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Residential Life Assistant

HOMEWORKS TRENTON

HomeWorks Trenton, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that combines the public school education with a boarding school experience to equip high school girls in marginalized communities to achieve economic freedom and become community leaders. By providing a space to explore and define their experiences, cultures, and identities, HomeWorks offers our scholars a chance to see that their ideas, visions, and presence are valid and relevant in this world.

The HomeWorks team has been recognized by The State of New Jersey, Princeton University, McKinsey & Company, Echoing Green, Comcast, Hollister, TRESemmé, Camelback Ventures, Barclays, Vital Voices, The Rachael Ray Show and more.

www.homeworkstrenton.org

THE ROLE

The Residential Life Assistant (House Sister) supports the day-to-day execution of the HomeWorks residential program by providing direct supervision, mentorship, and support to scholars. This role helps maintain a safe, structured, and supportive residential environment where scholars can thrive academically, develop leadership, and grow as individuals.

Reporting to the Assistant Director of Residential Life, the Residential Life Assistant ensures that residential expectations, routines, and systems are executed consistently and that scholars receive strong day-to-day support aligned with HomeWorks’ mission and Theory of Change.

This is a scholar-facing role focused on building relationships, modeling expectations, and supporting the daily implementation of residential routines, programming, and community norms.

Because HomeWorks operates as a residential program, the Residential Life Assistant lives on campus and provides supervision and support from Sunday evenings to Friday mornings.

The role spans four primary areas: residential life culture and scholar development; residential operations and safety; content capture and storytelling; and team collaboration.

Residential Life Culture & Scholar Development - 40%

Model and reinforce residential expectations related to scholar behavior, routines, respect, and shared community responsibilities.
Build strong relationships with scholars, serving as a consistent, trusted adult who supports their well-being and development.
Support the planning and execution of residential programming, community meetings, and activities that strengthen scholar engagement and sense of belonging.
Provide day-to-day guidance, encouragement, and accountability to support scholars in developing independence, responsibility, and life skills.
Support scholars in completing homework, preparing for school, and maintaining strong academic habits during study hall and structured academic time.
Support cohort leaders by accurately inputting, updating, and monitoring scholar data (including attendance, behavior, and engagement) to ensure timely and informed decision-making.
Identify and communicate changes in scholar behavior, engagement, or well-being within 24 hours to support timely follow-up and intervention.
Reinforce scholar support plans and expectations through consistent follow-through and encouragement.
Support scholar communication by preparing materials and sending timely updates on weekly programming calendars and residential life events.
Escalate significant or urgent scholar situations to the Assistant Director, with escalation to the Director as needed.

Residential Operations & Safety - 35%

Support the consistent execution of daily residential routines, including morning, after-school and evening schedules.
Provide active supervision of scholars throughout the residential environment, ensuring safety, appropriate behavior, and adherence to expectations at all times.
Ensure scholars are present, prepared, and on time for all required activities, including school, programming, meals, and study hall.
Support the implementation of attendance, sign-in/sign-out, and health-related procedures, ensuring accurate and timely updates are recorded and communicated to support team awareness and follow-through.
Maintain awareness and communicate of who is present in the building at all times, including scholars, staff, and visitors, and ensure all guest and volunteer sign-in procedures are followed.
Support a clean, organized, and safe residential environment by reinforcing expectations for shared spaces, cleanliness, and personal responsibility.
Communicate safety concerns, facility issues, or supervision needs in real time to ensure appropriate awareness and response.
Support residential inventory systems by maintaining organization of supplies, accurately updating usage or check-out logs (e.g., devices, materials), and proactively communicating low inventory or replenishment needs.
Serve as the primary bus aide, ensuring scholar safety, appropriate behavior, and adherence to expectations during transportation to and from the dorm.

Residential Life Content Creation & Storytelling - 10%

Capture photos and videos of scholars during programming, field trips, daily routines, and key events that reflect authentic scholar experiences.
Document moments that highlight scholar growth, community, and engagement within the residential environment.
Partner with scholars to co-create content, inviting their perspectives, ideas, and voice, so they feel ownership of how their stories and experiences are shared.
Share and upload content to Google Photo albums in a timely manner to support organizational storytelling, communications, and development efforts.
Create quarterly family and friends newsletters that capture and communicate the scholar experience within the residential program.
Ensure all content is captured and shared in alignment with HomeWorks guidelines related to scholar privacy, consent, and appropriate representation.

Team Collaboration & Professional Growth - 15%

Contribute to a strong and collaborative residential team environment by communicating updates, supporting team norms, and reinforcing expectations.
Participate actively in team meetings, trainings, and professional development opportunities.
Proactively seek and apply feedback to strengthen performance and effectiveness.
Demonstrate reliability, initiative, and growth in taking on responsibilities within the residential program.
Participate in scholar recruitment events led by the Enrollment & Engagement team, helping create a welcoming and engaging residential environment for prospective scholars and families.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE IN THE FIRST YEAR

Residential Culture & Community

95-100% of assigned supervision responsibilities (including wake-up, transitions, programming, evening routines, and bedtime) are executed on time and in alignment with residential expectations.
95-100% of scholars adhere to daily residential schedules, routines, and expectations during assigned shifts.
95-100% of scholars actively participate in residential routines and community responsibilities during assigned shifts.
100% of behavior concerns are addressed in a restorative way through redirection, reinforcement, or escalation as appropriate.

Scholar Outcomes

100% of required scholar data (attendance, participation, behavior, and relevant updates) is accurately recorded, updated, and submitted in Salesforce and other designated systems within required timeframes.
100% of scholar concerns (academic, behavioral, or well-being) are identified and communicated to the Assistant Director within 24 hours of concern identification, with escalation to the Director as needed.
95-100% scholar attendance during study hall, tutoring, and programming.
During study hall and programming, at least 90% of scholars remain engaged and on-task, as supported through active monitoring and redirection.
100% of assigned scholar support plan actions are implemented with consistent follow-through, reinforcement, and communication with the residential team.

Residential Operations & Safety

100% adherence to safety protocols, supervision expectations, and documentation procedures during all assigned shifts.
100% of safety or operational concerns are addressed in real time and communicated to the Assistant Director, with escalation to the Director as needed.
100% accurate execution of attendance tracking, sign-in/sign-out, and health-related procedures during assigned shifts.
100% of visitors and volunteers follow proper sign-in/sign-out procedures, with staff maintaining awareness of all individuals present in the building during assigned shifts.

Residential Life Content Creation & Storytelling

95-100% of programming moments, events, and activities are documented through photos and/or videos.
100% of weekly captured content is uploaded by Thursday to support organizational storytelling and communications.
100% of quarterly family and friends newsletters are completed and shared on time, accurately reflecting scholar experiences, residential programming, and community life.
100% adherence to organizational guidelines related to scholar privacy, consent, and appropriate representation in all captured content.

Professionalism & Growth

95-100% on-time arrival and preparedness for all assigned shifts and responsibilities.
100% completion of assigned responsibilities with consistent follow-through and reliability.
Maintains strong organizational systems and execution, including a 1-week email response time (urgent emails within 24-48 hours) and meeting 95% of project deadlines.
100% participation in coaching and feedback conversations, with demonstrated improvement over time.
Contributes to a positive and collaborative team environment, as evidenced by effective communication, responsiveness, and support of team responsibilities.

THE QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s degree or currently completing a degree (or equivalent experience), preferably in education, psychology, social work, or a related field.
Experience working with youth or adolescents
Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to maintain clear expectations and boundaries
Ability to supervise and engage groups of scholars in a structured environment
Strong communication, attention to detail, and organizational skills
Reliable, flexible, and able to remain calm in a fast-paced residential environment
Demonstrated initiative, accountability, and ability to work both independently and as part of a team
Growth mindset and alignment with HomeWorks’ mission and values
Willingness to live on campus and work Sunday evenings through Friday mornings
Familiarity with Google Workspace and/or willingness to learn systems such as Salesforce, Asana, or other data and project management tools.
[Preferred] Proficiency in Spanish

THE PERSON

The person we would be over-the-moon to work with is excited to contribute to our culture through a deep belief in our mission and a commitment to building community alongside a team with diverse personalities, backgrounds, and experiences. The Residential Life Assistant (House Sister) will see themselves in the examples below:

Culture Builder - You are a community builder at heart and thrive in close-knit, residential environments. You take pride in creating a space where scholars feel safe, supported, and known. You intentionally model and reinforce expectations, and go above and beyond to build a positive, structured, and joyful community for scholars.
Relational & Student-Centered - You build strong, trusting relationships with scholars while maintaining clear boundaries and high expectations. You are attentive to scholars’ needs and notice changes in behavior, engagement, or well-being, and respond with care, consistency, and accountability.
Reliable & Accountable - You follow through on commitments and take ownership of your responsibilities. You show up prepared, on time, and ready to engage. You can be counted on to execute routines, uphold expectations, and consistently do what you say you will do.
Organized & Detail-Oriented - You manage your time and responsibilities effectively, even when balancing multiple priorities. You pay attention to details and use systems and tools to stay organized, track information, and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
Proactive & Solutions-Oriented - You take initiative to solve problems and improve situations without always needing direction. You are resourceful and willing to learn, seeking out information and support when needed to grow and be effective in your role.
Flexible & Team-Oriented - You are adaptable and willing to step in where needed to support the team and scholars. You collaborate well with others, communicate openly, and contribute to a positive, accountable team culture. You understand that working in a residential environment requires flexibility and a team-first mindset.
Growth-Oriented - You actively seek feedback and view it as an opportunity to improve. You are reflective about your work and committed to continuous growth as an educator, mentor, and team member.
Clear & Honest Communicator - You communicate clearly, directly, and respectfully. You are willing to ask questions, share updates, and engage in honest conversations to ensure strong communication and alignment across the team.

THE TANGIBLE GOODS

Location: Lawrence/Trenton, NJ
Typical Working Hours (Schedule Attached Below). Please note that times may be scheduled to change, and may vary if an emergency or unexpected situation occurs.
- School Year - September to June
  - Sunday: 4:30pm-10pm
  - Monday to Thursday: 1:30pm -9:30pm
  - Monday to Friday: 6:15am-6:45am/8am (occasionally until 8am if on bus route)
  - Monthly Wednesday Professional Development Training - 12:00pm-1:30pm
- Summer - July to August
  - Monday to Friday 9am-5pm
  - May work occasional weekends and night events when necessary.
Salary: Salary range: HomeWorks Trenton values our employees highly and acknowledges the importance of salary in recognizing and compensating for the value that employees create. We are continually growing in our ability to compensate employees as highly as we want to, and are actively fundraising in order to do so. Joining HomeWorks means being part of a deeply mission-driven and community-oriented organization that invests in development of staff as both people and professionals. We are, however, a young non-profit, and want to be transparent about what you can expect. In your first year, expect a compensation package of $61,500, with a salary of $36,000, fully furnished housing valued at $22,000/year during the year and daily dinners valued at $3,500/year during the school year when the program is in session.
Benefits:
- Your own residential room in our new campus dormitory Fall of 2026, for the duration that you are employed with our organization.
- Medical, Dental, Vision plan offerings
  - Long-term Disability Insurance
  - Life Insurance
  - Employee Assistance Program
  - 401k plan
  - Paid Time Off
    - During the school year - Following our partner school holiday schedules, which is approximately 22 days.
    - During the summer - returning residential staff get 15 days off.
    - Please Note: residential staff are unable to take vacation time off while our program is in session and our scholars are staying overnight in the dorm during the academic year.
  - Smartphone and fully paid wireless plan through Mint Mobile
  - Professional development and leadership growth opportunities
  - A rewarding career that positively impacts our amazing scholars
Start date: June 1, 2026 (some flexibility for the start date can be provided)
Application Deadline: Rolling

THE CULTURE

Every organization has its particular brand of crazy. We just try to be up-front about ours.

INTENTIONALITY: We are passionate, determined and Type A folks.

We know what each scholar will be doing exactly 3 years from now at 4:30pm on Tuesday. That is because we have spent thousands of hours talking to industry experts and community members to intentionally create our program for our scholars. Every decision is intentional.
We work efficiently, are ruthless in getting things done. We roll up our sleeves and get down to sweep the floors.
We are obsessive about documenting everything so that we can replicate and scale what we are doing to expand our impact. Everything– from lesson plans to field trip procedures– will be added to manuals, put in the shared drive, documented on Salesforce, Asana and more.

EMPATHY: We believe that everyone on our team is a leader.

This means that we take ownership for our own projects. We are deeply committed to a growth-mindset culture and take accountability when we make mistakes.
We believe that our biggest strength comes from having a team with a rainbow of personalities, working styles, backgrounds, experiences, and cultures — and the ability to challenge one another while ensuring everyone feels heard and valued.
Our Co-Founders are our scholars, parents, teachers and community leaders. We work closely with our community to understand how best to grow and build HomeWorks and to invest in our community.

COMMUNITY: We believe deeply in our mission, and are intentional in living our values of intentionality, empathy and community in all we do.

This work - from picking up scholars from school, to construction management for our new campus, to building house culture and planning our development strategy - is more than just work. It is our fight for justice. We are creating a space where our scholars can reclaim power over their cultures, identities and experiences.
We center our scholars and the community, and show up fully in the work. Every day.
We believe in the power and magic of our community in Trenton. By staying within the community, we are fostering a sense of Trenton pride within our scholars.