Senior Residential Operations Manager

NEIU; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 47,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Northeastern Illinois University is seeking a Senior Residential Operations Manager to oversee housing and residence life operations at The NEST. This role reports to the Director of Housing & Residence Life and ensures efficient, student-centered services across front desk, room reservations, and building operations.

The position emphasizes RA supervision, training, crisis response, and collaboration with campus partners to support student success and safety.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Bachelor’s Degree preferred; Master’s Degree may be preferred.
• Experience supervising staff in a university housing setting is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day residential operations including front desk, key control, room reservations, and occupancy communications.
• Supervise Resident Assistants and Desk Assistants; manage recruitment, onboarding, training, scheduling, and evaluations.
• Coordinate Living Learning Communities and community development activities with faculty and campus partners.
• Manage safety, risk, facilities coordination, and compliance documentation with university partners.
• Lead on-call rotation coverage and crisis response with university police and campus services.
• Prepare and review operational reports on occupancy, service metrics, and housing activity.

Skills

Staff supervision

Operations management

Crisis response

Occupancy reporting

CRM experience

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Master’s Degree

High School Diploma or GED

Tools

Maxient

eRezLife

Job description

Northeastern offers a rewarding working environment for our students and employees. Our faculty and staff are smart, dedicated people who work to create an excellent urban university experience for bright and motivated students.

Job Summary:

Under the general direction of the Director of Housing & Residence Life, the Senior Residential Operations Manager serves as a senior administrator responsible for assisting in the overall management, quality, and efficiency of Housing & Residence Life operations at The NEST.

Job Description:

Administrative & Operational Management:

• Manage day-to-day residential operations, including front desk services, key control processes, room reservations, tabling initiatives, occupancy communication coordination, and building logistics.

• Experience in the Housing CRM system eRezLife to manage operational workflows related to residential life functions, including student records, engagement tracking, and reporting, in collaboration with the Director of Housing & Residence Life.

• Coordinate operational planning and execution for move-in, move-out, break housing, and building transitions in collaboration with the Director.

• Oversee the logistical implementation of summer housing operations, including coordination for summer camps, conferences, academic programs, and approved external groups utilizing residential spaces.

• Monitor service delivery standards and respond to operational concerns in a timely and student-centered manner.

• Prepare recurring operational reports related to occupancy utilization, service metrics, summer housing activity, and external group operations.

• Identify operational inefficiencies and recommend process improvements to the Director.

Staff Supervision & Development:

• Serve as the primary supervisor for all Resident Assistants, including recruitment, coordination, hiring processes, onboarding, training implementation, scheduling, performance evaluations, and ongoing development.

• Provide ongoing coaching, mentoring, and professional development for staff, and address performance concerns by implementing and documenting corrective action in alignment with departmental standards.

• Design and facilitate RA training sessions focused on crisis response, conduct procedures, community development, equity and inclusion, and student support strategies.

• Monitor RA duty coverage, community walks, and response expectations to ensure consistent service delivery.

• Support the supervision of Desk Assistants as needed, particularly in coordination with operational priorities or during staffing transitions.

• Identify leadership development opportunities for RAs and support their growth through structured reflection and feedback.

• Facilitate weekly staff meetings focused on residential operations, crisis preparedness, community standards, and student support.

Student Engagement & Community Development:

• Assist in coordinating Living Learning Communities (LLCs) in partnership with faculty and campus partners.

• Support community-building programming efforts led by Resident Assistants.

• Conduct student outreach and academic welfare checks for residents of concern.

• Partner with Student Success and Retention, Student Counseling Services, Student Disability Services, and the Dean of Students’ office for referrals and coordinated care.

• Monitor engagement trends and recommend adjustments to programming efforts.

• Represent Housing & Residence Life at select campus engagement events and committees.

Facilities Coordination and Risk Management:

• Serve as primary liaison for day-to-day work order follow-up and preventative maintenance tracking.

• Oversee room readiness verification in collaboration with Facilities.

• Coordinate annual health and safety inspections.

• Support safety drills and emergency preparedness initiatives in collaboration with University Police.

• Document facility trends and report recurring concerns to the Director for long-term planning.

Conduct Administration:

• Experience in Maxient to document cases, track outcomes, maintain accurate records, and generate reports in compliance with institutional standards.

• Review and adjudicate routine housing conduct cases, as assigned by the Director, in accordance with established guidelines.

• Consult with the Director regarding complex, high-risk, or escalated cases.

• Support coordination with the Director when cases require broader university routing.

On-Call and Crisis Response:

• Participate in the professional staff on-call rotation, providing evening, weekend, holiday, and break coverage and real-time guidance to Resident Assistants and other student staff during crisis situations.

• Serve as lead residential responder when on-call for after-hours incidents and emergencies.

• Conduct on-site assessments and coordinate response efforts with University Police, Facilities, Student Counseling Services, and campus partners.

• Ensure timely, thorough, and objective documentation of all incidents, including entry into Maxient.

• Assist in the development and facilitation of crisis response training for student staff, including tabletop exercises and scenario-based learning.

Other Duties as Assigned:

• This position may be assigned additional responsibilities in support of departmental, divisional, or institutional priorities as directed by the Director of Housing & Residence Life.

Minimal Qualifications:

1. High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent

2. Any combination totaling 6 from the following categories:

• 30 semester hours equals six (6) months
• 60 semester hours or Associate’s Degree equals one (1) year
• 90 semester hours equals two (2) years
• 120 semester hours or Bachelor’s Degree equals three (3) years
• Master’s Degree or higher equals four (4) years

Departmental Preferences:

• Master’s degree.
• College coursework in higher education administration, student personnel administration, hospitality sciences, and business sciences.
• At least one year of experience working in a college/university housing setting.

Hours:

Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Evening, weekend, holiday, and break-period work is required during peak operational cycles and on‑call rotation.

Setting:

Professional office environment within a residential facility with movement throughout buildings and campus spaces. This is a live-in role.

Physical Demands:

Sitting or standing for extended periods; walking throughout buildings; lifting up to 25 pounds; ability to respond quickly in emergency situations.

Travel Requirements:

Some local travel for meetings and training; occasional approved out-of-state travel.

This position requires a background check.

Salary Range

$47,000-$52,000

Benefits

University employees may be eligible for a variety of State of Illinois benefits. These benefits are administered through the Illinois Department of Central Management Service (CMS). Please visit our Employee Benefits page to learn more about our comprehensive benefits packageincluding health, dental, and vision benefits, sick and vacation days, and participation in the State Universities Retirement System.

Northeastern Illinois University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and invites applications from Women, Minorities, Veterans and Persons with Disabilities, as well as other qualified individuals.Northeastern Illinois University’s positions are contingent upon the University’s receipt of its State of Illinois appropriation.