Assistant Director for Residential Life & Dining Services Operations & Information

University of New Hampshire•Plymouth, NH

12d•$47,920 - $85,410•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Director of Residential Life & Dining Services for Operations and Business Processes is a newly created exempt professional position responsible for the strategic coordination and operational oversight of core administrative functions supporting the University’s residential and dining programs. Reporting to the Executive Director, this role provides leadership for complex administrative, technical, and compliance related operations, including housing systems and reporting, occupancy and access management, vendor managed service programs, and continuous process improvement initiatives. The position requires independent judgment, advanced operational knowledge, and the analysis of institutional data to support informed decisions that directly impact student services, revenue generation, regulatory compliance, and operational continuity. The Assistant Director serves as a primary liaison to campus partners, USNH system offices, and external vendors, leading cross functional initiatives such as campus openings and closings, housing cycle management, system enhancements, and compliance activities. This position contributes to departmental planning through operational analysis, forecasting, and process design, and plays a key role in ensuring accuracy, accountability, and risk mitigation across residential operations. This is a 12 month, fully benefited exempt position with standard business hours; evening, weekend, on call, and emergency response responsibilities are required during peak operational periods. The position is designated as essential staff. An optional live on opportunity with participation in a departmental crisis response rotation is available.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
3-5 years of progressively responsible professional experience in housing, student services, operations, or a related administrative environment
Experience managing complex administrative and operational functions.
Strong organizational skills with demonstrated attention to detail and the ability to prioritize multiple tasks and projects.
Demonstrated analytical skills, including collection, interpretation, auditing/validation, and reporting of data.
Problem solving skills with the ability to understand complex business systems and processes
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively across diverse stakeholders.
Proficiency in technology and administrative systems; experience with housing and meal plan database systems required (StarRez, Atrium preferred).
Proficiency with standard office software applications.
Ability to learn specialized software systems quickly
Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and maintain work authorization throughout employment.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or graduate level coursework
Recent experience working in higher education within student housing, dining, student affairs operations, or related area
Interest or experience working within a campus based residential life program
Experience serving on a residential campus crisis response or on‑call rotation.

Responsibilities

Oversee operational processes supporting residential openings, closings, and transitions in collaboration with Residence Education.
Coordinate early arrival, late stay, and break housing processes
Stage systems for term billing; configuring StarRez, communicating with Student Financial Services, and verifying data integrity before and after processing.
Ensure accuracy and integrity of housing and dining related business functions that impact student records, billing, and financial accountability.
In conjunction with USNH IT application staff, coordinate meal plan operations and campus integration with Atrium and other software/services
Manage departmental occupancy verification processes and support retention and utilization efforts
Serve as the primary departmental point of contact for vendor‑managed programs, including renters’ insurance, laundry, linen and care packages, vending, storage, and rental services.
Coordinate merchant adoption, discontinuance, and promotion of PantherBucks partnerships and manage Atrium off-campus integrations.
In partnership with USNH ET&S and campus stakeholders, test, implement, document, and support housing and dining systems enhancements and new operational tools.
Represent the department in PCI compliance activities in coordination with food service entities, third‑party vendors, and the USNH Treasury area.
Represent department for vendor selection and renewal processes.
Serve as department liaison to various external state and governmental entities for as related to data requests
Provide oversight and ensure compliance with safety and security protocols for residential key and access control systems
Work closely with Facilities to coordinate maintenance requests, room readiness, and occupancy transitions.
Maintain department hardware and peripheral inventory; coordinate annual and ongoing department inventory of equipment and supplies in conjunction with USNH ITS.
Serve as a key point of contact for operational data requests, ad hoc reporting, and cross-departmental analysis related to residential and dining operations.
Collaborate with departmental leadership on occupancy planning and modelling for each academic year based on the needs/requirements of the University.
Develop and maintain standard operational reports and dashboards to support departmental planning, forecasting, and compliance needs utilizing the reporting and analytical tools within StarRez and Atrium systems.
Develop and implement communication and marketing strategies to promote housing accommodations using University-approved platforms and channels.
In collaboration with Marketing and Communications, maintain and update Residential Life web content and oversee departmental social media presence as appropriate.
Serve as a member of the Residential Life Administrator On-Call crisis response rotation including functional leadership of residential live-in staff.
Other duties as assigned by the Executive Director.