Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Vision

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for all residence life initiatives ensuring alignment with the universitys mission and student development goals.
• Sustain and enhance distinctive residence hall programming including RHPB and the Emerging Leaders Program ensuring high-impact experiences that promote student learning engagement and leadership.
• Foster a culture of approachability responsiveness and collaboration across professional and student staff.
• Collaborate with academic and student affairs partners to integrate co-curricular and academic experiences.
• Represent Residence Life and Housing as a key voice in campus planning policy discussions and student success initiatives.
• Model a collaborative solution-oriented and opportunity-minded approach that reflects University values and drives team cohesion.

Staff Supervision & Development

• Provide direct supervision coaching and professional development to Associate Directors and live-in professional staff and indirect oversight to student staff across all residence halls.
• Lead ongoing training evaluation and performance management to ensure consistent student support community standards and operational excellence.
• Promote a collegial responsive and partnership-oriented departmental culture that supports growth and accountability.
• Oversee on-call structures and crisis response systems in collaboration with University partners.

Housing Partnership & Operational Integration

• Serve as the primary Residence Life and Housing liaison to the outsourced housing operator for daily operations such as coordinating assignments occupancy planning and service escalation to ensure a high-quality student experience.
• Provide strategic direction and oversight for the student housing assignment and occupancy management functions ensuring equitable processes accurate forecasting and seamless coordination between Residence Life and Housing operations.
• Maintain ownership of the student housing assignment and selection process including system management (e.g. StarRez or equivalent) communications and timeline development.
• Collaborate on facility operations ensuring safe well-maintained and engaging residential environments.
• Manage departmental budget and resources to support both programmatic and operational excellence.
• Ensure compliance with university policies state and federal regulations and student safety standards.
• Collaborate in the development of occupancy projections budget planning and long-term housing strategies.

Student Experience & Community Engagement

• Ensure that residence hall programming advances University priorities related to belonging retention and student engagement.
• Support intentional learning and leadership opportunities through hall programs peer mentoring and faculty/staff partnerships.
• Foster respectful supportive environments that promote individual wellbeing and encourage open engagement across diverse perspectives.
• Maintain visibility within residence hall communities through active engagement with students and staff.

Assessment & Continuous Improvement

• Use data and assessment to measure program outcomes identify trends and inform strategic decisions.
• Regularly review and enhance departmental policies systems and processes for effectiveness and equity.
• Partner with Institutional Research Student Affairs and other units to align Residence Life and Housing metrics with broader student success measures.

Qualifications

Required:

• Masters degree in higher education student affairs business administration counseling or related field.
• Minimum of five years of progressive experience in residence life student housing or student affairs including staff supervision and crisis management.

• Demonstrated success leading live-in professional teams and fostering a culture of collaboration and success.
• Strategic planning resource allocation and budget management experience.

Preferred:

• 7-10 years of progressive experience in residence life student housing or student affairs including staff supervision and crisis management.
• Experience at a mid- to large-sized public university or within a complex housing partnership model.
• Strong communication judgment and interpersonal skills; ability to navigate ambiguity with professionalism and adaptability.
• Experience with housing software systems (e.g. StarRez eRezLife) and familiarity with housing operations and occupancy management.
• Experience applying student development theory residence hall programming and holistic student engagement.

• Strong interpersonal communication and problem-solving skills; exercises sound judgment at multiple decision-making levels.
• Proven ability to work effectively with external partners or third-party housing providers.

Leadership Disposition

The successful candidate will be:

• Responsive and collegial fostering trust and connection across campus partners.
• Solution-oriented and adaptable able to balance structure with flexibility.
• Committed to doing whats right exercising sound judgment and integrity.
• A visible approachable leader who inspires confidence and leads by example.
• Enthusiastic about the student experience and working at the University.
• Partnership-minded advancing collaboration between Residence Life and Housing Services the third-party housing partner and the broader University community.

Union Affiliation (if applicable):

For assistance with your application or attachments please contact the Human Resources representative listed:

Background Check Statement

The University of Akron is committed to providing a safe environment for all students and employees. The University endeavors to protect the health welfare and safety of all students employees and visitors on our campus. As such all offers of employment with The University of Akron are contingent upon verification of credentials and satisfactory completion of a criminal background check. Some positions may require additional credit investigation and a pre-employment driving record search.

Non-Discrimination Statement

The University of Akron is an Equal Education and Employment Institution. View our Non-Discrimination Statement for more information. Equal Opportunity Employer including disability/veterans.

State of Residence Statement

It is the expectation of the University of Akron that allwork performed as an employee ofthe University will be performed in Ohio.