in the State of Washington offers many benefits and quality of life opportunities. These include:

• Washington State does not have state income tax.
• Reproductive rights are protected by state law.
• PLU offers excellent benefits (see Other Information below) and paid time off, including a bonus 56 hours of flexible time off and winter holiday time off with university closure from 12/25 through 1/1 (at noon for Campus Life depending on winter opening schedules).
• A flexible, 40-hour/week hourly work schedule, including a commitment to sustainable weekly schedule that keeps to 40 hours/week and overtime for any hours worked over 40 per week when this is unavoidable due to crisis response, move in/out, or other anticipated or unanticipated busy times of the year.
• This position also includes a furnished private apartment, meal plan (in LuteBucks, a declining balance debit commensurate with the value of Meal Plan D available for students), free reserved parking spot, and option to purchase an unlimited regional transit pass at a discounted rate.
• PLU has no summer on-call responsibility for Community Directors.
• Campus Life has Pet Policy allowing each Community Director to have 2 pets, and Partner Policy allowing each Community Director to have 1 partner (no legal marriage documentation required).

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

Safe, Inclusive Communities

• Support campus-wide retention and well-being priorities, particularly for historically marginalized students, including Students of Color, First Generation students, LGBTQIA+ students, and others
• Communicate clearly and effectively in both oral and written forms
• Participate in the all-residence hall on-call duty rotation with all Community Directors
• Provide support and follow-up for students and staff in conflict management and resolution
• Provide initial crisis response on-campus and coordinate follow-through with campus and/or community resources
• Maintain regular contact and communication with professional housekeeping staff
• Serve as an educator and review officer within the Student Rights & Responsibilities (conduct) system
• Direct overall residence operations in 1-3 residential communities
• Serve as a liaison between residents, the Campus Life office staff, and other University personnel to manage housing processes such as check-in/check-out, occupancy information, intra-hall moves, and building transfers and maintain records including room assignments and inspections
• Serve as Emergency Building Coordinator for one's residence halls

Belonging, Enjoyment & Learning

• Collaborate with colleagues within Campus Life to design, implement, and assess university-wide initiatives, such as LUTE Welcome (including move-in, Lutes Commute Commuter Welcome, New Student Orientation, and other Week of Welcome events), clubs & organizations, leadership development and recognition, and other programs
• Teach a PLUS 100: Transition to PLU course in support of new student transition, holistic wellbeing, thriving, and retention
• Coordinate proactive and responsive care for students that supports their retention, success, and thriving, including initiatives such as: Student Care Network follow up, LuteConnect program, etc.
• Direct the co-curricular development of one's learning communities (LCs), including organizing LC events, meetings, and interdisciplinary Task Forces/Committees comprising students, faculty, and staff
• Support student leaders in the development and implementation of the Campus Life Co-Curriculum
• Coordinate the ongoing development and assessment of program outcomes for the Learning Communities
• Select, train, supervise, meet weekly with, recognize, and evaluate 10-12 Resident Assistants
• Participate in the coordination of Campus Life student leader selection & training, including coordinating recruitment and selection activities for all Campus Life student leaders, professional development activities, and onboarding of new staff members
• Support communications for/with residential students, as part of Campus Life master marketing/communication planning, including contributions to divisional newsletters, LUTE Welcome/New Student Orientation emails, and other communications
• Demonstrate a willingness to continue one's own learning and support student learning and development surrounding multicultural competencies, issues of social justice, power, privilege, and oppression.
• Educate students in the identification and articulation of personal and community values through the PLU and Campus Life mission statements, including lenses of Care and Diversity, Justice, and Sustainability
• Maintain awareness of issues affecting college students and respond promptly and appropriately to student concerns
• Work to understand the influence and impact of an ELCA Lutheran Higher Education framework
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Experience working in, developing, and/or implementing Learning Communities.
• Communicate clearly and effectively in both oral and written forms.
• Passion for or interest in learning more about supporting commuter students.
• Knowledge of student learning and development, and ability to apply in daily practice.
• Leadership skills and an ability to work effectively with university students.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and other departments
• Capacity to respond to serve as an initial and referring response to student mental health. concerns and to engaging with well-being resources and priorities.
• Skills in counseling, administration, and community development.
• Proficient computer skills including word processing and spreadsheet software.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree and post-undergraduate residential life or related experience.
• Successful candidates are required to live in a residence hall apartment.
• Finalist candidates and spouse/domestic partner (if applicable) must satisfactorily complete pre-employment background checks.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in College Student Affairs, Higher Education, or related field.

Work Conditions:

• Successful candidates are required to live in a residence hall apartment.

Physical Requirements:

• Regularly required to move around campus and sit for long periods of time during the course of regular job duties.
• Some on-campus buildings that Community Directors may need to access per the course of their position responsibilities do not have elevators (if you have concerns about climbing stairs, please apply and we can discuss).
• Regularly required to walk, stand, climb stairs, and sit for long periods of time during the course of regular job duties.

Special Instructions to Applicants: Other Information:

PLU is a small, private university where caring means more than kindness and consideration - it means a bold commitment to expanding well-being, opportunity, and justice. Because PLU is a community committed to the creation and advancement of knowledge through diversity and inclusion, the university actively recruits a diverse faculty, staff, and student body. PLU is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from members of historically underrepresented and minoritized groups, women, veterans, persons with disabilities, and others who would bring broadly diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds in educational, research or other work activities.

PLU offers an excellent benefits package including tuition remission for employees and their dependents, generous retirement plan, medical, dental, paid vacation and sick leave, major holidays off (including Christmas/New Year's break and extra time off during the summer), and many other great university benefits. PLU is a qualifying employer under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program as a 501(3) tax-exempt organization. Click here for detailed benefits information.

For general application questions or if you need accommodations at any point in the application and/or interview process, please contact the Human Resources Office at 253-535-7185 or humr@plu.edu.

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• • Do you have a Bachelor's degree?

• Yes

• No

• • Are you 18 years of age or older?

• Yes

• No

• • Are you legally eligible to work in the United States on your hire date AND legally authorized to work in the United States for Pacific Lutheran University without sponsorship now and indefinitely into the future?

• Yes

• No

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

• Cover Letter
• Resume

Optional Documents

• List of Three References