Manager, Student Housing

ULSA University of Louisville; United States; On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

The University Housing department at the University of Louisville, UHRE, seeks a Manager, Student Housing on a full‑time basis at Belknap Campus. This leadership role aligns messaging and operations with university priorities, directing assignments, billing, digital engagement and cross‑unit collaboration for student housing programs.

The Manager oversees content strategy, branding, and reports to senior leadership while guiding staff and coordinating special housing initiatives, move-in

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field and four (4) years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Five (5) years of progressive experience in housing operations, marketing, or strategic communications.
• Two (2) years of professional or student staff supervision experience.
• Demonstrated success in communications strategy, project management, and cross-functional leadership.
• Proficiency with communication and project software such as Adobe Creative Suite, Sprout Social, StarRez, Canva and Monday.com.

Responsibilities

• Direct the daily operations of the Assignments and Billing unit.
• Provide regular training and support to direct reports and supervise student staff.
• Collaborate to create occupancy management plans and coordinate room assignment, billing and retention.
• Track occupancy and billing trends and provide regular reports to inform strategy.
• Oversee web content, digital tools and department communications across platforms.

Job description

Department: Location: Belknap Campus Time Type: Full time Worker Type: Regular Job Req ID: R109087 Minimum Requirements: Bachelor's degree in a related field and four (4) years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Grade 7 (Salaried)

Position Description

The department of University Housing and the Resident Experience (UHRE) in the Division of Student Affairs is seeking to hire a Manager, Student Housing. The Manager is responsible for aligning departmental messaging and operational strategy with University priorities and student needs. This position sets the direction for integrated digital engagement and provides key leadership in operational planning and cross-unit collaboration. The Manager directs the department’s assignments and billing team, social media messaging strategy, marketing and communication execution, and overall operational effectiveness and has a focus on building efficient reports and strategy planning. The Manager oversees external-facing content as well as departmental service design and administers the fall resident move-in event each year, overseeing all operations. This position supervises professional and student staff and represents UHRE on high-level University committees and collaborates on University initiatives and campus partnerships. The Manager serves as the appeals committee chair and functions as a key decision maker and second-in-command to the Director, Housing Operations, providing continuity in leadership and decision-making across core department functions.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Assignments and Billing

• Direct the daily operations of the Assignments and Billing unit
• Provide regular training and support to direct reports and oversee the management of student staff in all units
• Collaborate with the Director to create annual occupancy management plans and coordinate room selection, assignment, retention and billing for all residents including special populations such as student athletes, Living-Learning and Themed communities, and students requiring special accommodations (ADA, ESA, etc.).
• Coordinate the first and second year live-on exemption process, timeslots for move-in, and oversee the student appeals process for residency exemptions license releases
• Track, analyze and forecast occupancy and billing trends and provide regular reports to the Director to inform on relevant issues and advise on departmental strategy
• Coordinate the compilation, review, and dissemination of routine and ad-hoc reports for departmental decision-making

Messaging

• Set the vision and provides strategic oversight for the development and execution of departmental marketing and communication, ensuring alignment with departmental priorities, University branding standards, and broader enrollment and engagement goals, specifically concerning assignments and billing, website content and social media strategies
• Oversees content strategy and brand implementation across all department platforms including web, print, email and social media, ensuring alignment with institutional standards, accessibility guidelines, and strategic objectives, delegating day-to-day execution to direct reports
• Orchestrates collaborative initiatives with University partners such as the Office of Admissions, the Student Success Center and the Office of Communications and Marketing, guiding shared outreach initiatives and ensuring alignment with institutional recruitment, retention, and brand priorities
• Benchmarks marketing trends and adjusts strategies to remain competitive in the higher ed housing landscape

Cross‑Unit Collaboration

• Administers the fall resident move‑in experience
• Provides coordination and communication leadership for major UHRE events, acting as a key decision‑maker for logistics, signage, service design, and stakeholder engagement
• Identifies areas for operational improvement and assists to lead the implementation of scalable, student‑centered solutions

Website, Digital Tools and Communication Systems

• Provides leadership for web presence and ensures the site remains student‑centered, accessible, and current
• Partners with IT and other internal units to maximize the integration and communication effectiveness of department programs such as StarRez and Monday.com, and digital signage
• Supports department‑wide communication workflows, providing guidance on email templates, timing, and messaging for high‑volume processes

Organizational Leadership & Campus Partnerships

• Supports development and implementation of internal communication protocols, policy updates, and student experience initiatives
• Represents the department on university‑wide committees and emergency planning teams, and for cross‑functional initiatives related to student services
• Advocates for consistency, transparency and equity in messaging and decision making across department units

Supervision & Team Development

• Directly supervises four professional staff and provides strategic direction to managers supervising student staff
• Coaches, mentors and evaluates the assignments and communications teams to maximize capacity, innovation and growth

Other Responsibilities

• Assists with annual planning, reporting, and departmental assessment initiatives
• Performs other duties and completes special projects as assigned

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in communications, higher education administration, marketing, or a related field
• Five (5) years of progressive experience in housing operations, marketing, or strategic communications
• Two (2) years of professional or student staff supervision experience
• Demonstrated success in communications strategy, project management, and cross‑functional leadership
• Experience supporting large‑scale logistical or operational initiatives
• Experience in university housing or student affairs
• Proficiency with communication and project software such as Adobe Creative Suite, Sprout Social, StarRez, Canva and Monday.com
• Experience developing training programs, customer service standards, or large‑scale service improvement initiatives
• Experience with policy implementation or strategic planning in higher education

Work Hours and Location

This is a full‑time, exempt position with a 37.5‑hour regular workweek including occasional evening and weekend hours as required. Additional work hours may be required based on department needs, programming, staffing, and/or scheduling. The primary work location for this position is at the Belknap Campus. Flexible hours and remote work may be considered with job responsibilities and business needs in mind. Occasional overnight travel (for professional development, industry conferences, student trips, etc.) may be required.

Employee Benefits

The University of Louisville offers competitive benefits and perks to eligible full‑time and part‑time employees.

Student Affairs

The Division of Student Affairs encourages candidates to apply who have demonstrated the capacity to create supportive work environments, collaborate effectively on teams, and serve the students we admit and aim to attract.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Louisville is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. The University strives to provide equal employment opportunity on the basis of merit and without unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, sex, age, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, veteran status, marital status, or pregnancy. In accordance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Vietnam Era Veteran Readjustment Act of 1974, the University prohibits job discrimination of individuals with disabilities, Vietnam era veterans, qualified special disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, and other protected veterans. The University acknowledges its obligations to ensure affirmative steps are taken to ensure equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment. It is the policy of the University that no employee or applicant for employment be subject to unlawful discrimination in terms of recruitment, hiring, promotion, contract, contract renewal, tenure, compensation, benefits, and/ or working conditions. No employee or applicant for employment is required to endorse or condemn a specific ideology, political viewpoint, or social viewpoint to be eligible for hiring, contract renewal, tenure, or promotion. Consistent with applicable law, demographic information is collected for aggregate reporting requirements. Demographic information provided through this application is not available to hiring managers/committees and is not considered in hiring or employment decisions.

Assistance and Accommodations

Computers are available for application submission at the Human Resources Department located at 2315 South First Street Walk, Room 02C - Louisville, Kentucky 40292. The University of Louisville is committed to being a great place to work, learn and invest. It is a place where you will thrive in a community of inclusivity, cultivate your innovative power and work where you’ll discover your purpose.