Residence Life and Logistics Director (Site Director)
Department: Astrophysics, Biochemistry, Bacterial Genomics, Cell Biology, or Synthetic Chemistry
Reporting to: Program Manager
Schedule: Temporary full-time (6 weeks in June/July/August)
Location: Varies by program and host campus availability, with housing provided
Travel Required (provided by SSPI): SSPI's required faculty training weekend for senior Summer Science Program faculty will be held April 23-25, 2027, in Denver, Colorado. SSPI will cover domestic travel to and from the meeting with the hotel stay and meals being provided or reimbursed in accordance with policy.
Live on or adjacent to your assigned SSPI host campus for 6 weeks during Summer 2027 (June/July/August). On-campus accommodations are provided. Off-campus housing is not typically available but may be requested on an individual basis if there are special or extenuating circumstances.
SSPI will cover domestic travel to and from campus in addition to meals in accordance with policy.
Salary range: Starting salaries for 2026 were $15,500 for Site Directors (SDs) and may be subject to budget increases for 2027.
Summary
SSP International, Inc. (SSPI) is an independent non-profit that offers teens an exhilarating and inspiring immersion into hands-on experimental science during its Summer Science Program. 8 faculty and 36 participants form a supportive “living and learning community” over ~6 weeks (~5 for participants). Each participant team completes an authentic research project, taking and analyzing original data. Afterward, they join a worldwide network of 5,000 alumni of all ages. More information can be found at www.ssp.org.
Site Directors are responsible for managing the safety and wellbeing of program participants and reporting unsafe acts or conditions to SSPI Admin staff. The Site Director manages residential life (participant behavior, health, housing, dining) and logistics (facilities, field trips, special events), working closely with the other faculty and host campus personnel. Site Directors co-supervise Teaching Assistants / Residential Mentors (TARMs) with Academic Directors. They provide training and oversight for TARM’s residential life responsibilities. Candidates should have 5+ years of experience working with high school students. The ideal candidate for the position is or has been a teacher – especially those teaching science or math – seeking a change of pace and a chance to work outside of the classroom with extremely bright and motivated teens.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Live on campus for 6 weeks, attend lunch and dinner with students most days, and coordinate and lead field trips and social activities
Serve as the program’s primary point of contact for participant families, the host campus, and guest speakers
Train, supervise, and mentor TARMs on residential life responsibilities
Act as the primary leader, planner, administrator, and decisionmaker for non-academic components of the program in accordance with all rules, policies, training, and instructions from SSPI staff.
Develop and maintain positive and constructive relationships with university personnel including residence life staff, facilities staff, and faculty
Act as the on-call point of contact to handle medical emergencies, acute behavioral issues, etc.
Provide guidance and support to participants as, for many, this represents their first long-term departure from life at home
Take the lead in addressing participant wellbeing issues in collaboration with faculty, parents/guardians, medical personnel, and SSPI staff; serve as primary point of contact for families on campus.
Monitor the emotional, mental, social, and physical health and wellbeing of participants, reporting and responding to concerns in collaboration with the Program faculty and staff.
Coach and mentor participants in managing their own behaviors in accordance with the Summer Science Program Participant Handbook and Honor Code.
Report any unsafe…