Housing Regional Engagement Specialist

Princeton University•Princeton, NJ

1d•$81,000 - $88,000•Onsite

About The Position

Princeton University’s Office of Housing and Real Estate Services (HRES) is seeking to fill the role of the Housing Regional Engagement Specialist. This role serves as the main point of contact for a geographical region of the student housing inventory (undergraduate) or student housing population (graduate) and acts as an entry point into the HRES organization. The position reports to the Associate Director for Engagement and will be the face of the department for the student housing community, fostering regular and sustained contact with Residential Colleges, the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students (ODUS), the Graduate School, and students. The Specialist will develop partnerships within HRES, The Service Point, and other University Services units, as well as with other campus service providers, to address administrative staff and student priorities and meet the programmatic goals of the residential life program. Through sustained engagement, the Specialist will help ensure the alignment of the department’s processes and facilities management functions with student life programmatic goals and service needs. The role requires understanding the diverse living and dining needs of both undergraduate and graduate student populations and maintaining relevance through close collaboration with student life administrative staff, student staff (CLAs, RCAs, RLCs, RGSs), and students. This involves sustained visibility and engagement within their area of responsibility, including attending meetings and devising creative communication methods for HRES information and priorities. Success requires excellent written and oral communication skills, high responsiveness, and an understanding of the intersection of facilities and student life issues, along with effective management of intra- and interdepartmental relationships.

Requirements

A Bachelor's degree and 3-5 years of experience in housing, higher education, or a related field.
Excellent judgment and a high level of interpersonal skills; diplomacy and negotiating ability.
Highly motivated, self-starter.
Strong problem-solving abilities, discretion, and effective oral and written communication skills.
Organization and multi-tasking skills; ability to work independently and as a team member.
Proficiency in using Microsoft Office (especially Word, Excel, and Outlook).
Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams across a broad continuum of internal colleagues and facilities management professionals.
Ability to effectively negotiate, communicate with, and influence internal and external partners.
Strong written and oral communication and interpersonal skills.
Proficiency in working with different constituencies from students to administrators to third-party vendors.
Availability to work a flexible schedule, when necessary, to be on site and to support major University housing events, including Move In and Move Out weekends (which regularly occur on holiday weekends, including Memorial Day and Labor Day).
Availability during non-business hours to attend CLA, RCA, student housing advisory board, and graduate house committee meetings.
Provide additional support as needed during emergency situations.
A valid driver’s license is required.

Nice To Haves

Experience with or ability to learn a housing software system.
Experience with a computerized maintenance management and customer service inquiry ticketing systems (e.g., Maximo and Service Now).
Experience with developing communication strategies and developing and maintaining campus engagement efforts.

Responsibilities

Serve as the department’s main point of contact and front-facing representative for assigned geographical region of campus or student population (graduate).
Conduct regular walkthroughs of assigned areas to develop and maintain knowledge of housing facilities, conditions, unit configurations, common areas, furniture and appliance distribution, and specialty program areas.
Develop and maintain relationships with campus partners and understand the needs related to the residential life program for undergraduate and graduate students.
Serve as a liaison and work closely with partners in University Services, including Building Services, Grounds and Building Maintenance, and the Department of Public Safety.
Establish regular contact and interaction with students and administrators to understand and coordinate responses to unique housing-related issues within their area of responsibility and related to the Residential College program, upperclass housing program, and graduate housing program.
Ensure that Occupancy Management and Housing Facilities teams understand the needs of the student life program, including gender-inclusive housing, independent student needs, dining co-ops, residential college collectives, summer housing programs, and outputs from the Strategic Framework and Campus Plan, and work with these teams and campus partners to develop and implement initiatives.
Work with other HRES teams for the implementation of any policy and process changes.
Engage continuously and regularly with residential-based student leaders through Assistant Deans, Directors of Student Life, student housing advisory boards, and graduate house committees.
Collaborate with the Assistant Dean in ODUS on the hiring of Community Living Assistants in upper-class housing, as directed by the Associate Director for Engagement, and support other program areas as needed.
Work closely with Residential College Staff on housing-related matters.
Attend graduate house committee meetings in conjunction with the Graduate School, which may occur outside of regular business hours.
Understand the intersection of facilities and student life initiatives and work with student life administrative staff, students, HRES teams, and other campus partners on the development of proposals to meet identified needs.
Provide information to the Housing Facilities team regarding common area furniture and appliance needs within their area of responsibility and coordinate delivery and installation with HRES teams and residents.
Effectively manage service requests to ensure the delivery of daily operational items and project-related solutions that align with student life goals and needs.
Assist with gathering and prioritizing Residential College, upperclass housing, and graduate housing major maintenance and capital requests.
Work with the Associate Director of Engagement and Housing Facilities team to advocate for innovation and investment related to facilities/student life alignment efforts.
Provide exceptional online and field-level service support for undergraduate and graduate customers, their families, and other internal and external administrative offices, acting as a conduit for Occupancy Management and Housing Facilities teams through the Service Now @ Princeton process.
Interact with The Service Point to resolve customer service needs through collaboration with Occupancy Management and Housing Facilities teams, and other campus service providers, ensuring clear communication.
Organize and attend sessions during the undergraduate and graduate Room Draw process to provide information and respond to student inquiries.
Ensure clear lines of communication with other University Services units connected to their areas, including Campus Dining, Conference and Event Services (summer use and scheduling), and other units as needed.
Partner with HRES teams and undergraduate student life administrative staff to effectively manage Move In and Move Out activities for their area of responsibility, assisting in the distribution of carts and other resources.
Assist in initial emergency and situation responses (e.g., bed bugs, service failures) for their area of responsibility, ensuring communication to HRES and student life administrative staff, and coordinating follow-up with campus partners and affected parties.
Assist in the implementation and maintenance of a communication/marketing strategy across various platforms (print, web, apps, etc.).
Perform other duties as assigned.