Assistant Director for Housing Operations

Summary and Scope

The Assistant Director for Housing Operations manages the systems, applications, and administrative processes that support the College’s residential housing program. Serving as the primary functional administrator for StarRez, this position configures housing workflows, develops and maintains portals and applications, supports accurate housing data and reporting, and coordinates key housing processes throughout the academic year.

The Assistant Director leads the operational planning and implementation of annual housing selection, spring and summer housing, roommate matching, move-in, early arrival, break housing, extended stays, and residence hall damage billing. In collaboration with Residence Life colleagues and campus partners, the position promotes reliable systems, consistent procedures, clear communications, timely processing, and a student-centered housing experience.

This position includes an on-campus apartment and meal plan, subject to College policy and applicable terms.

Essential Responsibilities

• StarRez Administration, Configuration, and Data Integrity
• Serve as the primary functional administrator for StarRez housing processes, including configuration of application workflows, process settings, business rules, and related functionality.
• Develop, maintain, and improve StarRez portals, forms, and applications supporting housing selection, assignments, roommate matching, special housing requests, and other approved housing processes.
• Plan and conduct testing of new or revised workflows; troubleshoot system issues; coordinate upgrades or changes with relevant College partners and vendor support as needed.
• Maintain accurate system settings, process documentation, and user guidance. Identify and address data-quality issues and support consistent use of housing data across relevant processes.
• Develop and maintain operational reports, rosters, and tracking tools that support housing assignments, application status, billing coordination, and departmental planning.
• Recommend system enhancements, process automation, and other improvements that strengthen usability, accuracy, efficiency, and the student experience.

Housing Selection, Assignments, and Process Calendars

• Develop and maintain an annual housing operations calendar and detailed timelines for annual housing selection, spring housing, summer housing, roommate matching, and other recurring assignment processes.
• Coordinate application launches, eligibility parameters, deadlines, selection steps, assignment workflows, notifications, and follow-up activities in accordance with College policies and departmental decisions.
• Administer the technical and procedural components of housing selection and assignment processes, maintaining clear documentation of process steps, settings, and outcomes.
• Coordinate with Residence Life colleagues and relevant campus offices to confirm requirements, communicate deadlines, resolve routine issues, and ensure that process information is accurate and consistent.
• Review outcomes after major housing cycles, identify recurring questions or process bottlenecks, and recommend improvements based on data, stakeholder feedback, and student needs.

Damage Billing and Financial Process Coordination

• Manage the residence hall damage billing workflow, including coordination of documentation, review schedules, billing submissions, recordkeeping, and student communications.
• Coordinate with Residence Life staff and the appropriate College offices to support consistent documentation, accurate charges, timely processing, and resolution of questions or discrepancies.
• Maintain clear procedures and records for damage billing, identify incomplete or inconsistent information, and recommend improvements that strengthen transparency and process reliability.

Move-In, Early Arrival, Break, and Extended-Stay Housing

• Manage the systems, applications, calendars, and tracking processes used for fall and spring move-in, early arrival, break housing, extended stays, and other designated special housing periods.
• Develop and maintain application workflows, forms, approval steps, instructions, and communications in coordination with established College policies and designated decision-makers.
• Coordinate housing rosters, assignment information, deadlines, and operational details with Residence Life colleagues and relevant campus partners.
• Monitor application submissions and processing status, resolve routine system or workflow issues, and refer policy exceptions or decisions outside the position’s authority to the appropriate supervisor.

Communication, Collaboration, and Service

• Prepare clear, timely, accessible, and accurate instructions and communications for students and campus partners concerning housing applications, selection, assignments, billing, and special housing periods.
• Provide responsive customer service by explaining housing processes, helping users navigate applications, and directing policy questions or complex cases to the appropriate staff member.
• Collaborate with Residence Life colleagues and relevant offices, which may include Student Accounts, Information Technology, Facilities, Public Safety, and other campus partners as appropriate to each process.
• Maintain current procedures, process records, calendars, and reference materials to support continuity, transparency, and consistent administration.

Assessment and Continuous Improvement

• Monitor the effectiveness of housing systems and workflows using available data, process results, stakeholder feedback, and recurring service issues.
• Identify opportunities to improve data accuracy, reduce manual or duplicative work, strengthen communications, and make housing processes easier for students and staff to navigate.
• Contribute to departmental planning, training, and operational preparation for key housing periods; share relevant process updates and guidance with colleagues.

General Responsibilities and On-Call Expectations

• Support residence hall opening, closing, move-in, and other key housing operations as assigned.
• Participate in departmental meetings, training, planning, and College initiatives as appropriate to the position.
• This is a live-on position and includes participation in the Residence Life on-call duty rotation. Evening, weekend, and peak-period availability may be required to support residential operations.
• Perform other duties as assigned that are consistent with the scope and level of the position.

Qualifications Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Three or more years of relevant experience with StarRez or a comparable housing management system, including system administration, configuration, portal or application development, or workflow management.
• Experience coordinating housing selection, room assignments, move-in, billing, or other recurring operational processes.
• Strong organizational, analytical, project-management, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to manage multiple projects and time-sensitive deadlines.
• Ability to work with data, maintain accurate records, develop process documentation, and identify opportunities for operational improvement.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical or administrative processes clearly to students and colleagues.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues and campus partners and provide responsive, student-centered service.
• Proficiency with common office productivity and data-management applications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced experience with StarRez configuration, portals, reporting, data management, or workflow improvement.
• Experience using reports, process documentation, and stakeholder feedback to evaluate and improve administrative services.
• Master’s degree in higher education, student affairs, business administration, or a related field.

Other Duties

The statements above describe the general nature and level of work performed in this position and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills. Responsibilities may be modified to meet College needs. The job description will be reviewed periodically by Ursinus College Human Resources to ensure that it remains current and accurately reflects the essential functions of the position.