Assistant Director, Housing Operations (on-site)

DePaul University•Chicago, IL

4d•$56,222 - $71,703•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Director of Housing Operations is responsible for creating, updating, and distributing residential agreements and housing assignments for the Lincoln Park and Loop campuses while overseeing the administration of the housing management software system. The Assistant Director of Housing Operations develops and maintains internal reports, occupancy audits, and tracking systems to ensure the accuracy of housing and meal plan assignments and billing. This position also oversees the day-to-day management of residence hall front desk operations, access control processes, and graduate assistant supervision. A key responsibility of the role is maintaining the technological functionality and data integrity of the residential management system. The position supports operational efficiency and accurate occupancy management across both campuses.

Requirements

3+ years of experience in administrative positions in a university/corporate setting required.
Successful experience in supervising full-time staff.
Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, Windows, Teams, Zoom, Maxient, StarRez, WhenToWork and Salesforce.
Strong verbal and written communications skills.
Ability to work independently and able to manage priorities and tasks.
Ability to effectively interact with students, parents, colleagues, vendors, university staff and faculty.
Ability to provide student-centered customer service.
Appreciation for and commitment to multiculturalism and diversity issues.
Must maintain confidential information.
Responsible for responding to emergency situations as needed.
Ability to respond to a telephone call after hours and maintain constant availability via cell phone coverage, as needed.
Occasionally ascends and descends stairs while conducting building inspections.
Ability to make and hear calls via radio communication.
Occasionally lift up to 25 pounds.
Evening, weekend and holiday work is expected, as needed.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in business or liberal arts, preferred.
Master’s degree and 3 to 5 years of successful, full-time experience in higher education administration, with a strong emphasis in housing operations strongly preferred, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Responsibilities

Provide leadership and strategic oversight for Housing and Residence Life operations, including occupancy management, residential retention initiatives, operational planning, building access procedures, key inventory systems, and occupancy changes.
Oversees housing occupancy management and assignment operations for the Lincoln Park and Loop campuses, including the development of occupancy strategies aligned with university enrollment and business objectives.
Administers housing and meal plan assignments, room changes, waitlists, and housing agreements while ensuring compliance with university policies and contract requirements.
Provide leadership and oversight for residence hall front desk operations, HRL office suite operations, building access control processes, and contracted overnight security services to ensure a safe, customer-focused residential environment.
Supervises reception desk operations and coordinates procedures related to building access, occupancy changes, and key inventory management.
Supervise the Housing Occupancy Coordinator, graduate supervisors, student employees, office assistants, and reception desk staff, including hiring, training, scheduling, payroll, performance management, and operational coverage for in-person, phone, email, and live chat services.
Reviews operational reports, addresses escalated issues, and collaborates with Public Safety and campus partners on safety and policy-related matters.
Manage the administration, functionality, and data integrity of the housing management system (StarRez), housing portal, and related business systems.
Develops and maintains occupancy reports, audits, statistical data, and projections to support operational planning, enrollment forecasting, and effective business practices.
Collaborate with campus partners including Enrollment Management, Athletics, the Center for Students with Disabilities, Honors, academic colleges, and other university departments to coordinate specialized housing assignments and student support services.
Oversees housing assignment and meal plan communications for students, families, and campus stakeholders in collaboration with divisional marketing and university partners.
Work with the Housing Occupancy Coordinator to oversee summer conference housing operations and serves as the primary liaison with Student Center staff to coordinate on-site summer programs.
Collaborates closely with HRL staff supporting summer conference operations to ensure efficient housing and customer service delivery.
Respond to complex housing and meal plan inquiries and serves as a senior-level resource regarding housing agreements, assignment processes, cancellations, appeals, and university policies.
Ensures accurate reconciliation of housing and meal plan charges, cancellations, and prorations in partnership with business operations staff and external housing partners while supporting departmental strategic planning and operational efficiency initiatives.
Directly supervises 1 full time Housing Occupancy Coordinator and several undergraduate and graduate student employees.
Assigns housing and meal plans, administers the housing management software (StarRez), and manages the residence halls front desk operations.