Manager of Communications, Residence Life

Colorado Mesa University•Grand Junction, CO

8d•Onsite

About The Position

The Manager of Communications in Residence Life serves as the front-facing voice and support system for a department that houses over 3,000 students. This individual is the first point of contact for students and families, plays a critical role in delivering exceptional customer service, and ensures consistent, clear, and timely communication. The position meets directly with students to address housing concerns such as roommate conflicts, appeals, exemption requests, and general questions, and regularly communicates with parents to resolve concerns and clarify policies. The manager supervises 4–7 front desk student employees and leads the development and execution of the department’s communications strategy across email, web, social media, and printed materials. In addition, the position is responsible for training and recognizing student employees, managing shared inboxes and message templates, maintaining communication calendars, and supporting emergency communications and crisis response. This position also participates in the Residence Life administrator duty rotation and serves as a member of the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART).

Requirements

Excellent written and verbal communication and customer service skills.
Ability to establish rapport, foster positive relationships and build trust with students, supporters, and colleagues.
Experience supervising or mentoring student employees.
Knowledge of or ability to learn housing management software (StarRez), digital communication platforms, and web content management tools (Cascade).
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced setting.
Familiarity with inclusive communication strategies and accessibility best practices.
Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Higher Education, Student Affairs, or related field.
At least 2 years of experience in communications, student services, residence life, or customer-facing higher ed roles.
Proven experience managing student staff and communication workflows.
Familiarity with StarRez, Maxient, Cascade, Banner, or similar systems preferred.
Ability to verify U.S. employment eligibility.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with StarRez, Maxient, Cascade, Banner, or similar systems preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as the first line of communication in the Residence Life office for student, parent, and campus partner inquiries.
Deliver exceptional customer service and ensure communication is clear, consistent, and timely.
Meet individually with students to address housing-related concerns, including roommate conflicts, exemption requests, appeals, and general questions.
Respond to parent and family concerns with empathy, professionalism, and solutions-focused support.
Hire, train, schedule, and supervise 4–7 front desk student employees.
Provide regular professional development to front desk staff focused on customer service, conflict de-escalation, and professional communication.
Coordinate recognition programs or morale boosters to foster student team engagement.
Maintain service standards and oversee processes including card encoding and front office supply check-out.
Manage mail and packages sent to the Residence Life main office.
Develop and implement broad and targeted communication plans related to housing deadlines, processes, and events.
Leverage StarRez to segment student populations and send personalized, relevant messaging.
Manage multi-channel communications, including emails, newsletters, portal messages, texts, and social media.
Maintain and update the Residence Life website and social media platforms in collaboration with Marketing.
Design marketing strategies and materials for Residence Life events and campaigns.
Support department-wide initiatives by managing communication timelines and calendars.
Manage email templates, auto-responders, and shared inboxes (e.g., [email protected]).
Coordinate timely emergency or crisis-related communications.
Participate in the Residence Life administrator duty rotation.
Serve on the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART).