The University of Akron · 3 weeks ago
Director, Residence Life and Housing
Akron, OH
Full-time
Onsite
Lead/Staff, Director/Executive
5+ years expThe University of Akron is seeking a Director of Residence Life and Housing to provide visionary leadership for a dynamic and student-centered residential experience. This role involves overseeing residence life initiatives, managing staff, and ensuring engaging and educational residence hall experiences aligned with the university’s mission.
EducationHigher EducationUniversities
Responsibilities
Provide strategic leadership and oversight for all residence life initiatives, ensuring alignment with the university’s 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
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
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
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 well-being and encourage open engagement across diverse perspectives
Maintain visibility within residence hall communities through active engagement with students and staff
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
Qualification
Required
Master's 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
Company
The University of Akron
The University of Akron is a public research university that focuses on polymers, advanced materials, and engineering.
1001-5000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
The University of Akron has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (18)
2024 (9)
2023 (12)
2022 (17)
2021 (15)
2020 (11)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$5.33MKey Investors
US Department of EnergyGar Foundation
2024-10-31Grant· $2M
2018-03-02Grant· $0.03M
2016-11-01Grant· $3M
Leadership Team
Sarah Kelly
Vice President Human Resources/CHRO
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