Manager, Residence Admissions & Leasing

McMaster University; Hamilton; On-site; CAD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

McMaster University seeks a Manager for Residence Admissions & Leasing, responsible for maximizing occupancy, strategic planning, and team leadership. The role involves significant engagement with stakeholders to enhance student experience, manage admissions processes, and ensure compliance with university policies. Candidates should have a strong background in management and be skilled in communication, negotiation, and collaboration.

Qualifications

• 3 years of management experience in a university residence environment or related role.
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate complex contracts.
• Strong knowledge of admissions systems and financial management.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement strategies for residence occupancy and student satisfaction.
• Lead a team of occupancy and leasing staff in admissions processes.
• Ensure compliance with admission policies and governance.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Conflict resolution

Negotiation

Project management

Team-building

Education

University degree

Knowledge of the Residential Tenancy Act

Tools

StarRez software

PeopleSoft

Job description

Position Summary:

Reporting to the Associate Director - Administration, Housing and Conference Services, the Manager, Residence Admissions & Leasing plays a key leadership role in shaping an exceptional residence experience for McMaster students. This position is responsible for developing and implementing strategies that maximize bed occupancy, minimize financial risk, and ensure an inclusive, student-centred approach to residence admissions and allocation.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Planning & Occupancy Management

• Develop and implement strategies to maximize residence occupancy, student satisfaction and minimize financial risk.
• Research and analyze student housing trends to inform competitive pricing and ensure alignment with university financial goals and student access needs.
• Researches and prepares statistical information and monitors trends regarding incoming student needs and expectations
• Responsible for leading analysis activities related to historical bed demand within a fluid student housing marketplace while maintaining alignment with the University’s Enrollment Management Plan.
• Responsible for leading all occupancy risk management strategies to ensure multi-million-dollar financial targets are met while maintaining the highest quality of student experience.

Team Leadership & Supervision

• Lead, support, and develop a team of three full-time occupancy and leasing staff.
• Provide direction and oversight for a comprehensive, customer service-oriented residence admissions program.
• Manages the recruitment, hiring, supervision, leadership and performance management and evaluations of the occupancy and leasing Staff
• Ensures optimum performance of Admissions unit staff by establishing performance standards, providing training, meeting regularly to review progress, soliciting feedback from staff/ other units, establishing a repository of training documents and inquiry response FAQs to ensure stakeholder responses are consistent and align with policies and procedures

Policy Development & Governance

• Develop and maintain residence policies related to admission, re-admission, withdrawals, and refunds.
• Prepare policy recommendations for Senate approval, ensuring alignment with university priorities.
• Regularly review and update programs, policies, and procedures to meet evolving student needs.
• Supports negotiations and agreements with private housing developers related to admissions and occupancy management details.
• Ensures operational compliance to our responsibilities set out in the Residential Tenancy Act.

Admissions & Contract Administration

• Develops, manages and monitors the admissions process for approx. 6000 students (First Year, Upper Year, Graduate, and Family) including oversite for Residence Agreement/Contract/Leases, deposits, and room assignments. This position represents Housing and Conference Services in integrated planning with the Office of the Registrar, Student Accounts/Financial Services, Financial Aid and Scholarships, Student Success Centre, International Students Advisor and Hospitality Services to establish residence eligibility and application requirements.
• Develops, prepares and maintains documentation including application forms, implements and evaluates all residence admission policies and procedures in consultation with the McMaster Student Union (First Year Council) and annually submits the Residence Agreement/Contract to University Senate for approval.
• Oversee the end-to-end administration of residence admissions, allocations, agreements, contracts, and leases for all students living in university-owned or operated residences.
• Represents Housing and Conference Services and the University with non-residence groups including prospective students and teachers, parents, campus organizations, community groups as well as university departments and committees in recruitment activities and in all matters related to residence admissions.
• Advises the technology systems required to create and maintain the system for on-line residence applications, a database of all residence student records, and makes recommendations on new programs to increase the effectiveness of administrative processes and improve service and response time to students.
• Lead administrator of the Housing Enterprise Management system which serves as an all-encompassing residence application portal and student residence records.
• Ensure residence accommodation processes are inclusive, accessible, and supportive of diverse student needs. Oversees ~300 - 500 residence special accommodation requests with input from Legal Services, Equity and Inclusion Office, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety Services, and Student Accessibility Services.

Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement

• Partner closely with McMaster’s Enrollment Management Team, Registrar’s Office, and other campus stakeholders to align residence operations with university recruitment and retention strategies.
• Engage with key partners to assess the needs of current and incoming students.
• Works collaboratively with Residence Life Managers responsible for implementing and managing admissions tasks at the individual residence level including room/ roommate assignments and in-year withdrawals and room switches.
• Coordinates and oversees departmental and campus stakeholder training, as it relates to residence admission policies and processes.
• Assists with an annual marketing plan to attract excellent students to McMaster and to the residences including promotional and recruitment materials seen in various university publications e.g., Year One Handbook.

Student Experience & Success

• Collaborate with Housing and Conference Services units to create welcoming residence communities and lifestyle options that support student well-being and academic success.
• Develop initiatives that attract and retain excellent students to McMaster through an outstanding residence experience.
• Oversees processes to ensure residence fees are charged accurately on student accounts

Qualifications

• 3 years management experience at a senior or progressive level in a university residence environment or similar related role in student affairs
• Supervision/managerial experience in a unionized environment
• Demonstrated experience and success collaborating across divisional units and pan-university
• Knowledge of university admission policies and procedures
• Working knowledge of StarRez software is considered an asset
• Working knowledge of PeopleSoft in a university context is considered an asset
• Demonstrated ability to negotiating complex partnership agreements/contracts
• Exemplary communication skills (listening, written and verbal to effect positive student staff, parent-staff and staff-staff relations; facilitation, negotiating and presentation skills.
• Strong conflict management or verbal de-escalation skills
• Strong leadership, team-building and employee engagement skills
• Demonstrated effectiveness as a leader in positions of responsibility and complexity
• Demonstrated practice of promoting collaboration with students and colleagues
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Strong listening skills and demonstrated capacity for exercising sound judgment
• Strong conflict resolution skills
• Superior initiative, resourcefulness and creative problem-solving skills
• Strong organization and project management skills including work process review
• Demonstrated knowledge of the Residential Tenancy Act
• Demonstrated negotiation skills
• Demonstrated financial management skills
• Proven ability to adapt and work under pressure at a high level of effectiveness in a fast paced, multi-tasked environment with high volume of work and tight deadlines
• Demonstrated ability to build a strong team of diverse staff and creating constructive, collaborative relationships within a large and diverse community of students, university staff and faculty.
• Strong knowledge of admissions systems, financial systems and query capabilities

How To Apply

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