Housing Specialist

Housing Specialist

Columbia Residential manages a portfolio of 149 graduate and faculty residential buildings around the Morningside Heights campus as well as in Manhattan Valley and Riverdale, Bronx. The department is responsible for routine operations and maintenance of over 5,700 University-owned or managed units which are used to house eligible students, fellows, faculty, and certain eligible officers of research, libraries, and administration.

Reporting to the Associate Director, the housing specialist optimizes the resident experience through individualized support to student, faculty, and postdoctoral residents while executing strategies to maintain our assets, and achieve occupancy, revenue, and retention goals.

Serving as a resource for all residents, the Specialist offers guidance on eligibility, applications, housing selection, policy violations, roommate conflicts, renewals, transfers, and move-ins/outs. The position demands strong attention to detail, tact, diplomacy, discretion, and sound judgment in making independent decisions, while appropriately escalating or connecting residents to relevant stakeholders as needed.

Responsibilities

• Resident Support : Provides resident support and guidance to students, faculty, and postdoc residents who visit the office, as well as others who contact the office via email, LiveChat, and phone
• Incident Management : Exercises independent judgment to identify and respond to resident wellness and safety concerns; Provides appropriate referrals to campus or community resources and ensures timely documentation through incident reports. Collaborates with leasing leadership to address alleged violations of Columbia University and Columbia Residential policies, and helps determine appropriate interventions such as unit transfers, support services, or financial accommodations based on individual case needs
• Outreach and Communication : Disseminates information and enhances resident relations by creating and moderating webinars and in-person presentations for partner schools during admitted student housing sessions, panels, and resource fair
• Process Improvement : Identifies operational inefficiencies and recommends innovative strategies to enhance policies, procedures, and resident communications. Maintains and updates workflows and communication templates to ensure consistency and accuracy in service delivery. Leads the use of tools such Power BI and Visio to analyze, visualize, and reconcile business processes, supporting data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement
• Collaboration : Cultivates and maintains relationships; facilitates inter-organization communication and synergy within the team, CUFO, and our Columbia University partners

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent
• Minimum of 2-3 years of experience in a student or client-facing support role
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to multitask, meet deadlines, and manage competing priorities
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, capable of handling high-volume workloads and collaborating within a team
• Proven ability to work independently and under pressure while maintaining a high level of quality and professionalism
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to be adaptable and flexible
• Demonstrated ability to interact professionally and positively with students, faculty, and staff
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build and maintain positive relationships with various University departments
• Proficiency in MS Office, Adobe, Google Suite, Internet, Zoom, and email platforms
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exhibit professionalism at all times
• Strong critical thinking, research, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Experience working effectively in a team environment with diverse populations

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with higher education systems, structures, and administration preferred

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.