Director of Housing and Residence Life

Director of Housing & Residence Life


Salary $60,000-$70,000


SUMMARY


The Director of Housing & Residence Life (HRL) provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for a comprehensive residential life program serving up to 800 students in suite- and apartment-style residence halls. Reporting to the Vice President for Student Development, the Director is responsible for fostering a safe, inclusive, and engaging residential community that supports student success, retention, personal development, and a strong sense of belonging.


The Director oversees all aspects of Housing & Residence Life operations, including residential education, student conduct, facilities coordination, occupancy management, budgeting, assessment, staff supervision, and crisis response. The position supervises a team of professional, support, and student staff and manages housing revenues and operational budgets exceeding $3 million annually.


The Director collaborates closely with university leadership and campus partners to enhance the residential student experience and support institutional goals. Key partnerships include Business Services, Physical Plant, University Police, Student Wellness Services, Enrollment Management, Academic Affairs, Intercollegiate Athletics, Sodexo/Food Services, and Student Conduct.


The Director serves as a member of the Behavioral Assessment Team (BAT) and Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT), participates in the university on-call rotation, and assists with matters involving student care, crisis response, and Title IX processes.


This is a full-time, 12-month professional position. Preference may be given to candidates residing within a reasonable proximity to the university to support after-hours on-call responsibilities


ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES


Leadership and Administration


• Provide overall leadership, administration, and strategic direction for the Housing & Residence Life department.


• Manage departmental human, operational, and fiscal resources effectively and responsibly.


• Develop, implement, evaluate, and revise housing policies, procedures, and operational practices.


• Oversee residence hall operations, including housing applications, assignments, occupancy management, and billing coordination.


• Manage and monitor departmental budgets and housing revenue accounts exceeding $3 million annually.


• Lead departmental assessment, reporting, strategic planning, and continuous improvement initiatives.


• Evaluate and oversee housing and student conduct technologies, including systems such as StarRez and Maxient, along with departmental communication and social media platforms.


• Ensure compliance with university policies and applicable federal and state regulations, including FERPA, ADA, Title IX, and the Clery Act.

Supervision and Staff Development


• Supervise and support a team of 4-6 professional staff members, 6 full-time support staff members, and 25-30 student staff members, including graduate assistants when applicable.


• Provide leadership for staff recruitment, hiring, onboarding, training, evaluation, scheduling, and professional development.


• Foster a collaborative, student-centered departmental culture focused on accountability, inclusion, and service excellence.


• Provide guidance and support related to crisis management, student concerns, emergency response, and conflict resolution.

Residential Education and Student Development

• Provide strategic leadership for residential education initiatives, co-curricular programming, and community development efforts that support student learning and engagement.


• Develop and support student leadership opportunities through Residence Hall Association and hall council programs.


• Promote an inclusive residential environment that encourages student involvement, leadership development, and personal responsibility.


• Counsel, advise, and refer students to appropriate campus and community resources as needed.


• Oversee student conduct processes within Housing & Residence Life, including investigations, sanctioning, training, and adjudication responsibilities.


• Serve as a hearing officer and appeals officer for housing-related conduct matters and other university policy violations as assigned.

Facilities and Operational Management

• Serve as the primary liaison between Housing & Residence Life and the Physical Plant department regarding residence hall operations, maintenance, and facilities planning.


• Collaborate with university partners to support housing renovations, capital improvement projects, and future residential construction initiatives.


• Monitor facility conditions and operational needs to maintain safe, functional, and welcoming residential environments.


• Participate in emergency preparedness planning and incident response efforts related to residential facilities.

University Collaboration and Campus Engagement

• Collaborate closely with Business Services, University Police, Student Wellness Services, Enrollment Management, Student Conduct, Sodexo/Food Services, and other campus partners to support student success and residential operations.


• Serve on the Behavioral Assessment Team (BAT), Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT), and other university committees as assigned.


• Participate in an after-hours, on-call rotation and assist with campus emergencies and critical incidents as needed.


• Support university-sponsored events and initiatives, including occasional evening, weekend, and holiday responsibilities.


• Perform additional duties and collateral assignments in support of university, divisional, and departmental priorities.

ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCE RESPONSIBILITIES (FUNCTIONS, DUTIES)


1. Attendance and Dependability: The employee is dependable to report to the assigned duty station at the scheduled time. Employee is dependable to complete work in a timely, accurate, and thorough manner and is conscientious, about assignments.


2. Communication and Contact: The employee communicates effectively and professionally both verbally and in writing with superiors, colleagues, and individuals inside and outside of the University.


3. Relationships with Others: The employee works effectively and relates well with others including superiors, colleagues, and individuals inside and outside the University. The employee exhibits a professional manner in dealing with others and works to maintain a constructive working environment.


4. Safety: Employee works safely, attends safety training offered/required, and follows appropriate safety rules and regulations. In relation to level of NIMs training completed, participates in incident management preparation and performs incident duties as assigned.


REQUIRED QUALFICATIONS


• Master's degree in higher education administration, student affairs, counseling, or related field.


• Progressive professional experience in Housing & Residence Life or Student Affairs.


• Experience supervising professional and student staff.


• Experience managing operational budgets and administrative processes.


• Knowledge of student development theory and best practices in residential education.


• Experience utilizing housing management and student conduct software systems.


• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships across campus departments.


• Excellent written, verbal, organizational, and interpersonal communication skills.


• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and on-call responsibilities as needed.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS


• Minimum of five years of progressive leadership experience in Housing & Residence Life at the mid- to senior-management level.


• Experience managing residence hall facilities, renovations, or construction projects.


• Experience collaborating with food service providers and auxiliary operations.


• Experience with strategic planning, assessment, and fiscal management.


• Experience with StarRez, Maxient, and related higher education software systems.


• Experience investigating and managing student conduct and Title IX related matters.


• Experience serving on behavioral assessment or intervention teams.


• Experience developing and assessing residential curriculum and co-curricular programming initiatives.


• Demonstrated success developing cross-campus partnerships and improving operational processes.


• Commitment to inclusive excellence, student success, and high-quality customer service.


Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities


• The ideal candidate will demonstrate:


• Strong leadership, organizational, and administrative skills.


• Excellent judgment, problem-solving ability, and crisis management skills.


• The ability to communicate effectively with diverse constituencies, including students, families, faculty, staff, administrators, community partners, and media representatives.


• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Outlook, social media platforms, and higher education technology systems.


• A high level of professional integrity, ethical decision-making, and accountability.


• A commitment to fostering a supportive, inclusive, and student-centered residential environment.

Working Conditions


This position requires occasional evening, weekend, holiday, and emergency response responsibilities. The Director participates in an on-call rotation and may be required to respond to campus incidents outside of normal business hours. This position requires that the Director reside within a 30-minute drive of the campus.


Founded in 1909 as a teachers' college, Southeastern Oklahoma State University continues the strong tradition of producing outstanding educators for southeast Oklahoma and north Texas. Student enrollment is approximately 6,000 students and the campus is situated in rural Oklahoma. The main campus located in Durant, Oklahoma, which is 90 miles north of Dallas, Texas, and 150 miles southeast of Oklahoma City. The community is close to Lake Texoma and the Choctaw Casino Resort. Southeastern Oklahoma State University continues to be among the nation's most affordable universities according to the U. S. News & World Report's America's Best colleges.


The preferred start date is July 15, 2026 or until filled. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until filled.


Southeastern offers a comprehensive benefits package including university paid health, vision, life insurance, long term disability, retirement contributions to Oklahoma Teachers Retirement System, as well as a tuition waiver for employees and spouse/dependents who wish to enroll at Southeastern. Southeastern offers 25 paid holidays per fiscal year and has a generous leave package including annual/vacation leave, sick leave, personal leave, and birthday leave. In addition to the SE paid benefits, there are many voluntary products available to employees such as 403(b), Health Savings Account, Flexible Spending Account, dental, short term disability, dependent life insurance and a variety of ancillary benefits.


Employment is contingent upon the results of a national criminal and sex offender background check. Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States. SE participates in E-Verify.


SE is an AA/EEO employer committed to multicultural diversity.


Notice to applicants:


It is Southeastern Oklahoma State University's policy that all newly hired employees must provide an original social security card during the hiring process. Failure to provide an original social security card will delay the hiring process and ability to begin employment.