Office Administrator, Residential Life

Illinois State University; Normal, Northern (IL, KY); Hybrid; USD 26,000 - 37,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Retirement options

Tuition waiver benefits

Job summary

Illinois State University is seeking an Office Administrator for Residential Life Operations within University Housing Services. This role manages operations, supports the associate director, supervises front desk staff, and coordinates recruitment and selection processes while maintaining accurate records.

The position requires a high school diploma or equivalent, with options based on experience. Work hours are Monday through Friday, 8am to 4:30pm.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Option A: 4 years (48 months) of work experience resembling the third level of this series.
• Option B: 2 years (24 months) of work experience resembling the fourth level of this series.

Responsibilities

• Manage the operations of Residential Life Operations and support the Associate Director of Residential Operations.
• Supervise front desk operations and hire/train/schedule front desk student staff.
• Coordinate recruitment and selection for the department and maintain accurate records.

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent

Job description

Title: Office Administrator, Residential Life
Division Name: Student Affairs
Department: University Housing Services

Job Summary

This position is responsible for managing the operations of Residential Life Operations, which reports to the Associate Director of Residential Operations.
They will supervise the efforts of recruitment and selection for the department. Given that many of those roles have a 5-year limit, this is a large ongoing area of responsibility. This position will liaise with areas within the department to help answer students' and parents' questions about residence hall living, residence hall contracts, policies/procedures, etc.
They will provide supervision for the front desk of the Office of Residential Life, which is the artery of the university housing services department. This includes hiring, training, and scheduling front desk student staff.
In addition, this position is responsible for managing administrative duties for the associate director of residential operations. Including support/secretarial and accurate record-keeping functions such as screening incoming calls, visitors, and mail, composing reports and memos, creating and maintaining electronic and paper files, scheduling and maintaining event calendars, tracking appeals and project/communication timelines, and assisting with processing student and staff requests.

Additional Information

University Benefit Highlights:

• Insurance benefits, including health, dental, vision, and life
• Retirement and supplemental retirement planning options
• Tuition waiver benefits available to staff as well as their eligible dependents
• Paid holiday/administrative closures during Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks
• Paid benefit time

Additional University Benefit information, including information regarding eligibility to participate in the State Universities Retirement System and the State of Illinois Group Insurance program, can be reviewed here: https://hr.illinoisstate.edu/benefits/

Salary Rate / Pay Rate

$23.00 per hour

Required Qualifications

• 1. High school diploma or equivalent.
• 2. Any one of the following from the categories below:
• A. Four (4) years (48 months) of work experience comparable to the third level of this series. This includes work such as performing a wide variety of office support tasks, which require the use of judgment and initiative and the ability to operate computer systems, using word processing, database and software packages.
• B. Two (2) years (24 months) of work experience comparable to the fourth level of this series. This includes work such as performing highly specialized administrative support duties. In-depth knowledge of the organization, programs, policies, and procedures of the unit is essential to the performance of the duties, along with the ability to use good judgment, the ability to operate computer systems, using word processing, database, and software packages, and to exercise discretion in handling sensitive and confidential information.

Preferred Qualifications

• 1. Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, and personnel information systems.
• 2. Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services, including needs assessment and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• 3. Detail-oriented, proficient in administrative procedures such as word processing, filing systems, and online information systems.
• 4. Outstanding communication and ability to relate well with external constituencies and provide excellent information services to prospective staff, students, administrators, and faculty.
• 5. Ability to perform work with diplomacy, accuracy, and thoroughness, and see the big picture relative to event planning, recruitment, selection, assessment.
• 6. Excellent time management and problem-solving skills.
• 7. Must be able to work independently as well as part of a team.
• 8. Ability to prioritize numerous projects with a variety of constituents and timelines.
• 9. Ability to exercise a high degree of confidentiality, professionalism, dependability, and accuracy.
• 10. Experience with hiring, supervising, scheduling, and training student staff.

Work Hours

Monday through Friday, 8am to 4:30pm

Functional Expectations

Must be able to complete the following with or without a reasonable accommodation:

1. Effectively communicate.
2. Remain at a workstation for extended periods.
3. Move about in various locations across campus as needed to complete day-to-day work.

Proposed Starting Date

October 2026

Required Applicant Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Reference List

Optional Applicant Documents

• Transcripts
• Certification of Retirement Annuity

Special Instructions for Applicants

In order to be eligible for Veteran's Preference points on the exam, appropriate military service documentation, such as a DD214, must be submitted prior to the application deadline.

Illinois State University is authorized to do business within the State of Illinois. All work under this appointment is required to be performed from within the State of Illinois.

Applicants for this position must be currently legally authorized to work for Illinois State University in the United States.

Illinois State University will not sponsor or take over the sponsorship of an employment visa for this opportunity.

Illinois State University is not a qualifying employer for the STEM OPT benefit: only the 12-month OPT may be used to work at Illinois State University.

The Civil Service examination for this classification is based on your application materials and responses to the supplemental questions. No participation other than submission of applicant materials is required from applicants that qualify to take the exam. If you meet the minimum required qualifications for this position, you will receive a score calculated based on your education and experience, and your name will be placed on the active employment register by exam score. After the application deadline, the names within the top three scores will be referred to the department for interview.

Contact Information for Applicants

Mackenzie Chapman
Human Resources
309-438-3092
[e-mail]

Important Information for Applicants

This position is subject to a criminal background investigation and if applicable, an employment history review, based on University Policy 3.1.30 and any offer of employment is contingent upon you passing a satisfactory criminal background investigation and/or an employment history review. You may not begin work until the criminal background investigation results have been received and cleared by Human Resources.

Illinois State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or other state or federal law you may request an accommodation by contacting the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access at 309-438-3383. The Office of Equal Opportunity and Access will hold any confidential information you provide in confidence.

If you are having difficulty accessing the system, please call Human Resources at 309-438-8311.