Residential Life Manager

Who We Are:

National Louis is a 135+ year old university that has been grounded in the values of innovation, access, excellence, and equity from its inception. As an institution, we believe in providing access to educational opportunity and that education is our greatest lever for social and economic mobility. We are a student-focused community that is committed to continuous improvement and superior student service.  We believe that through education we are able to empower change and build healthy communities. Our hard-working community is based on collaboration and respect for all team members and students.

What You Will Do:

The Residential Life Manager is responsible for the daily operations, oversight, and quality assurance of residential living within the PACE program. This role provides direct supervision and leadership to the Residential Life Assistants (RLAs), serving as the key point of communication and coordination between the Assistant Director and residential staff. The Residential Life Manager ensures that RLAs are effectively implementing residential support, maintaining operational standards, and providing consistent student supervision and guidance across living environments. This position manages a caseload of students and oversees the delivery, scheduling, and documentation of Independent Living Services (ILS) sessions during the 30-week academic year. The manager ensures that service delivery meets program expectations, residential policies, and student support needs.

During the summer session, the Residential Life Manager collaborates with the Recruitment Manager to oversee the Summer Experience Program and other Path to PACE initiatives, ensuring operational continuity when students are not in the academic session. Operational responsibilities during the academic year also include an on-call component, such as: Carrying the weekend emergency phone and responding promptly to student or staff issues. Adjusting RLA schedules and ensuring adequate staffing coverage. Serving as the primary contact for emergencies, coordinating communication with families and internal/external support partners, and following established response procedures. Reviewing and managing weekend incident reports and behavioral concerns, determining next steps and ensuring proper documentation per policy.

The Residential Life Manager ensures consistent structure, safety, and service delivery across residential operations year-round. This is a full-time, 12-month position with weekday and weekend on-call responsibilities during the academic term. The position is based at the University Center Chicago, with midday, evening, and some Saturday hours required. Some work at the NLU Chicago campus may also be required for staff meetings.

About NLU's PACE Program:

Path to Academics, Community and Employment (P.A.C.E) is a three-year, post-secondary certificate program designed to meet the transitional needs for young adults with multiple intellectual, learning and developmental disabilities.

P.A.C.E. at NLU Students

• Learn, work, and play in the vibrant city of Chicago
• Live in apartments at University Center in the heart of downtown
• Gain real life work experience during their community based internships
• Successfully travel independently using public transportation
• Are involved in a variety of clubs and student life activities
• Make meaningful connections with the Chicagoland community by participating in service learning projects

• Oversees day-to-day residential operations for PACE students, ensuring consistent implementation of independent living expectations, policy adherence, accurate documentation, resource coordination, scheduling, and adequate staffing coverage within the residential environment.
• Provides direct supervision and guidance to Residential Life Assistants (RLAs), ensuring staff performance meets program standards. Conducts performance monitoring, coaching, and accountability in areas such as apartment upkeep, budgeting, meal preparation, cleaning, shopping routines, and roommate dynamics.
• Manages a caseload of students and oversees the delivery, scheduling, and documentation of Independent Living Services (ILS) during the 30-week academic year, ensuring residential support aligns with program policies and student needs.
• Carries the required weekend on-call phone during the 30-week academic session and responds to urgent student or staff concerns, coordinates communication with families and internal/external partners, documents incidents, and ensures appropriate follow-through in accordance with emergency protocols.
• Collaborates with the Recruitment Manager to support the Summer Experience Program and Path to PACE initiatives when students are not in the academic session, ensuring continuity of residential operations.
• Serves as the lead member of the residential team, coordinating and facilitating staff meetings, conducting regular progress and performance meetings with Residential Life Assistants (RLAs), and providing guidance, support, and oversight as their Residential Life Manager. Ensures consistent communication, accountability, and alignment with program goals across the residential staff.
• Evaluates residential student assessments to track progress, identify needs, and guide individualized support plans.
• Expected to actively participate in all leadership meetings, NLU-wide meetings, and other institutional or program-related responsibilities as they arise, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and contributing to strategic planning and decision-making.

• Bachelor's Degree in Human Service or related field.
• Three (3+) years of experience working with young adults, particularly in life skills development, student affairs, residential or recreational programs, counseling, or teaching, including supporting individuals with disabilities. Demonstrated ability to mentor, supervise staff, and manage program operations effectively.
• A strong belief that students with disabilities can be successful and learn to be independent.
• Self-starter who can work with flexible hours and time schedule

Work Environment/Physical Demands/Travel Requirement:

This position is primarily based at University Center Chicago, where PACE students reside, with some work at the NLU Chicago campus as needed for staff meetings or program responsibilities. During the 30-week academic session, work hours will typically span midday into the evening, including occasional weekend hours for on-call duties and program events. When students are not in session—such as during summer or academic breaks—hours will shift to standard business hours, with primary work occurring from the Chicago campus. The PACE program operates in a non-traditional residential environment, requiring flexibility with work hours and responsiveness to students’ needs, including occasional unscheduled calls. Staff must be able to move or lift boxes up to 50 lbs. and have adequate transportation to travel between campuses and student residences as needed. Strong time management skills and respect for students’ personal space are essential for success in this role.

NLU Inclusion Statement:

National Louis University is deeply committed to serving its community, advancing access and equity, and ensuring that all individuals are welcomed and valued.  We are dedicated to fostering a culture where diversity, equity, and inclusion remain at the core of who we are. These are more than just words to us: they are truly a way of life for the NLU community. We recognize that differences in abilities, age, ethnicity, gender (identity and expression), race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and background bring richness to our work environment. We affirm diverse perspectives, innovative contributions, and authentic presentations of self from every member within the NLU community. We believe inclusion is grounded in the actions we intentionally take each day. Our goal is to inspire and empower NLU employees and community members to cultivate an environment where we collectively focus on uplifting and advancing our institutional culture.

At National Louis University, we offer our employees an innovative environment to work together and inspire the ideas that will make an impact. As our external environment changes, our employees are provided the opportunities and tools needed to grow both personally and professionally to remain successful. NLU employees and dependents are offered a wide range of benefits, including but not limited to, Health Insurance benefits, Retirement benefits, Paid Time Off and Educational Opportunities. Additional information regarding full-time staff benefits can be found here.

The salary range of the grade for this position is $51,966 to $75,351 annually.  Compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.  Offers are based on multiple factors permitted by law, including but not limited to: budgetary considerations, job-related knowledge/skills, experience, market considerations, tenure and standing with the university (applicable to current employees), and internal equity. 

Please Include the following along with your application:

• Resume (Required)
• Cover Letter (Optional)
• Current NLU employees please also submit an Internal Posting Form