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 Assistant Manager of Customer Service for Student Leasing, the Housing Specialist optimizes the resident experience through individualized support to student, faculty, and postdoctoral residents while executing strategies to maintain 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 wellness and safety concerns for residents; provides appropriate resources for support and submits an incident report to document and escalate the concern. The Housing Specialist provides guidance for alleged violations of Columbia University and/or Columbia Residential Policies, escalating for partnership with leasing leadership to determine transfers, support, and financial accommodations for various incident cases as needed.
• 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 fairs.
• Process Improvement : Responsible for identifying inefficiencies and recommending innovative strategies to improve policies, processes, and communications to residents. The Housing Specialist maintains updated workflows and communication templates to ensure appropriate and consistent processing; takes the lead in managing technology such as Power BI, Visio to both analyze and reconcile processes.
• Collaboration : Cultivates and maintains relationships; facilitates inter-organization communication and synergy within the team, CUFO, and our Columbia University partners.
• Manages special projects, continuous improvements, and other duties as assigned.

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.