Housing Specialist

Columbia University Facilities & Operations; New York (NY); On-site; USD 67,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

Columbia Residential manages a portfolio of 149 graduate and faculty residential buildings around the Morningside Heights campus as well as in Manhattan Valley and Riverdale, Bronx.

The housing specialist optimizes the resident experience through individualized support to student, faculty, and postdoctoral residents while executing strategies to maintain our assets, and achieve occupancy, revenue, and retention goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent.
• 2–3 years of student or client-facing support experience.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to multitask.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to handle high-volume workloads.
• Proven ability to work independently and maintain professionalism.
• Proficiency in MS Office, Adobe, Google Suite, Zoom and email platforms.

Responsibilities

• Provides resident support and guidance to students, faculty, and postdoc residents who visit the office, as well as others who contact the office via email, LiveChat, and phone.
• Exercises independent judgment to identify and respond to resident wellness and safety concerns; provides appropriate referrals and ensures timely documentation through incident reports.
• Collaborates with leasing leadership to address alleged policy violations and determine interventions.
• Disseminates information and enhances resident relations by creating and moderating webinars and in-person presentations.
• Identifies operational inefficiencies and recommends improvements to policies, procedures, and resident communications; maintains workflows.
• Leads the use of tools such as Power BI and Visio to analyze, visualize, and reconcile business processes.
• Cultivates relationships and facilitates inter-organization communication within CUFO and university partners.
• Manages special projects and other duties as assigned.

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication

Multitasking

Team collaboration

Attention to detail

Discretion

Problem solving

Critical thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

MS Office

Adobe

Google Suite

Zoom

Email platforms

Internet

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: $67,300 - $72,000

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

Columbia Residential manages a portfolio of 149 graduate and faculty residential buildings around the Morningside Heights campus as well as in Manhattan Valley and Riverdale, Bronx. The department is responsible for routine operations and maintenance of over 5,700 University-owned or managed units which are used to house eligible students, fellows, faculty, and certain eligible officers of research, libraries, and administration.

Reporting to the Associate Director, the housing specialist optimizes the resident experience through individualized support to student, faculty, and postdoctoral residents while executing strategies to maintain our assets, and achieve occupancy, revenue, and retention goals.

Serving as a resource for all residents, the Specialist offers guidance on eligibility, applications, housing selection, policy violations, roommate conflicts, renewals, transfers, and move-ins/outs. The position demands strong attention to detail, tact, diplomacy, discretion, and sound judgment in making independent decisions, while appropriately escalating or connecting residents to relevant stakeholders as needed.

Responsibilities

• Resident Support:
  • Provides resident support and guidance to students, faculty, and postdoc residents who visit the office, as well as others who contact the office via email, LiveChat, and phone
• Incident Management:
  • Exercises independent judgment to identify and respond to resident wellness and safety concerns; Provides appropriate referrals to campus or community resources and ensures timely documentation through incident reports
  • Collaborates with leasing leadership to address alleged violations of Columbia University and Columbia Residential policies, and helps determine appropriate interventions such as unit transfers, support services, or financial accommodations based on individual case needs
• Outreach and Communication:
  • Disseminates information and enhances resident relations by creating and moderating webinars and in-person presentations for partner schools during admitted student housing sessions, panels, and resource fair
• Process Improvement:
  • Identifies operational inefficiencies and recommends innovative strategies to enhance policies, procedures, and resident communications
  • Maintains and updates workflows and communication templates to ensure consistency and accuracy in service delivery
  • Leads the use of tools such Power BI and Visio to analyze, visualize, and reconcile business processes, supporting data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement
• Collaboration:
  • Cultivates and maintains relationships; facilitates inter-organization communication and synergy within the team, CUFO, and our Columbia University partners
• Manages special projects, continuous improvements, and other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent
• Minimum of 2-3 years of experience in a student or client-facing support role
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to multitask, meet deadlines, and manage competing priorities
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, capable of handling high-volume workloads and collaborating within a team
• Proven ability to work independently and under pressure while maintaining a high level of quality and professionalism
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to be adaptable and flexible
• Demonstrated ability to interact professionally and positively with students, faculty, and staff
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build and maintain positive relationships with various University departments
• Proficiency in MS Office, Adobe, Google Suite, Internet, Zoom, and email platforms
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exhibit professionalism at all times
• Strong critical thinking, research, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Experience working effectively in a team environment with diverse populations

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with higher education systems, structures, and administration preferred

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

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