Senior Director of Housing Administrative Services

QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS

A bachelor’s degree, seven years of relevant experience in administrative and financial management, or a combination of education and relevant experience are required; a master’s degree is strongly preferred.

Additional required skills and abilities of the ideal candidate include:

• Progressive experience in the supervision and management of a dynamic portfolio of programs and services.
• Exceptionally strong oral and written communication skills.
• A demonstrated personal and professional commitment to diversity, equity, inclusive excellence, and belonging.
• Experience managing a large front desk operation and outreach and engagement program; and significant experience managing a customer-facing operation with a large and culturally diverse staff.
• Demonstrated leadership and supervisory skills, including conflict resolution.
• Experience managing complex budgets with a demonstrated ability to prioritize both human and fiscal resources to meet changing needs in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated strategic thinking and planning skills coupled with evidence of outcomes assessment experience.
• The ability to work collaboratively with students, families, faculty, and staff at all levels in a complex and diverse environment.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain strong relationships with key partners, with particular emphasis on communication and collaboration.
• Demonstrated ability to create a strategic vision and motivate others.

In addition to the qualifications stated above, key stakeholders identified the other capabilities and attributes of a successful candidate, including:

• A broad understanding of housing operations, residential education, customer service principles, and student development theory.
• Capacity to define and create a vision for housing administrative services while building a cohesive and collegial team environment.
• Strong written and interpersonal communication with the ability to communicate effectively with all university and external constituents.
• A personal and professional philosophy that sees the work found within housing both distinctly and broadly connected to the divisional and university mission and values.
• Documented change management experience with a strong record of assessment and strategic planning leading to continuous program and outcomes improvement.
• A demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion, student advocacy, and student-centered learning and development.
• A positive orientation towards customer service and the capacity to incorporate new trends in operations management.
• Ability to maximize the use of technology to strengthen department processes.
• Desire to build and support a highly-relational team.
• Documented ability to promote excellent interpersonal relationships and to work collaboratively with diverse groups of students, staff, faculty, administrators, alumni, parents, and community leaders.
• Creative thinking and problem-solving ability.
• Savvy and agile change management experience grounded in building trust and clear communication.
• An accessible, student-centered spirit that inspires, excites, mentors, and empowers student leaders and staff.
• A positive attitude and a good sense of humor.
• Politically astute, patient, persistent, and resourceful.
• Comfortable with ambiguity.

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF THE ROLE

In 2021, Stanford unveiled ResX, a new, comprehensive vision for the undergraduate residential experience at Stanford. RD&E will remain a committed partner with residential education to realize the core principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, health and well-being, community and belonging, and intellectual and personal growth for all Stanford students within the neighborhood structure.

Campus stakeholders indicated that the following will likely be the initial priorities for the senior director:

• Develop a dynamic, modern, student-centered vision for housing administrative services that builds on the new and evolving neighborhood structure in undergraduate housing and continues to provide support and services to graduate housing.
• Define and implement a dynamic strategic communications framework, including a comprehensive information and publications program for R&DE student housing operations and Stanford conferences.
• Build relationships with peers and the departmental team—the senior director must be highly visible and actively involved with their direct reports and their respective team members.
• Build and support a dynamic and engaged housing administrative services team—the senior director will need to address ongoing national recruitment challenges in residence life and housing by bringing a developmental supervisory and mentorship approach that prioritizes professional development, staff retention, and high morale.
• Establish a trusted working relationship with the assistant vice provost for student housing operations and Stanford conferences—understand her leadership agenda and priorities.
• Bring a strong policy development, customer service, and process orientation to enhance departmental infrastructure in support of the student and guest experience.
• Gain a deep understanding of the R&DE organization by spending time to understand the division’s core values and mission and how that applies to the day-to-day work of the senior director.
• Spend intentional and strategic time becoming familiar with the facilities and operational structures in the senior director’s portfolio, engaging in the community, and attending community events.

MEASURES OF SUCCESS

The next senior director of housing administrative services will work with the assistant vice provost for student housing operations and Stanford conferences to determine specific measures of success and their respective timetables. Search stakeholders have offered the following general metrics for the senior director’s first year:

• The senior director will have established strong relationships and partnerships with direct reports, students, peers, critical institutional partners, and community members.
• The next senior director will demonstrate a growing understanding of Stanford housing operations, including summer conferences.
• The senior director will support the 0utreach and engagement team to enhance strategic communication with all constituents.
• The senior director should possess a leadership style that is both visionary and strategic while remaining agile, adapting to the opportunities presented.
• The senior director will begin to introduce and implement forward-thinking strategies and innovations into the work of the housing administrative services team to advance the work of the housing administrative services and R&DE student housing operations and Stanford conferences teams.
• The senior director will seek opportunities to engage with all students, families, and guests, including graduate students and families living in University housing.
• The next senior director will bring an entrepreneurial and innovative spirit to service center operations, staffing, and communication.
• The next senior director will value high-impact practices and continue cultivating and nurturing partnerships and programming leading to a shared investment philosophy, not ownership.
• The senior director will be seen as a positive and effective leader able to enhance the community by building a shared vision and reasonable implementation plan evidenced by community investment and engagement in the vision for the future.
• The senior director will develop a culture of collaboration, shared responsibility, and accountability among staff and students.
• The senior director will ensure staff feel supported, empowered, and engaged in opportunities to grow and continually improve as trusted team members working to advance the Stanford student and guest experience.
• The next senior director will evaluate and recommend any necessary technological improvements to enhance housing operations.
• The next senior director will thrive in an environment with motivated and curious students and colleagues.