Associate Director, Housing Operations (AS9616)

Stetson University; DeLand (FL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work arrangement

Job summary

Stetson University in DeLand, Florida seeks an Associate Director for Housing Operations to lead the housing system serving over 2,000 students. This role partners with the Executive Director to advance strategic priorities, supervise staff, and ensure efficient, transparent operations across ten residence halls and four apartment communities.

Responsibilities include policy development, housing software administration, risk management, data-informed assignment systems, and front-line customer

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in higher education administration, management, business, or related field.
• Minimum of 3 years of relevant professional experience.
• Experience with student information and/or housing management systems.
• Commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Desire to join a university community committed to inclusive excellence, kindness, and collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for housing operations, administrative services, and customer engagement to ensure high-quality service delivery and operational excellence.
• Lead development and implementation of housing policies, procedures, and front-line customer service.
• Serve as primary administrator for housing software and data-informed housing assignment systems.
• Oversee risk management, occupancy management, and compliance with safety protocols.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive housing communications and engagement strategy.

Skills

Staff supervision

Data management

Customer engagement

Facilities coordination

Policy development

Technology proficiency

Communication

Risk management

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in related field

Master’s Degree in related field

Tools

Housing software

Microsoft Excel

Student information systems

Job description

The Associate Director for Housing Operations serves as a senior leader within the department, partnering with the Executive Director to advance strategic priorities and oversee the operations of a comprehensive residential system serving more than 2,000 students across ten residence halls and four apartment communities. This role provides leadership for housing operations, administrative systems, and customer engagement to ensure services are efficient, transparent, and responsive to students and their families. This position ensures housing operations support the department’s residential curricular approach and the university’s commitment to student learning and a relationship rich environment.

Residential Living and Learning’s residential curricular approach is a defined set of learning goals and outcomes that guide our team to stay focused on the established Educational Priority: As a result of living on campus, Residential students will develop their personal growth, independence, social responsibility, and sense of belonging.

Essential Job Functions and Responsibilities

• Provide holistic leadership, supervision, and professional development for staff responsible for housing operations, administrative services, and customer engagement to ensure high-quality service delivery, operational excellence, and continuous staff growth; including direct supervision of two professional staff, the Assistant Director of Assignments, Data, and Logistics, Coordinator of Customer Engagement & Administrative Operations, and a part-time Residential Facilities Graduate Assistant and indirect supervision of the Coordinator for Hatter1Card Services and Residential Business Operations and 6 - 8 student staff members (Office Assistants)
• Lead vision and guidance in the development and implementation of efficient administrative housing policies and procedures for the department, including residential facilities closing and openings, coordination of break housing, facility and maintenance related services, health & safety inspections, fire and safety compliance, ADA and special accommodations, withdrawals, requests for exemptions to the University residency requirement, and front-line customer service
• Serve as primary administrator for housing software to ensure implementation and effective management of all capabilities of the software
• Advance departmental risk management efforts related to housing operations including data and access control systems, facility use, occupancy management, emergency housing operations, and compliance with institutional safety protocols; collaborate with stakeholders to assess and mitigate operational risk within residential communities
• Lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive housing communications and customer engagement strategy designed to engage current and prospective students and their families through clear, transparent, and accessible messaging across multiple platforms; work collaboratively with internal and external partners to design and execute communications and facility education
• Develop and execute data-informed housing assignment systems for continuing and incoming students, ensuring equitable processes, operational efficiency, and an exceptional student experience
• Oversee the strategic direction of front desk operations, ensuring policies and procedures provide business operations and service in excellence
• Provide oversight and policy direction for residential access control systems including mechanical key and card access management
• Utilize housing and occupancy data to inform strategic decision-making, forecasting, and policy development
• Provide primary management of department facilities and assets, including the departmental physical inventory, residential furniture, and contracts with outside vendors; serve as the primary liaison with Facilities to ensure timely maintenance and cleanliness of residential facilities
• Represent Residential Living and Learning in university presentations, admissions programming, family engagement initiatives, and campus committees related to student housing and campus life
• Work collaboratively with internal and external partners such as Facilities Management, Information Technology, Public Safety, Admissions, One Stop, Fraternity & Sorority Life, Athletics, Dining Services, Events & Conference Services, Health Services, Academic Success, University Marketing, and other departments as necessary to communicate, synchronize and coordinate operations, services, and occupancy management
• Serve as a university hearing officer for residential conduct caseloads for animal and damage related incidents with support from the Office of Community Standards
• Represent the Executive Director and the department in meetings, committees, and university initiatives as delegated and serves as acting departmental leader in the Executive Director’s absence
• Perform other site and position specific functions as assigned

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to train, supervise, and evaluate professional and student staff
• Ability to communicate and relate well with diverse cultural backgrounds of students, parents, and employees
• Ability to listen intently and respond clearly through in-person, oral, and in writing, with understanding and compassion, to resolve escalated concerns and complex inquiries related to residential living
• Ability to understand and manage interconnected administrative systems and workflows to ensure accurate data management and efficient housing operations
• Demonstrated ability to leverage technology systems and digital tools to improve operational efficiency, streamline processes, and reduce administrative error
• Sound professional judgment and a strong sense of ethics
• Ability to climb three flights of stairs
• Support the University’s Mission and Values in their role

Required Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s Degree in higher education administration, management, business, or a related field
• A minimum of 3 years of relevant professional experience
• Experience with student information and/or housing management systems
• Commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion
• Desire to join a distinct university community committed to inclusive excellence, kindness, and collaboration, as it seeks to move Forward Together in making our community and world a better place

Ideal Candidate Qualifications

• A Master's Degree in higher education administration, management, business, or a related field
• Advance proficiency in Microsoft Excel
• Ability to translate operational data into strategic insights that support departmental planning and institutional priorities
• Experience evaluating and implementing technology solutions that enhance service delivery, communication, and operational effectiveness
• Experience in mediation, intervention, problem solving, decision making, and emergency response
• Ability to work independently with a high degree of initiative and collaboration as a part of a small and innovative team
• Understanding privilege, power, marginalization, and oppression and how those manifest personally, interpersonally, structurally, and institutionally
• Ability to work occasional evenings and/or weekends

Work Environment

Work is generally performed in a well-lit, temperature-controlled indoor environment with occasional exposure to the outdoors or any number of elements. This position is eligible for Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA). This is a full-time live-off position. The Associate Director is eligible to be a part of the university on-call system, not required.

Work authorization sponsorship may be available for this position. However, sponsorship is contingent upon the non-applicability of the visa petition fees outlined in the relevant Executive Order signed September 19, 2025. Due to the recent federally-mandated increased financial expense, the university is not in a position to absorb this significantly increased cost of sponsorship for new H-1B petitions at this time. International candidates are encouraged to apply, but should be aware that eligibility for sponsorship will be evaluated in accordance with current U.S. immigration regulations and institutional policies.