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Director Of Student Development Jobs in California

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Director Of Student Development information

See California salary details

$15.8K

$94.5K

$175.7K

How much do director of student development jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 9, 2026, the average yearly pay for director of student development in California is $94,455.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $73,000.00 and $113,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges faced by a director of student development, and how can they be addressed?

A Director of Student Development often navigates challenges such as balancing diverse student needs, fostering an inclusive campus environment, and aligning co-curricular programming with institutional goals. Addressing these challenges involves strong collaboration with student affairs staff, faculty, and student organizations to ensure programs are relevant and impactful. Effective communication, ongoing assessment, and adaptability are key to overcoming obstacles and supporting students' holistic development.

What does a director of student development do?

A Director of Student Development oversees programs and services that support the personal, academic, and social growth of students within an educational institution. They collaborate with faculty, staff, and student organizations to create a positive campus environment, often managing areas like student leadership, orientation, counseling, and extracurricular activities. Their goal is to enhance student engagement and success by addressing students' holistic needs. They also assess program effectiveness and may advocate for policies and resources that benefit student well-being.

What is the difference between Director Of Student Development vs Student Activities Coordinator?

AspectDirector Of Student DevelopmentStudent Activities Coordinator
Required CredentialsBachelor’s degree; often master’s in education or related fieldBachelor’s degree typically sufficient
Work EnvironmentHigher education institutions, overseeing multiple programsCampus or student center, focusing on event planning
Employer & Industry UsageColleges and universitiesStudent organizations, campus recreation
Common Search & ComparisonFocuses on program development and student engagement strategiesFocuses on event planning and student activities coordination

The Director Of Student Development generally has broader responsibilities, including strategic planning and program oversight, while the Student Activities Coordinator concentrates on organizing specific events and activities. Both roles aim to enhance student life but differ in scope and level of responsibility.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a director of student development, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Director Of Student Development, you need expertise in student affairs, program management, and higher education administration, often supported by a master's degree in education or a related field. Familiarity with student information systems, assessment tools, and compliance regulations is typically required. Exceptional leadership, communication, and conflict resolution skills help foster a supportive campus environment and engage diverse student populations. These skills are crucial for effectively guiding student growth, ensuring program quality, and promoting student success in higher education settings.
What are popular job titles related to Director Of Student Development jobs in California? For Director Of Student Development jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Director Of Student Development jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Director Of Student Development jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Director Of Student Development jobs? Cities in California with the most Director Of Student Development job openings:
Infographic showing various Director Of Student Development job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 78% Full Time, 17% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $94,455 per year, or $45.4 per hour.

$120K - $155K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 8 days ago


Job description

A Learning Community
Notre Dame High School, San Jose is the center for women's leadership in Silicon Valley and has provided an exceptional Catholic college preparatory education for young women since 1851. The school's mission is guided by the teachings of Saint Julie Billiart, the foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, with a strong focus on social justice to create lifelong learners, spiritual seekers, justice advocates and community leaders. Our mission, summarized by the words of Saint Julie Billiart, is to "teach them what they need to know for life."
Summary: The director of student life is responsible for the vision, oversight and implementation of mission-aligned student support ensuring optimal student engagement, academic advisement, student wellness while fostering a nurturing culture of belonging.
Administrative Team
Administrative team member responsibilities:
  • Work collaboratively in a shared leadership model.
  • Center the mission, hallmarks, graduation outcomes, women's leadership, race equity diversity and inclusion (REDI) in all leadership work.
  • Communicate at weekly team meetings area highlights, changes and future needs to ensure accountability and transparency to the team.
  • Provide strong personnel management, supervision and development opportunities for staff. Assure annual performance cycle for staff to motivate growth.
  • Manage horizontally with team members and collaborates on cross area initiatives.
  • Shape big picture perspective with the team for communication, solution- finding, and short- and long-term planning purposes.
  • Model professionalism for and with colleagues.

Academic Advisement
  • Partner with stakeholders across campus to develop and implement a comprehensive, holistic education program for students that is focused on individual course pathways with and is up-to-date with school and state requirements for graduation requirements, A-G compliance, and UC entrance requirements, as well as socio-emotional learning and development.
  • Promote and enforce academic integrity by upholding the honor code, investigating plagiarism reports and enforcing disciplinary consequences (restorative practices, detention, suspension, expulsion)
  • Create and inform students and parents of academic policies, student support practices and Notre Dame learning community expectations
  • Lead administrator in counselor/parent meetings regarding students with poor academic performance, misconduct, or unsatisfactory attendance; Creates and implements with counselor and families, a mission-aligned, actionable student improvement plan
  • Ensure the accurate publication of the course catalog, course selections and course prerequisites in PowerSchool annually
  • In conjunction with the school information specialist (SIS), approves updates to the school student academic transcript
  • Oversee the master schedule 'build' each year in partnership with the school information specialist (SIS) and the director of teaching and learning (course options based on demand, need, trends; course sections; room assignments; teacher block assignments; scheduling conflicts)
  • Oversee six grading periods, ensuring grades are entered, incompletes are approved and then cleared in a timely manner, and reports and transcriptions are adequately distributed
  • National Merit Scholarship Committee liaison communicating with students, faculty and staff about selected students and their evolving status as well as responsible for all AP CollegeBoard auditing.

Student Support
  • Provide oversight and alignment of the school counselors, learning resource specialists, college counselors, director of career and life success, and the first scholars coordinator
  • Oversee the student engagement team (counseling, college counseling, career & life success, campus ministry, learning resource specialists, and educational innovation) to provide circular support for the student experience.
  • Collaborate with the dean of students, school counselors, and the director of teaching and learning on issues affecting academic progress (i.e. learning, classroom behavior, academic integrity, academic success, attendance, etc.) to effectively make recommendations for student improvement
  • Oversight of both Community Circle (including creating the weekly mentor sheet) and Community Programming. Additionally, responsible for assigning mentors to each of these roles.
  • Support the implementation of safe, effective supervision of students throughout the school program-this includes weekly faculty/staff supervision and event supervision.
  • Create and promote relevant parent education programs presented by school counselors and college counselors
  • Attend school events and remain aware of school accomplishments and challenges.
  • Partner with the assistant head of school and the director of admissions to identify enrollment concerns and oversee management of student support documentation as a member of the admissions committee..
  • Send Weekly Student Update communication to all students about upcoming events, calendar changes, or timely information.
  • Collaborate closely with the student activities director to coordinate weekly student activities requests, approval, and community communication.
Student Wellness
  • Collaborate with the director of operations and dean of students to ensure safety and security of the school campus during the hours that students are present on campus during stated school hours.
  • Work with the director of mission and ministry to assure appropriate pastoral care and counseling support for students and families.
  • Analyze trends in student attendance as they relate to academic performance. Signs-off on all Planned Absence Forms and follows up with families regarding length of requested days off when needed.
  • Annually develop and review the student/parent handbook to ensure updated policies and procedures that reflect best practices and mission-alignment.
  • In conjunction with wellness room coordinator and school counselor, write and monitor all individual student health plans, including students who need to carry prescription medication and protocols for documenting and incidents related to a medical diagnosis.

Minimum Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's degree in educational administration or counseling;
  • 5-7 years of leadership, administrator or personnel management in a school setting.

Preferred Qualifications:
  • Master's degree in educational administration, counseling or a related field
  • adolescent behavior and development
  • academic advising and classroom management
  • academic course mapping and scheduling
  • student health and safety
  • student information systems (SIS) such as PowerSchool, Gradelink, Skyward

Hours: General school hours; before school, after school and weekend meetings and events occur throughout the school year
Terms of Employment:
  • 2026-27 academic year
  • Annual renewable contract
  • Competitive compensation package
  • Full-Time position