Executive Director, Student Housing and Residential Life

About the role

The Executive Director, Student Housing and Residential Life reports to the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, Student Engagement and Wellbeing, and provides leadership, vision, and management direction for Student Housing and Residential Life (SHRL). Serving as the chief housing officer, the Executive Director oversees a comprehensive housing program designed to advance the University’s learning and student success–centered mission.

Responsibilities

• Oversee a housing program with capacity for approximately 3,740 residents across 23 residence halls (3,400 beds), 11 apartment buildings for families (114 units, 340 beds), and guest housing units; manage three community centers, a residential dining common, the Student Housing Administration Building, and 47 acres of grounds and outdoor recreational space.
• Coordinate strategic planning, goal setting, and assessment initiatives; implement best practices in residential life programs and services; ensure equitable and inclusive residential community standards.
• Provide direction and oversight for budgeting and long-term financial forecasts; manage physical plant and facility operations; lead facility improvement and major maintenance initiatives; collaborate on facility planning and capital projects to support future housing growth.
• Oversee conferencing and administrative operations; lead marketing and retention efforts to maximize occupancy; direct emergency preparedness, safety and security programs, and crisis/emergency event response.
• Collaborate with divisional and university-wide strategic planning priorities; ensure programs and services align with departmental goals to positively impact retention and graduation among a diverse residential student population.
• Ensure academic, social, recreational, cultural, and safety programs and services foster a welcoming, inclusive living environment conducive to student success; lead evaluation and assessment efforts tied to these outcomes.
• Anticipate future housing trends and accommodate them programmatically and through building and renovation initiatives; collaborate with executive leadership, campus departments, and the Chancellor’s Office on the housing master plan, including annual renovations, upgrades, and new construction.
• Interpret and ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and various regional, state, federal, and system-wide regulatory codes.
• Administer an annual budget nearing $37 million with multiple reserve funds.
• Directly supervise 9 professional staff (6 leads) and provide overall supervision for approximately 87 staff and 160 student employees across five units: Residential Life, Facilities Operations, Administrative Services, Financial Services and Human Resources, and Residential Computing Resources.
• Collaborate with Student Affairs departments and university stakeholders on academic, programmatic, and student support services, including academic colleges/departments, University Counseling Services, The University Corporation, Department of Police Services, Facilities Planning, Student Accounting and Cash Services, and University Budget Management.

Qualifications

• Equivalent to graduation from an accredited institution with a Master’s degree in higher education administration, student personnel, or a job-related field.
• Equivalent to six years of full-time, progressively responsible professional experience providing leadership and administration of student housing operations and residential life within a higher educational setting, including a minimum of three years in a management role.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities & Leadership

• Demonstrated success in motivating and leading large and diverse staff, including represented and non-represented employees.
• Demonstrated leadership in developing and delivering learning-centered programs that promote student success and in developing and sustaining residential communities that value and promote diversity.
• Strong understanding of student development theory, community development, and the impact of housing on student retention and graduation.
• Demonstrated ability to successfully manage complex crisis situations involving multiple stakeholders.
• Demonstrated knowledge and ability to provide supervision and management of human resource functions within a collective bargaining environment.
• Highly developed understanding of student safety, emergency management, and student behavior/conduct best practices.
• Demonstrated leadership in facilities maintenance, renovation, planning, and design.
• Highly developed skills in budgeting and financial forecasting.
• Highly developed ability to develop successful partnerships with multiple on- and off-campus stakeholders to advance a cohesive student housing vision.
• Strong understanding of technology and how advances can be implemented to improve work systems and productivity.
• Exceptional communication, interpersonal, and supervisory skills.
• Ability to maintain a high level of discretion, confidentiality, and exercise sound judgment in all decisions.
• Highly developed strategic planning skills.
• Ability to identify operational strengths and challenges; initiate and implement plans, policies, and procedures to solve problems and leverage strengths/opportunities.

Pay

The anticipated hiring range is $160,000 – $180,000 per year, dependent upon qualifications and experience.