Residence Life Assistant - Seasonal (Part-time, Live-In, 7 Openings)
ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW
The School of American Ballet (SAB) at Lincoln Center, founded by George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein, is the preeminent ballet school in the country. Our mission is to train professional dancers for careers in classical ballet. During the Winter Term (September-June), sixty-four Advanced students reside on-site at the School in the Meredith Willson Residence Hall, a facility shared with the Juilliard School. During SAB’s 5-week Summer Course (June and July), 200 middle school and high school students reside on campus.
STUDENT LIFE DEPARTMENT
SAB’s Department of Student Life is dedicated to fostering and promoting a well-rounded approach to the emotional, social, physical, cultural, intellectual, and academic spheres of SAB students’ lives. The Department’s work is deeply engrained into the SAB student experience and aims to enhance students’ artistic training by supporting them fully outside of the studios. At times, the Residence Life Assistant role will require a level of physical exertion beyond sitting. Move-in and move-out periods will require longer stretches of activity and physical tasks such as lifting, sorting, and organizing. Duty and on-call responsibilities may result in disrupted sleep or longer workdays without prior notice. A successful candidate will show the ability to balance their self-care and well-being with the responsibilities of the Residence Life Assistant position.
POSITION DESCRIPTION (Hiring for 7 open positions)
The Residence Life Assistant (RLA) role was created to provide live-in supervision for approximately 190 students from ages 11 – 18, who live in the Meredith Willson Residence Hall at the School of American Ballet for the 5-week training intensive known as the Summer Course. Residence Life Assistants will work as part of the Student Life department, providing 24-hour supervision in all aspects of the student experience, including during chaperoned trips, in responding to emergencies and in enforcing curfew and sign-out procedures. A successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to consistently enforce School policy and procedure, while developing professional rapport with students that supports a positive community atmosphere where all students feel safe and respected. SAB will provide RLA staff members with a fully furnished private room housed within a suite of Summer Course students, where they are required to reside. During employment, RLA staff are not permitted to host guests, or possess/consume alcohol anywhere in the building. This is a part-time, non-exempt position, reporting to the Residence Life Leadership Team.
Dance experience is not required or preferred. Diverse applicants are strongly encouraged to apply.
Under the supervision of the Assistant Directors of Student Life, the responsibilities of the RLA role include:
- Provide staffing for Residence Hall desk shifts; scheduled 8 am – 4 pm and 4 pm – 12 am, 7 days per week under the direction of Desk Attendant and Residence Life Coordinator staff.
- Share on-call responsibilities to assist RLC staff with emergency response in overnight hours (12 am – 8 am).
- Provide “in loco parentis” (in place of parents) supervision for students under the age of 18.
- Remain visible and respond immediately to any medical emergency, fire safety and security concern, student well-being, or community concerns.
- Enforce SAB Student Life policies and procedures, including student curfew; assigning early curfews as necessary.
- Assist with the administrative functions of the Residence Life office, including filing, printing, organization, answering the phone, and other reception functions, as assigned.
- Serve as a chaperone for off-campus activities, as assigned.
- Accompany students to medical appointments, as assigned.
- Assist in the implementation of in-house social programming, as assigned.
- Check email daily, respond within 1 business day.
- RLA staff will participate (be present) in Summer Course training.
- Attend all weekly Summer Course staff meetings and student floor meetings.
- Be present for and assist in all residence hall opening and closing processes.
Requirements
Minimum Qualifications
Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications for the Residence Life Assistant position will have:
- Must be at least 21 years of age at the time of employment
- Previous experience working with minors
- 1 year of professional experience working in a public-service setting (healthcare, education, social, work, etc.)
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Microsoft Teams
- Strong organization and time-management skills
- Effective written and oral communication skills
Preferred Qualifications
- Previous experience working in a residential setting as a Resident Assistant, Orientation Leader, Camp Counselor, or related position
Benefits
Compensation
- $17.00/hour for an estimated 30 hours per week
- $300 training stipend
- Furnished single room within a student suite (for duration of employment), provided by SAB
- Cafeteria meal plan (20 meals per week), provided by SAB
- Access to no-cost laundry facilities
- Free wireless internet access
Important Dates
- Move-In: Sunday, June 21, 2026
- Training (8 am – 7 pm daily): Monday, June 22 – Saturday, June 27, 2026
- Residence Hall Opening: Sunday, June 28, 2026
- Summer Course: Monday, June 29 – Friday, July 31, 2026
- Residence Hall Closing: Saturday, August 1, 2026
- Move-Out: Sunday, August 2, 2026
Weekly Schedule
- Weekly schedules will vary; evening and weekend hours will be required as scheduled.
- RLA staff will be scheduled for 30 hours per week, on average, in one of the following areas on scheduled workdays:
- Desk Shifts: 8 am – 4 pm or 4 pm – 12 am
- Field Trip Chaperone: Hours vary; most field trips take place in the evenings and on weekends.