Assistant Director of Housing Operations

Job Description

Job Description

PCN 338

Position Overview:

Provide leadership and oversight for aspects of housing operations, including key management, break housing, and meal plans. Additionally, providing support to housing placements, assignments, openings/closings, housing policies, billing, and all operational aspects within the residence halls. This position will indirectly supervise 5 area coordinators, 6+ graduate resident directors, and 70+ resident advisors. This is a full-time, 12-month, live-on position with on-call responsibilities for high-level concerns.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Directly supervise 2 Area Coordinators, indirectly supervise 3 Area Coordinators, 6+ Graduate Resident Directors, and 70+ Resident Advisors.

• Manage the closing of the halls and break housing process, including approving students who need to stay on campus during break periods, and serving as a liaison with athletics and other departments to ensure that accurate records are kept of students allowed to stay during breaks, as well as early arrivals.

• Manage room changes within the housing operating system.

• Coordinate all key management and ensure key box management and accuracy, including submitting lock changes; Coordinate all student communication during break periods and maintain lists

• Supervise Summer Operations, including Summer housing for students, conferences, and camps.

• Manage summer furniture moves, updates and installations.

• Support with housing processes: returning student housing, graduate housing, first year housing, and mid-year student housing processes, and meal plan changes

• Assist in training regarding housing software and housing processes for RAs and staff, with oversight of the Roster Verification Process.

• Oversee any damage billing for the department that is not through the Community Standards process.

• Serve as a student conduct hearing officer, update databases, and provide information associated with each case.

• Participate in college-wide events, including recruitment events, open houses, Accepted Student Days, residence hall openings, Orientation, Welcome Week, Family Weekend and Commencement.

• Assist with central office tasks like attending weekly staff meetings, participating in departmental committees, maintaining familiarity with current trends in higher education, and managing departmental calendars.

• Serve as a member of the on- campus emergency response team in the event of an emergency or crisis situation.

• Serve in the administrator on-call rotation.

• Serve on college committees as designated by the Assistant Dean of Residence Life.

• Other duties as assigned by the Assistant Dean of Residence Life or Director of Housing Operations

Qualifications

• Master’s required; At least 3 years of increasing experience and responsibilities in a college or university residential environment that includes residence life, student programming, and off- campus services.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Understanding of college student development, emerging trends in higher education, particularly around housing and student services

• Computer skills (Microsoft office/Publisher)

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills

• Strong conflict resolution and creative problem-solving skills

• Experience building collaborative partnerships with faculty, administrators, students, parents/families, and community partners.

Experience

• Understanding of college student development & college environment

• 3-4 years of progressively increased responsibility and experience with college aged students

• Prior work experience in residence life housing operations preferred.

• Prior work experience in residence life preferred.

Application Materials Should Include:

• Resume or CV

• Cover letter stating motivation and interest in the position, citing experience relevant to the qualifications and including experience with, and commitment to, our Catholic Augustinian mission and our values.

Work Location

This is an on-campus position as employees are essential in order to provide a fully on-campus, residential college experience for our students and the community.

This position is subject to the successful completion of a criminal background check. 

Statement on Our Mission

Merrimack College is a Catholic Augustinian institution of higher education committed to building an accepting and respectful community. Our mission is to enlighten minds, engage hearts and empower lives and is inspired by our Catholic faith and the Augustinian tradition of seeking truth through inquiry and dialogue.  

Merrimack College seeks candidates who understand, respect, and can contribute to Merrimack’s Catholic and Augustinian mission. All candidates should describe in their application how they will foster a culture that supports our mission.

About Merrimack College

The only Catholic, Augustinian institution of higher education in New England, Merrimack College is a private, independent, coeducational institution with more than 4,100 undergraduate, 2,500 graduate students and 50 doctoral students from 48 states and 63 countries. The College features more than 160 career-focused undergraduate, professional and graduate programs, all taught by exceptional faculty who are passionate about their subject and student success. The College has six schools: arts and sciences, engineering and computational sciences, nursing and health sciences, education and social policy, the Girard school of business and the graduate school of counseling and social work. The College’s suburban 220-acre campus is just north of Boston in North Andover, Massachusetts. Merrimack is a Master’s Colleges and Universities/Larger Programs (M1) institution in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Merrimack is one of the fastest growing educational institutions in the country and has steadily climbed up in the U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of Best Colleges, ranking 38th in the Regional Universities North category in 2026. Merrimack is a NCAA Division I athletic institution.

Merrimack College is an Equal Opportunity Employer.