Associate Manager, Logistics and Operations

Columbia University Facilities & Operations; New York (NY); On-site; USD 80,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Columbia University Facilities & Operations is seeking an Associate Manager of Operations & Logistics to lead casual workforce management, onboarding, scheduling, and performance for housing operations in New York.

The role drives Check-In/Check-Out execution, staffing models, and on-site field leadership during peak move-in/move-out periods.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 2–4 years of relevant experience in operations, logistics, workforce coordination, housing, hospitality, or a service-oriented environment
• Demonstrated experience hiring, onboarding, scheduling, and supervising student employees or casual staff
• Experience supporting large-scale operational events such as move-in, move-out, or other high-volume service periods
• Strong organizational, time-management, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt in a fast-paced, resident-facing environment
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work collaboratively within a structured team environment
• Availability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays on an occasional basis

Responsibilities

• Leads casual employees recruitment, onboarding, training, scheduling, supervision, and performance management
• Executes workforce plans, coverage models, and staffing strategies with leadership
• Develops onboarding materials, training programs, role expectations, and performance standards
• Creates and manages staffing schedules to align with demand, peak periods, and events
• Provides day-to-day supervision, coaching, and corrective guidance to staff
• Monitors attendance, coverage, timekeeping, and performance trends; escalates issues
• Assigns projects to student and intern teams with clear expectations and deadlines
• Fosters a professional, inclusive, accountable work environment
• Serves as the primary operational point of contact for casual staff regarding schedules and procedures
• Executes Check-In/Check-Out operations aligned with seasonal plans
• Develops staffing models and day-of plans for move-in/move-out periods
• Coordinates materials, spaces, equipment, access, signage, and staff deployment
• Provides on-site leadership during Check-In/Check-Out, ensuring safety and protocols
• Responds to real-time issues and escalates as needed
• Tracks issues and feedback for continuous improvement
• Coordinates day-to-day operations across buildings and service areas
• Tracks requests related to facilities, access, and service needs
• Supports staffing, space usage, equipment deployment, and service readiness
• Assists with escalation and after-hours issues per protocols
• Maintains calendars, trackers, logs, and schedules
• Collaborates with internal housing teams and external providers
• Supports execution of operational projects led by leadership
• Applies project execution fundamentals and milestone tracking
• Gathers requirements and coordinates stakeholders for projects
• Identifies risks and bottlenecks and flags concerns
• Supports implementation of new workflows and tools

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $80,000 - $85,000

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Assistant Director of Operations, the Associate Manager, Operations & Logistics serves as the primary execution and coordination lead for day-to-day operational logistics, workforce management, and field-based activity supporting Columbia Housing. This role is responsible for ensuring consistent, reliable, and high-quality operational delivery across staffing, seasonal operations, and routine housing services. The Associate Manager holds direct operational accountability for the hiring, onboarding, training, scheduling, supervision, and performance management of the casual workforce, including undergraduate students, graduate students, interns, and non-student casual staff. The role translates strategic direction, operational frameworks, and priorities established by the Assistant Director and senior leadership into disciplined execution, logistical readiness, and resident-facing service delivery. This position operates with a high degree of independence in execution while escalating risks, trends, and systemic issues as appropriate. The Associate Manager plays a critical role in maintaining operational continuity, supporting large-scale housing programs, and ensuring staff, vendors, and partners are aligned to operational standards.

Responsibilities

Casual Workforce Management & Student Team Leadership - 40%

• Leads the recruitment, hiring, onboarding, training, scheduling, supervision, and performance management of all casual employees supporting Housing Operations
• Executes workforce plans, coverage models, and staffing strategies developed in partnership with the Assistant Director and senior Housing leadership
• Develops, maintains, and continuously improves onboarding materials, training programs, role expectations, and performance standards for casual staff
• Creates, manages, and adjusst staffing schedules to align with operational demand, peak periods, seasonal programs, and special events
• Provides day-to-day supervision, coaching, feedback, and corrective guidance to casual employees, interns, and student teams
• Monitors attendance, coverage, timekeeping, and performance trends; independently resolves routine issues and escalates complex or recurring concerns
• Assigns meaningful, value-added projects to student and intern teams, ensuring clear expectations, timelines, and deliverables
• Fosters a professional, inclusive, and accountable work environment that supports student development and operational reliability
• Serves as the primary operational point of contact for casual staff regarding schedules, expectations, procedures, and field execution

Check-In & Check-Out Operations Execution - 20%

• Executes student and resident Check-In and Check-Out operations in alignment with seasonal plans and priorities established by the functional project lead
• Develops detailed staffing models, shift schedules, and day-of execution plans for high-volume move-in and move-out periods
• Coordinates logistical requirements including materials, spaces, equipment, access control,, signage, and staff deployment
• Provides on-site operational leadership during Check-In and Check-Out periods, ensuring adherence to protocols, safety standards, and service expections
• Responds to real-time operational issues, escalating as needed to ensure minimal disruption to residents and staff
• Tracks issues, trends, and operational feedback during seasonal periods and contributes to post-event reviews, documentation, and continuous improvement efforts

Operation & Logistics - 20%

• Coordinates day-to-day operational and logistical activities supporting Housing Operations across buildings and service areas
• Tracks, schedules, and follows up on operational requests related to facilities follow-up, pest control, access issues, field activity, and other service needs
• Supports logistical coordination for staffing, space usage, equipment deployment, materials distribution, and service readiness
• Assists with escalation and resolution of urgent or after-hours operational issues in accordance with established protocols
• Maintains and manages operational calendars, trackers, logs, and schedules to support departmental visibility and planning
• Collaborates closely with internal Housing teams and external service providers to ensure seamless execution of operational activity

Project Support & Execution - 15%

• Supports the execution of operational and service improvement projects led by the Assistant Director and senior leadership
• Applies strong project execution fundamentals, including task tracking, documentation, timeline management, and follow-through
• Assists with project planning by gathering requirements, coordinating stakeholders, and tracking milestones and deliverables
• Identifies risks, bottlenecks, or dependencies that may impact execution quality or timelines and proactively flag concerns
• Supports the implementation of new workflows, processes, systems, or tools once strategic direction has been established

Documentation, Tracking, & Reporting - 5%

• Maintains accurate and up-to-date staffing rosters, schedules, training records, and operational trackers.
• Collects and organizes data related to workforce utilization, coverage, attendance, and operational activity.
• Prepares routine summaries and reports related to staffing, seasonal operations, and logistics for review by the Assistant Director.
• Supports ad hoc reporting and basic operational analysis to inform decision-making and continuous improvement.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 2–4 years of relevant experience in operations, logistics, workforce coordination, housing, hospitality, or a service-oriented environment
• Demonstrated experience hiring, onboarding, scheduling, and supervising student employees or casual staff
• Experience supporting large-scale operational events such as move-in, move-out, or other high-volume service periods
• Strong organizational, time-management, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt in a fast-paced, resident-facing environment
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work collaboratively within a structured team environment
• Availability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays on an occasional basis

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing student or casual workforces within higher education, housing, hospitality, or a comparable setting
• Familiarity with workforce scheduling, timekeeping, and task/project management systems
• Experience supporting operations in a complex, service-oriented organization
• Comfort working with spreadsheets, trackers, dashboards, and reporting tools
• Demonstrated coaching ability and commitment to staff development
• Interest in advancing within an operations, logistics, or facilities leadership track

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.