Executive Director of Housing and Residential Life

The Executive Director of Housing and Residential Life provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for Loyola Marymount University’s comprehensive housing and residential life program, supporting approximately 3,500 students living on campus. Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Residential Life & Integrated Learning, the Executive Director leads an integrated portfolio encompassing Residential Life, Occupancy & Technology, Facilities Liaison, and Operations, Budget & Customer Service.

The Executive Director is responsible for translating divisional and institutional priorities into a cohesive residential experience that advances student learning, belonging, well-being, retention, and success. The position leads the department’s day-to-day and long-range work; develops and supports professional staff; strengthens housing systems, services, and infrastructure; and ensures effective coordination across residential life, occupancy, technology, facilities, financial operations, and customer service. The Executive Director promotes an inclusive residential environment that supports students across identities, backgrounds, class years, and residential community types.

Working collaboratively across Student Affairs and with Enrollment Management, Facilities Management, Information Technology Services, Public Safety, Finance, Academic Affairs, Mission and Ministry, and other university partners, the Executive Director advances residential communities grounded in LMU’s Catholic, Jesuit, and Marymount mission and commitment to the education of the whole person. The Executive Director represents Housing and Residential Life in university-wide planning, strategic initiatives, and emergency response efforts and provides leadership for coordinated communication with students and families on significant matters affecting the residential community.

Position Specific Responsibilities/Accountabilities

Strategic Leadership and Organizational Management

• In partnership with the AVPRI provide overall leadership, vision, direction, and accountability for Housing and Residential Life across the Executive Director portfolio.
• Lead an integrated management structure across Residential Life, Occupancy & Technology, Facilities Liaison, and Operations & Customer Service, ensuring that functional areas operate as one coordinated housing and residential life organization.
• Directly supervise, mentor, and evaluate the Associate Director of Residence Life; Associate Director of Occupancy & Technology; Facilities Liaison; and the leader of Operations & Customer Service, consistent with the approved organizational structure.
• Establish annual priorities, performance expectations, service standards, and accountability measures aligned with divisional and university goals.
• Lead organizational change, process improvement, staff development, succession planning, and efforts to strengthen a collaborative, responsive, and student-centered culture.
• Partner with the AVPRI on strategic planning, institutional priorities, policy development, and major initiatives affecting residential students.
• Use assessment, student and family feedback, benchmarking, and operational data to evaluate effectiveness and continuously improve the residential experience.
• Develop and manage departmental budgets and resources and exercise sound fiscal stewardship in support of departmental priorities.

Residential Life

• Provide strategic oversight for the residential life program, including community development, education, student support, conduct, crisis response, and the residential student experience.
• Ensure residential communities are intentionally designed to foster belonging, connection, learning, well-being, accountability, and student success.
• In partnership with the AVPRI assist with executive oversight for Living-Learning Communities, Faculty-in-Residence, live in residential staffing model, and other residential engagement initiatives within the Residential Life portfolio.
• Ensure effective recruitment, selection, training, supervision, and professional development structures for professional and student residential life staff.
• Support consistent approaches to student care, conduct, emergency response, and referral in partnership with appropriate university offices.

Occupancy & Technology

• Provide strategic oversight for occupancy management, housing assignments, room selection, vacancies, cancellations, room changes, and related housing processes.
• Monitor occupancy trends and housing demand and develop strategies that support effective use of the University’s residential inventory while responding to student needs.
• Partner with Enrollment Management and other university leaders to anticipate enrollment, retention, and housing demand and translate projections into effective occupancy strategies.
• Ensure strong functional leadership for StarRez and other housing technologies, including workflows, reporting, data integrity, system improvements, and technology-enabled service.
• Ensure timely, accurate occupancy reports, projections, and data are available to support executive decision-making and institutional planning.

Facilities Liaison and Residential Environment

• Provide leadership and direction for the Housing facilities liaison function, ensuring effective coordination between Housing and university facilities partners.
• Establish clear processes for identifying, escalating, tracking, and communicating residential facilities, maintenance, and building-related concerns.
• Partner with Facilities Management and other university colleagues on maintenance planning, capital projects, renovations, residence hall readiness, and improvements to the physical residential environment.
• Ensure Housing leadership has timely information regarding facilities conditions and projects that affect students, families, staff, occupancy, or residential operations.
• Advance a coordinated approach to the physical residential environment that supports safety, functionality, student well-being, and a high-quality residential experience.

Operations, Budget & Customer Service

• Provide strategic oversight for Housing's financial and administrative operations, budget development and management, forecasting, customer service, contracts, policies and procedures, communications, and service delivery.

• Oversee the development, monitoring, and management of the Housing operating budget, ensuring resources are aligned with departmental priorities and university expectations.
• Develop and maintain budget forecasts; monitor revenues and expenditures; identify financial trends, risks, and opportunities; and provide timely financial analysis to support Executive Director and AVP decision-making.
• Ensure appropriate fiscal controls and accountability for expenditures, purchasing, contracts, and other financial processes in accordance with university policies and procedures.
• Provide leadership and oversight for the Operations & Customer Service function, ensuring effective day-to-day administrative operations and high-quality front-facing support for students and families.
• Establish and monitor service standards that promote timely, accurate, consistent, and student-centered responses to students, families, and campus partners.
• Ensure housing policies, contracts, procedures, and operational practices are administered consistently and reviewed regularly for effectiveness and clarity.
• Lead efforts to streamline processes and improve coordination across Housing functions, reducing unnecessary friction for students and families.
• Ensure effective planning and execution of major Housing operational cycles, including opening, closing, transitions, and other high-volume periods.
• Use financial, operational, and customer-service data to identify opportunities for improved efficiency, resource allocation, and service delivery.

Assessment, Risk Management, and Continuous Improvement

• Develop and maintain meaningful performance indicators for occupancy, service delivery, student experience, residential engagement, operations, and other departmental priorities.
• Use data, assessment, benchmarking, and trend analysis to identify areas for improvement and inform resource allocation and strategic decisions.
• Ensure departmental practices support applicable university policies, risk-management expectations, emergency protocols, and legal or regulatory requirements in partnership with appropriate university offices.
• Lead after-action reviews and continuous improvement efforts following major operational cycles, incidents, or significant residential initiatives.
• Prepare reports, presentations, and recommendations for the Associate Vice President and senior university leadership as needed.

University Service and Additional Responsibilities

• Support divisional and university initiatives that advance student success, retention, engagement, well-being, and institutional priorities.
• Serve on university and divisional committees, task forces, and workgroups as assigned.
• Perform additional duties assigned by the Associate Vice President for Residential Life & Integrated Learning or divisional leadership.

Requisite Qualifications

• A master’s degree in higher education, student affairs, business administration, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Ten years of progressively responsible leadership experience in university housing and residential life, including responsibility for multiple functional areas. Experience working at a private, mission-driven institution of higher education is preferred.
• Experience with strategic planning, organizational redesign or change management, assessment, and large-scale operational initiatives.
• Senior-level experience leading a comprehensive university housing and residential life organization.
• Demonstrated experience supervising, developing, and holding professional staff accountable and leading within a complex organization.
• Demonstrated knowledge of residential life, housing operations, occupancy management, student development, facilities coordination, customer service, and housing technology.
• Experience using data, assessment, and operational metrics to inform planning and decision-making.
• Experience with StarRez or comparable housing management technology.
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships and work effectively across a complex university environment.
• Strong communication, organizational, financial management, judgment, and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusive excellence, student success, and mission-centered higher education.

 The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of this position.

Hiring Salary Range

$118,000.00 - $159,300.00 Salary commensurate with education and experience.

#HERC# #HEJ#

Staff Regular

Salary range

$118,000.00 - $159,300.00 Salary commensurate with education and experience.

Please note that this position may not be eligible for visa sponsorship now or in the future.

Loyola Marymount University, a Carnegie classified R2 institution in the mainstream of American Catholic higher education, seeks outstanding applicants who value its mission and share its commitment to inclusive excellence, the education of the whole person, and the building of a just society. LMU is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing an environment free from discrimination and harassment as defined by federal, state and local law. We invite all persons in the full diversity of their being, life experience, and beliefs to apply. (Visit www.lmu.edu for more information.)

LMU is committed to providing equal access to employment opportunities and ensuring a comprehensive recruitment and selection process for all applicants.

Individuals who require a reasonable accommodation to participate in any stage of the application, interview, or selection process may contact Human Resources at [email protected] or by phone at (310) 338-2723. Applicants who use relay services or other assistive communication technologies are welcome to utilize those services when contacting Human Resources.

When contacting Human Resources, please include the job posting number, title of the position and department for which you are applying. Applicants are not required to disclose the nature of a disability or provide medical information when requesting an accommodation during the recruitment process.

LMU will work with applicants in a timely and interactive process to identify and provide reasonable accommodations consistent with applicable federal and state law.