Dean of Residential Life

About Pingry
The Pingry School, a prestigious K-12 coeducational, independent day school with a rich history dating back to its founding by Dr. John F. Pingry in 1861, stands at the forefront of academic excellence in the United States. With campuses located in Basking Ridge, Pottersville, and Short Hills, New Jersey, Pingry is celebrated for its academic programs, a student-written Honor Code that underpins our community values, and a comprehensive commitment to arts, athletics, community, and civic engagement. Our mission is to inspire in our students a lifelong passion for learning, personal development, and social responsibility, preparing them to be global citizens and luminaries of the 21st century. Rooted in relationships and guided by our foundational philosophy, Pingry is a vibrant community of more than 1,200 students hailing from over 90 towns across New Jersey and New York. At Pingry, we are united by a love of learning and a commitment to preparing students to navigate the complexities of the 21st century with confidence and integrity. For more information, we invite you to visit our website at pingry.org or connect with The Pingry School on Facebook, X, and Instagram to discover why we love school.

At The Pingry School, experiential learning initiatives directly foster Pingry’s mission, encouraging intellectual, physical, and emotional learning and the cultivation of responsible and thoughtful citizens. Our experiential classrooms and programs, farm and sustainability programs, and global education and engagement programs provide living laboratories for Pingry students to explore questions, make discoveries, and challenge mind, body, and spirit within an inspired learning community. 

The Pottersville Campus
In August 2021, The Pingry School acquired the 82-acre campus of the former Purnell School, a boarding school for girls in grades 9-12 founded in 1963. Located in the hills of Somerset County, New Jersey, this campus presented Pingry with a unique opportunity to expand its mission and educational offerings.

The Pottersville campus uniquely supports Pingry's mission by fostering curiosity, intellectual and personal growth, and community connection. Rooted in experiential learning, the campus offers intermittent, differentiated programs outside the traditional school day, including student initiatives, strategic partnerships, and professional opportunities that inspire lifelong learning. Overnight programs for K-12 students, alumni, visiting experts, etc., “from teenagers to trustees.” 

Set amidst rolling hills, Pottersville’s grounds include a pond, hiking trails, a ropes course, gardens, classrooms, athletic facilities, arts studios, dormitories, and community spaces. Hacklebarney State Park, with its scenic trails, borders the property. Located 20 minutes from the Basking Ridge Campus and 40 minutes from Short Hills, Pottersville serves as Pingry’s third campus and a hub for immersive learning experiences.

Position Summary
Since acquiring the Pottersville Campus in 2021, we’ve hosted a wide range of programs, from grade-level retreats to art residencies. To expand these offerings and maximize their potential, we are seeking a Dean of Residential Life to create a cohesive, year-round calendar that integrates seamlessly into our K-12 curriculum and reflects Pingry’s commitment to experiential education.

This role combines leadership, creativity, and an entrepreneurial mindset to shape transformative overnight and immersive experiences for students, faculty, and the community. The Dean will establish a strong residential culture and hybrid day/boarding model, creating opportunities that spark curiosity, connection, and growth while prioritizing health and safety.

The Dean of Residential Life is a full-time, 12-month position offering a competitive compensation and benefits package, including vacation, sick, and personal days. While the Pingry School observes many holidays and hosts winter and spring breaks, this role requires flexibility to align vacation scheduling with the needs of Pottersville programming. Reporting to and working closely with the Director of the Pottersville Campus, the Dean will plan time off to ensure seamless support for key initiatives. The role involves a variable schedule, including nights, weekends, and extended overnight trips, with the busiest periods typically occurring in spring, summer, and fall. 

Responsibilities 
Program Design & Leadership: Develop and execute innovative, year-round residential programs for students, faculty, alumni, and external partners, such as global exchanges, overnight-prep initiatives, and summer residencies. With an entrepreneurial mindset, expand our offerings to include out of box experiences that vary from 1 night to weeks-long.

Community Building: Live on campus and foster an inclusive, welcoming environment where all participants feel at home. Build genuine connections with students, faculty, parents, and visitors.

Safety & Crisis Management: Ensure compliance with safety protocols, train staff, and lead emergency responses. Maintain clear communication with parents and participants.

Collaboration: Partner with faculty and staff across Pingry’s campuses to integrate overnight experiences into the curriculum. Collaborate with Auxiliary Programs to develop rental and summer opportunities.

Event Hosting: Serve as a host for programs like the Stanley King Institute and conferences, ensuring seamless residential support for all events.

Faculty Support: Facilitate immersive faculty experiences such as Spring Intensives and Middle School Project Week and contribute to K-12 experiential learning programs. Support the Ropes Course either as a Course Manager or Certified Ropes Leader. 

What We’re Looking For:

• A visionary leader with an entrepreneurial mindset who thrives on creativity, collaboration, community-building and designing and executing innovative ideas.
• A seasoned educator with 3-5 years of experience in residential life or experiential education.
• A problem-solver who remains calm under pressure and is energized by challenges.
• A safety champion with first aid and CPR certifications (or a willingness to obtain them).
• An inclusive thinker committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
• An inspirational role model who can connect with students, parents, and faculty alike.
• A community builder who will foster a dynamic, warm, inviting, safe, and compassionate environment and can ensure an inclusive space that fosters a sense of belonging outside of school and home.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• 3-5 years of related experience in education and an understanding of experiential teaching and philosophy within a boarding school or residential life program.
• Ability to develop and implement programs and activities that enhance the residential life experience, including leadership opportunities, curricular tie-ins, and relationship-building activities that are intellectually engaging with room for playfulness and spontaneity.
• A leadership approach that combines warmth and collaboration with decisiveness.
• A proactive and resourceful individual who thrives working independently stays composed under pressure, solves problems efficiently, inspires confidence, and cultivates a collaborative and supportive team environment.
• Demonstrated ability to self-manage tasks by effectively prioritizing, planning, and organizing workflows on a daily, weekly, and semester basis.
• Dedication to supporting the academic, social, and emotional well-being of students.
• Dedication to partnering collaboratively with a team of talented faculty to implement inspirational experiential programs.
• Ability to navigate the Google Suite of applications (Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar, etc.).
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Robust interpersonal skills.
• Approach crisis management challenges calmly, creatively, and proactively.
• First Aid, CPR, AED, and Ropes course certifications are required, although they may be obtained after an offer of employment has been extended.
• Commitment to the mission and vision of the Pingry School which includes a commitment to DEIB and the requisite skills to work cross-functionally with diverse constituency groups across the organization.

This position offers a unique opportunity to shape the residential life culture at Pingry’s Pottersville Campus and contribute to innovative, transformative educational experiences.

Interested candidates are encouraged to apply online at https://www.pingry.org/careers. The resume review process will begin in January, followed by the first round of interviews.