Director of Student Housing Operations

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Pittsburgh, PA

Job Title: Director of Student Housing Operations

Location: Lumina Communities at Duquesne University

Reports to: Regional Vice President 

Salary: $90,000.00 – $95,000.00 per year and competitive benefits package

FLSA Status: Exempt

Summary

The Director of Operations provides overall leadership and strategic oversight for three student housing communities—Brottier Hall, St. Martin Hall, and McGinley Hall. This role is responsible for serving as the primary liaison between ownership and key stakeholders while ensuring the efficient, effective, and fiscally responsible operation of each community.

Key areas of responsibility include financial oversight; management of accounts payable and receivable; leadership of marketing and leasing initiatives; supervision of facilities maintenance; and direct oversight of professional staff. The Director of Student Housing Operations is expected to foster a collaborative, service-oriented environment that supports both staff and residents while maintaining operational excellence.

This position requires a strong combination of managerial, organizational, and interpersonal skills. The Director must work collaboratively with ownership, campus partners, and internal teams to ensure a high-quality residential experience and the successful execution of operational goals.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

  • Provide day-to-day leadership, guidance, and supervision of full-time office administrative and maintenance staff, as well as student office staff, across the three residential communities, while working collaboratively with all Duquesne University departments to support community operations and student support.
  • Oversee human resources functions, including hiring, onboarding, training, performance management, payroll processing, benefits administration, and workers’ compensation claims.
  • Serve as the primary onsite liaison, ensuring effective coordination and communication with ownership, campus partners, vendors, and other key stakeholders.
  • Prepare and distribute regular operational updates, including weekly operations reports and leasing status reports.
  • Support and guide leasing and marketing initiatives to achieve occupancy and revenue goals.
  • Provide comprehensive fiscal oversight through the development, implementation, and management of operating and capital budgets, including:
    1. Preparing and presenting annual budget proposals to ownership for approval
    2. Monitoring expenditures to ensure alignment with approved budgets
    3. Planning for and managing unforeseen expenses
    4. Overseeing accounts payable processes and expenditure approvals
    5. Submitting monthly budget variance explanations and coordinating with corporate accounting teams
  • Conduct monthly reviews of financial statements to ensure accuracy and compliance
  • Review delinquency reports and oversee collections efforts, including coordination of eviction follow-up as necessary.
  • Ensure the effective execution of daily facilities operations, including maintenance, preventative maintenance programs, grounds, and housekeeping services.
  • Identify, evaluate, and manage vendors; negotiate and administer service contracts to ensure quality and cost efficiency.
  • Oversee “turn” process between occupancy cycles, including vendor coordination, communication, and final unit inspections prior to move-in.
  • Participate in a 24-hour on-call response rotation, documenting incidents as required; on-call responsibilities require the Director to remain within a 45-miniute response radius of the communities.
  • Maintain positive, professional relationships with campus partners, ownership, and other constituents involved in the properties.
  • Develop and implement initiatives that enhance operations, resident experience, and overall property performance.
  • Facilitate opportunities to engage student feedback on a regular basis, evaluating quantitative and qualitative data to drive strategic response to improve the quality of the student experience.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Work Environment:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The work environment is mid-to-high paced. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to walk, climb stairs, and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to stand and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 35 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and distance vision. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education/Experience/Skills Required:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.   

  • Bachelor’s degree required (Master’s degree preferred)
  • 4-6 years full-time experience in leadership of student housing business operations including marketing, leasing, facilities operations, resident account management and front desk operations.
  • Experience in facilities management or asset management, including management of operating and capital budgets.        
  • Demonstrates customer service skills and a commitment to student success. 
  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate effectively with students, staff, and campus partners. 
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office and student housing management software. 
  • Ability to operate standard office equipment (e.g., copier, computer, telephone). 
  • Experience supervising full-time staff. 
  • Strong attention to detail and organizational skills. 
  • Ability to manage multiple tasks and competing priorities in a dynamic environment.
  • Ability to lift and/or move up to 35 pounds.
  • Ability to work on-campus in the office a minimum of 40 hours per week and actively participate in an after-hours on-call duty rotation, including the ability to respond to the Duquesne University campus within 45 minutes when on call. This role requires sound judgment, effective problem-solving skills, and confident decision-making in emergent situations.

Other Information

Salary commensurate on experience. Competitive benefits package, including health benefits, dental benefits, vision coverage, and 401K.

If you are unable to submit an application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact COCM Recruitment from our website. We will make every effort to respond to your request for assistance as soon as possible.

To provide equal employment opportunities to all individuals, employment decisions at Capstone On-Campus Management (COCM) will be based on qualifications and abilities. COCM does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.