Job Summary
The University of Utah (the U) seeks an accomplished, strategic,
and collaborative leader to serve as its next executive director of
housing operations within Housing & Dining Programs (HDP).
Reporting to the associate vice president for Housing & Dining
Programs and serving as a member of the Executive Leadership Team,
the executive director will play a pivotal role in shaping the
future of campus housing, informing enrollment and student success
strategies, and providing strategic leadership for critical
business and operational functions within a large, complex, and
evolving university environment.
The executive director provides strategic leadership for a broad
portfolio that includes Occupancy Management, Budget and Finance,
Communications and Assessment, Technology and Housing Systems, and
Living-Learning Programs. A central focus of the position will be
developing and implementing strategies to strengthen demand for
campus housing, optimize occupancy and revenue, enhance the
residential student experience, and ensure that housing strategies
align with the University's broader enrollment, academic, and
student success priorities. The executive director will bring a
data-informed, forward-thinking approach to these efforts,
identifying opportunities to strengthen operations, improve
effectiveness, and position HDP to respond successfully to evolving
student needs and market conditions.
The executive director will join a highly collaborative leadership
team committed to innovation, thoughtful decision-making,
continuous improvement, and the long-term success of Housing &
Dining Programs. The position offers the opportunity to work across
institutional boundaries, build strong partnerships with key
University stakeholders, and play an important role in advancing
both the department's priorities and the University of Utah's
broader strategic goals.
The executive director manages a dynamic team of 19 professionals,
including four direct reports, and administers an annual budget of
approximately $5 million.
Responsibilities
Occupancy, Enrollment, and Housing Strategy
- Provide executive leadership for the U's housing occupancy
strategy, including demand forecasting, application and contracting
processes, room selection, assignments, and strategies designed to
maximize utilization of the U's residential inventory.
Leverage enrollment, occupancy, market, and historical data to
develop projections and identify opportunities to strengthen
housing demand and achieve consistently high occupancy.
Partner closely with Enrollment Management, Admissions,
academic colleges, Athletics, International Student Programs, and
other institutional stakeholders to position housing as an
important component of student recruitment, enrollment, retention,
and success.
Business and Financial Leadership
- Identify, research, and analyze strategic opportunities and
evaluate their operational, fiscal, and policy implications in
conjunction with centralized fiscal operations.
- Provide recommendations to executive leadership that support
sound decision-making and the long-term financial sustainability of
Housing & Dining Programs.
Technology, Data, and Assessment
- Maintain strategic oversight of housing technology and
information systems, including the department's StarRez housing
management platform, technology integrations, and systems
supporting housing operations.
- Champion a data-informed culture by ensuring that occupancy
information, student feedback, assessment results, financial data,
and institutional metrics translate into actionable strategies for
continuous improvement.
- Oversee the departmental assessment planning, data collection,
analysis, reporting, and integration of findings into strategic and
operational plans.
Communications, Marketing, and Outreach
- Guide the strategic planning and implementation of departmental
communications, marketing, outreach, and recruitment efforts.
- Ensure that Housing & Dining Programs communicates
effectively with prospective and current students, families, campus
partners, and other stakeholders, and develops marketing and
outreach strategies that support occupancy and enrollment
objectives.
Living-Learning Programs
- Set strategic priorities and provide executive oversight for
the university's living-learning and themed residential
communities.
- Partner with academic colleges and other campus organizations
to ensure residential programs support institutional priorities
while creating meaningful opportunities for student engagement,
belonging, and academic success.
Organizational Leadership
- Recruit, develop, supervise, and evaluate professional staff
while creating a culture of accountability, collaboration,
innovation, and professional growth.
- Serve as a strategic advisor to the associate vice president
and contribute broadly to the success of Housing & Dining
Programs beyond the assigned portfolio.
- Provide leadership through influence as well as positional
authority, effectively navigating complex organizational
environments and building productive relationships across the
U.
University & Professional Engagement
- Develop collaborative relationships and key partnerships across
organizational and divisional boundaries, including, but not
limited to, Enrollment Management, Admissions, Orientation &
Transition, Athletics, International Student Support Services,
academic colleges, Honors, Disability and Access, Commuter
Services, General Counsel, University Guest House, University
Marketing & Communications, and University Computing
Services.
- Represent Housing & Dining Programs on departmental,
divisional, and university-wide committees.
- Serve as an active connection to the broader collegiate housing
profession through engagement with Big 12 institutions, the
Association of College and University Housing
Officers-International (ACUHO-I), and other relevant professional
networks, while supporting team members in developing and
strengthening their own professional connections.
- Participate in departmental emergency and crisis response and,
as appropriate, serve within the escalation and reporting structure
for significant incidents occurring outside normal business
hours.
Minimum Qualifications
The successful candidate will possess a bachelor's degree in
business administration or a related field, or an equivalent
combination of education and relevant professional experience. A
master's degree in higher education, student affairs, business
administration, or a related field is preferred. Candidates should
also bring at least eight years of progressively responsible
professional experience, including significant management and
leadership responsibilities within university housing, student
affairs, enrollment management, auxiliary services, or a comparably
complex organization to the role. Other requirements include
demonstrated success in supervising, developing, and leading
professional staff; managing budgets and complex initiatives; and
guiding organizational change. Additionally, the executive director
must possess strong analytical and project-management capabilities,
including the ability to use data to inform strategy and
decision-making, as well as excellent interpersonal, written, and
verbal communication skills.
Competitive candidates will demonstrate several of the following
qualifications:
- A sophisticated understanding of the interrelationship among
housing, enrollment management, student recruitment and retention,
and broader institutional strategy.
- Proven ability to develop housing demand and occupancy
projections using enrollment trends, historical performance, market
conditions, and operational data.
- A record of developing and executing strategies that achieve
and sustain housing occupancy of 95 percent or greater in highly
competitive markets.
- Expertise in managing occupancy throughout the full recruitment
and assignment cycle, including early-, mid-, and late-cycle
strategies.
- Familiarity with housing management platforms; knowledge of
StarRez is particularly desirable.
- Leadership of housing application, contracting, assignment, and
occupancy-management processes.
- The ability to synthesize data, assessment findings,
stakeholder feedback, and industry practices into actionable
strategies and meaningful organizational change.
- Skill in navigating, negotiating, and resolving complex or
sensitive matters involving students, families, campus
stakeholders, and institutional partners.
- Knowledge of federal and state laws, regulations, and
compliance requirements affecting university housing, including
privacy, disability accommodations, emotional support animals, and
landlord-tenant considerations.
Preferences
In addition to the qualifications stated above, key stakeholders
identified the following capabilities and attributes of a
successful candidate:
- Extensive collaboration skills at all levels, with the ability
to understand the vital importance of interconnectedness and solid
relationships, while also serving as a strategic and visionary
risk-taker who promotes creativity in every area of the
position.
- A compassionate, empathetic leader with the proven ability to
make difficult decisions, quickly resolve issues before they
escalate to become problems, conduct difficult conversations when
pertinent, work effectively with staff members at various levels of
development and knowledge, listen actively to all sides of an
issue, and be willing to change directions as necessary.
- The ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments and
juggle multiple priorities, while maintaining a strategic vision of
how all the various pieces fit together effectively.
- Strong organizational development abilities, including
emotional intelligence, transparency, excellent listening skills,
an orientation to detail, and empathy that inspire and unify staff,
provide professional and personal growth opportunities, and promote
teamwork throughout the operation.
- An innovator with a futuristic orientation and a willingness to
try new opportunities, remain informed on recent trends and best
practices, and drive significant change processes.
Special Instructions
The University of Utah has partnered with Spelman &
Johnson to conduct this search, to learn more or apply for this
role please use this
link.
Requisition Number: PRN46264B
Full Time or Part Time? Full Time
Work Schedule Summary:
Department: 00307 - Housing and Dining Program
Location: Campus
Pay Rate Range: $125,000-$135,000
Close Date: 01/31/2027
Open Until Filled:
To apply, visit https://apptrkr.com/9843892"">https://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/209582
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