Senior Residential Operations Manager

Northeastern Illinois University; United States; On-site; USD 47,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Live-in role

Job summary

Northeastern Illinois University is seeking a Senior Residential Operations Manager to lead housing and residence life operations for a 440-bed residence hall, The NEST. This live-in role supports policy implementation, contract administration, housing assignments, staff supervision, budgeting, and student success initiatives, with potential to act in the Director's absence.

The role emphasizes operational leadership, occupancy strategy, and crisis response in a dynamic university housing

Qualifications

• High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent.
• Six years of experience from housing, residential life, hospitality, business, or related work experiences per conversion table.
• Master’s degree preferred in related fields.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day residential operations, including front desk services, key control, room reservations, and occupancy communication coordination.
• Supervise Resident Assistants, including recruitment, onboarding, training, scheduling, and performance evaluations.
• Coordinate move-in/move-out, summer housing, and building transitions in collaboration with the Director.
• Oversee staff meetings, crisis response training, and development of staff in alignment with department standards.
• Support occupancy strategy, housing assignments, and reporting related to occupancy utilization.

Education

High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent

Six years in housing/residential life or related fields

Master’s degree preferred

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. The Senior Residential Operations Manager provides leadership for residence life functions, administrative housing processes, conduct management, occupancy strategy, and crisis response for a 440-bed residential community. This live-in role supports policy implementation, contract administration, housing assignments, marketing strategy, staff supervision, budgeting coordination, and student success initiatives. The Senior Residential Operations Manager may act on behalf of the Director in their absence.

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.

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 six years from the following categories: A. Housing, residential life, hospitality, business, or closely related work experiences. B. College course work in Higher Education Administration, Student Personnel Administration, Hospitality Sciences, Business Sciences, Social or Behavioral Sciences, and/or related disciplines, as measured by the following conversion table or its proportional equivalent: 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 package including health, dental, and vision benefits, sick and vacation days, and participation in the State Universities Retirement System.

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action

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.

Funding and Location

Northeastern Illinois University's positions are contingent upon the University's receipt of its State of Illinois appropriation. Northeastern Illinois University's Main Campus is located on 67 acres in a residential area on the Northwest Side of Chicago. The University has three additional locations in the metropolitan area: the Jacob H. Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies, El Centro and the Center for College Access and Success. Northeastern also is a founding member of the University Center of Lake County consortium campus in suburban Lake County, north of Chicago.

Program Offerings

Northeastern offers more than 40 undergraduate degree and certificate programs and more than 50 graduate degree, certificate, licensure and endorsement programs.