Senior Manager, Campus Life

Howard Hughes Medical Institute•Ashburn, VA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus is a pioneering research center in Ashburn, Virginia, where scientists pursue fundamental questions in the life sciences. Our integrated teams of biologists, computational scientists, and tool-builders innovate research practices and technologies to solve biology’s deepest mysteries. HHMI launched Janelia in 2006, establishing an intellectually enriching environment for scientists to do creative, collaborative, hands-on work. We share our methods, results, and tools with the scientific community. Summary of Role This is a role for someone who wants to run a physical, people-facing operation personally, not manage it from a dashboard. You lead by being visible on campus, known by residents and colleagues, and trusted by a small team to make good calls without needing everything spelled out. Janelia Research Campus recruits some of the best scientific talent in the world. Housing and transportation are often the first things a new resident experiences. Campus Life makes that experience effortless, remarkable, and personal, and as Janelia grows, this team's work becomes more visible, not less. You will direct Campus Life operations across housing, shuttle service, resident and community events, and the art and furniture that shape how campus feels. You will partner across Facilities, Campus Operations, and outside vendors to keep services running smoothly, and you will step in personally when a resident situation gets complicated. You will also sit on the Campus Operations leadership team, bringing operational insight and analysis to strategic decisions, and represent Campus Life in cross-campus planning.

Requirements

Hands-on by choice. You would rather walk the property and know the residents than run the operation from a dashboard.
Big picture and small details, at once. You can hold budget and staffing strategy in one hand and a resident's move-in date in the other.
Trust, quickly. You build credibility fast with people at every level, from a new resident to senior leadership.
Steps in without losing the thread. You are comfortable jumping into a task personally when the team needs it, without dropping the longer-term priorities.
Wants to build a team, not inherit one. You see developing people as part of the job, not a distraction from it.
A negotiator's instinct for vendors. You know a fair shuttle contract or furniture agreement from a weak one, even though Legal drafts the language.
Hard conversations, well done. You can hold a resident or vendor accountable without burning the relationship.
Bachelor's degree
5+ years of operations or hospitality management experience, ideally including residential, property, or housing operations.

Nice To Haves

Experience with lease administration, compliance, or property management systems.
Comfortable with AI tools: streamlining vendor and purchasing workflows, organizing data, or automating routine tasks. No deep expertise required.
Master's degree

Responsibilities

Direct day-to-day operations for 340+ residential units: reservations, resident agreements, occupancy, and payroll deductions, and the systems that keep it all running accurately.
Oversee move-ins, move-outs, key management, housing tours, and resident communications.
Guide your team's planning of events, from family favorites to campus-wide gatherings that make Janelia feel like a community, not just a workplace.
Lead, coach, and grow a small team. Distribute work thoughtfully, set clear expectations, remove obstacles, and invest in cross-training so the team has real depth.
Oversee the daily shuttle service between Janelia and Arlington: contract oversight, vendor relations, billing, and rider issue resolution. Keep service levels ahead of ridership as it evolves.
Oversee purchasing, vendor administration, and furniture logistics, including procurement, installation, inventory, and donations.
Monitor the campus’s existing art program, including the permanent collection, temporary displays, and sculptures.
Build and manage the Campus Life budget, forecasting for housing, transportation, events, and furniture spend. Track actuals against plan, flag variances early, and make the case for resourcing.
Deliver occupancy, financial, and operational reporting to senior leadership, including the annual housing market survey. Analyze housing trends, service levels, and program performance, benchmark against peer institutions, and turn findings into recommendations.