Dorm Parent (Live-in) at Léman… · New York

About Léman:

Léman Manhattan is the only independent school in Lower Manhattan serving students from 12 months through Grade 12, offering a rigorous International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme in one of the world’s most dynamic educational environments.

Consistently ranked among New York’s top private schools by Niche (#29 K–12, #5 Arts, #3 Boarding, #3 Diversity), Léman is also NYC’s only boarding school and the first private school to achieve acceptances to all Ivy League institutions within its first decade of graduates.

Our community represents over 130 countries, fostering a global perspective and inclusive culture. Blending distinguished tradition with cutting-edge innovation, Léman prepares students for the rapidly evolving college and career landscape—guided by our mission: “Each student, future prepared.”

This role is part of Léman Manhattan's exciting and collaborative learning community, offering an engaging and challenging academic program for all students.

Each employee demonstrates a commitment to anti-bias and anti-racism work and to fostering an inclusive learning community. As an international school with a global outlook, Léman Manhattan utilizes the International Baccalaureate Programme's philosophy to equip students with the knowledge and skills to become thoughtful, engaged leaders. As a school community, we are committed to promoting diversity, equity, belonging, and justice, and to holding ourselves accountable for addressing harm, repairing relationships, and continuing to learn together.

Position Summary:

The Léman Manhattan Residential Life Program is now seeking a Dorm Parent (Live-in). This position involves overseeing all tasks related to the students’ residential experience at Léman Manhattan. Our Dorm Parents are responsible for cultivating a safe, nurturing, structured, and comfortable environment for students while ensuring that students adhere to the program’s expectations.

Developing strong relationships with the boarding students, grounded in compassion, mutual respect, and consistency, is essential to the Dorm Parent position. Dorm Parents must be willing to take a proactive and hands-on approach toward working with students to solve problems and conflicts and to offer disciplinary and moral guidance when necessary. Dorm Parents are expected to provide a high level of care, supervision, consistency, and guidance in a manner aligned with the school’s role in loco parentis, meaning “in the place of a parent.” In practice, this means Dorm Parents help ensure students’ safety and well-being, provide appropriate supervision and guidance, respond to concerns, and support students’ growth while they are living away from home.

This is a full-time, 10-month staff position aligned with the school year and the boarding calendar. The schedule primarily includes weekday afternoons and evenings, with rotational weekend, overnight, holiday, and on-call responsibilities when the dorm is open. As a live-in position, year-round private apartment accommodations are provided.

The ideal candidate is someone who enjoys working closely with adolescents, brings sound judgment and emotional maturity, and is comfortable balancing warmth, structure, and accountability in a residential school setting.

Key Responsibilities:

(The primary tasks, functions, and deliverables of the role)

• Acting in loco parentis, or “in the place of a parent,” for all boarding students by supporting their safety, well-being, supervision, and residential welfare
• Acting as the primary point of contact and liaison between parents, faculty, and staff for an assigned group of 13-18 students
• Providing families with updates about their student’s progress and well-being on a regular basis
• Monitoring student whereabouts, facilitating student checkouts, and performing regular check-in rounds of the dormitory
• Assisting with the academic progress of students, developing student-centered action plans alongside key faculty, and monitoring progress
• Collaborating with faculty about students’ academic progress
• Proctoring a supervised academic study hall
• Collaborating with families and school support staff to develop and monitor student-centered action plans to identify and support socio-emotional needs
• Addressing student conduct issues, rule violations, and safety concerns through appropriate channels and administering policies fairly and consistently
• Planning and organizing activities and events to build community and create a home-like environment for students
• Creating intentional learning opportunities through Residential Life curriculum programming
• Participating in and assisting with school activities and events periodically
• Facilitating monthly group meetings to build and reinforce positive connections among students
• Acting as the designated Dorm Parent on Duty during overnight hours on a rotational basis with other staff
• Supporting student health needs in coordination with nursing staff, including supervising student self-administration of medication, responding to urgent medical situations, and accompanying students to urgent care or the emergency room when necessary
• Ensuring that the work environment at the dormitory is professional, safe, and efficient
• Responding to residential life and school emergencies
• Shadowing, training, and coaching part-time Residential Assistants on school and residential life processes, systems, and operations
• Other duties as assigned and as needed to support the operations of the residential life program and the school

Skills, Qualifications & Requirements

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in education, counseling, public administration, or another related field
• Minimum of three years working with adolescents in a leadership or mentorship capacity, preferably in a boarding school environment

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Willingness to work nights, weekends, select holidays, and on-call hours
• Excellent critical thinking skills and the ability to problem solve both independently and collaboratively
• Maturity and the understanding of appropriate boundaries
• Experience collaborating to develop and refine processes and systems
• The ability to maintain composure during stressful situations
• A motivated and innovative team player
• A demonstrated ability to work effectively with diverse populations

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Experience in residential life at a boarding school, summer camp, or similar work environment
• Experience working with English as a Second Language students
• International experience living abroad
• Knowledge of New York City
• Experience in planning activities and leading teenage students on excursions
• Proficiency in a second language

Work Environment

• Work is typically performed in a dormitory environment and requires regular movement throughout the residential building, including walking, standing, and using stairs during rounds, student support, and emergency response
• Occasionally move items weighing up to 50 pounds
• Travel may be required when chaperoning school trips

Compensation & Benefits

• The annualized compensation range for this position is $45,000 to $50,000, based on education level, skills, and experience, and paid in accordance with the school’s regular payroll practices
• Live-in staff are provided a studio apartment in a private residential building in the Financial District, with an estimated annual housing value of approximately $40,000. Internet access and utilities are included
• Comprehensive benefits package, which includes a variety of health insurance offerings, dental, vision, life, and short- and long-term disability offerings, HSA/FSA options, and retirement benefits
• Opportunity to enjoy meals in our dining café while school is in session
• Paid Time Off