Executive Director, Housing & Residence Life

Position Summary

The inaugural Executive Director of Housing & Residence Life (Executive Director) at Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver) provides strategic vision and leadership for a dynamic and student-centered residential program slated to open in Fall 2027. Reporting directly to the Associate Vice President & Dean of Students, the Executive Director serves as MSU Denver's Senior Student Housing Officer and oversees all aspects of housing operations, residential life programming, occupancy management, dining management/partnerships, and strategic initiatives related to student retention and success.

The Executive Director is responsible for leading a comprehensive residential experience that aligns with MSU Denver's commitment to student engagement, belonging, and academic success. This position serves as a key leader in Student Engagement & Well-being, works in close collaboration with the Finance and Administration team, and plays a critical role in fostering partnerships across campus to support students' holistic development and well-being. This position provides overall administration to on-campus housing and residence life program, currently projected at 586 bed spaces to open in Fall 2027.

Metropolitan State University of Denver is an equal opportunity employer.

IND208

Duties/Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Administration

• Provide vision, leadership, and direction for the Housing & Residence Life department, ensuring alignment with the university's mission, values, and strategic priorities.
• Serve as a member of the SEW Deans/Directors leadership team and the Finance and Administration leadership team, working collaboratively across units to support student retention and success.
• Lead strategic planning efforts related to housing operations, information technology, future facility development, and programmatic initiatives.
• Lead strategic, campus-wide efforts for dining partnerships.
• Leads and coordinates off-campus student housing referrals in collaboration with campus partners, such as the Student Care Center.
• Prepare and present strategic housing data and capital planning updates to the Board of Trustees and Senior Leadership Team to inform institutional decision-making.
• Establish and maintain local/regional/national association work and representation (i.e. ACUHO-I), leveraging national trends and data to provide strategic guidance to MSU Denver.

Residential Life & Student Success

• Oversee a comprehensive residential education model that fosters student engagement, leadership development, and academic support.
• Develop and implement living-learning communities and initiatives that enhance student persistence and sense of belonging.
• Partner with faculty, academic units, and the Classroom-to-Career Hub to integrate educational initiatives and career readiness into the residential experience.
• Establish and maintain a partnership with the Counseling Center to integrate an embedded mental health counselor within the residence hall, ensuring extended hours and on-site support for residential students.
• Build a culture of service, accountability, assessment, and continuous improvement.

Occupancy Management & Housing Operations

• Direct all aspects of occupancy management, housing assignments, and enrollment-related housing initiatives in coordination with the Finance and Administration branch and the admissions team.
• In partnership with the Health Center at Auraria, ensure compliance with vaccination requirements and documentation of MSU Denver residential students.
• Oversee facilities planning, residential safety and security, housing operations, and maintenance in partnership with campus facilities and external vendors.
• Manage on-campus housing public-private partnerships (P3s) in partnership with leaders from Finance and Administration and work closely with external housing providers to enhance student housing options.
• Maintain resources and information for off-campus, student supportive housing options in the Denver metropolitan area(s) to support student need for housing beyond residence life.

Crisis Management & Student Support

• Serve as a key responder in student crises, emergency management, and behavioral intervention efforts within Housing & Residence Life and on the Auraria campus, including membership on the CARE team
• Work in collaboration with campus safety, student conduct, Counseling Center, the Student Care Center, the Health Center at Auraria and others to ensure student support and crisis response protocols are in place, executed appropriately, and evaluated on a consistent cycle.

Budget, Finance & Personnel Management

• Develop and manage the Housing & Residence Life budget, ensuring fiscal responsibility and alignment with university goals.
• Supervise a team of full-time professional staff (1) associate director for residence life, (1) assistant director for guest/conference services and occupancy management. Indirectly support (2) two residence directors, (18) Resident Assistants, and (10) community assistants.
• Directly coordinate with the Classroom-to-Career Hub (C2 Hub) to provide comprehensive building/occupancy management protocol/services and provide training, development, and student staff for the welcome and service desks in the building (3 in total).
• Lead the development of all position descriptions to create a comprehensive Housing & Residence Life team including professional, paraprofessional, graduate assistant, and student hourly positions required for staffing the department.
• Support recruitment, hiring, training, evaluation, and professional development efforts to cultivate an inclusive and dynamic team.

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree in Student Affairs, Higher Education, Counseling, or a related field.
• At least ten (10) years of progressive experience in Housing & Residence Life, including supervision of full-time professional staff with a focus on financial stewardship, deferred maintenance, and financial modeling.
• Experience with housing operations, occupancy management, and facility oversight in a university setting.
• Proven ability to manage crisis response, Title IX, student conduct, and behavioral intervention efforts within a residential community.
• Demonstrated success in team leadership, budget management, deferred maintenance and strategic planning.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating with P3 Partners.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, access and belonging in student housing.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends as required for programming elements of the position and on-call needs.

Important Note: Successful applicants will ensure their resume clearly demonstrate that their work experience describes how they meetALLrequired qualifications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctorate or terminal degree in Higher Education Administration or related field.
• Experience working in urban institutions with diverse student populations.
• Substantial experience working with public-private housing partnerships (P3s) and off-campus housing management.
• Background in student retention initiatives, living-learning communities, and academic partnerships.
• Proficiency in data-driven decision-making and the use of technology in housing operations.

Work Hours

• Full-time, 40 hours per week, Exempt
• Monday through Friday with evening and weekends on-call
• Evenings and Weekends: Serving in a rotating on-call duty structure
• Schedule: In-person with some hybrid flexibility
• Travel: Rarely, less than 5%

Salary for Announcement

We anticipate the qualified candidate to be placed between $90,600 - $120,950. The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.

The above salary range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Instructions to Apply

For full consideration, please submit the following documents:

• Resume
• Cover letter describing relevant job experiences as they relate to listed job qualifications and interest in the position

3 professional references will be required of the finalist. One reference must be a prior supervisor.

This position will remain open until filled. Please apply bySeptember 05, 2025for full consideration.

Official transcripts will be required of the candidate selected for hire.

If you are an Internal applicant, please apply via the Career tab within the WorkDay Menu

Important Note: Successful applicants will ensure their resume clearly demonstrate that their work experience describes how they meetALLrequired qualifications.

Open Until Filled

The University's benefits package is comprehensive and offers medical, vision and dental, free RTD pass, tuition reimbursement, as well as a life and supplemental insurance plans, retirement plans and other programs, such as accessto a long-term disability (LTD) plan.Visit MSU Denver'sbenefits websiteto learn more.

For a brief overview, please see: https://www.msudenver.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/MSU-Benefit-Summary.pdf.

The University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities throughout the employment application process. To request an accommodation pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact the Human Resources ADA Coordinator at totalrewards@msudenver.edu.

Background Checks

Metropolitan State University of Denver is dedicated to ensuring a safe and secure environment for our faculty, staff, students, and visitors. To Assist in achieving that goal, we conduct background checks on all finalists for positions at the University prior to employment.

Metropolitan State University of Denver is a unique, access-oriented campus community that values diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its forms. Our student population consists of nearly 58% first generation students and over 50% students of color. We are a designated Hispanic Serving Institution located in downtown Denver.

We create an equitable learning and working environment in concert with individuals who consistently demonstrate commitment to equity and inclusion. We greatly value the diverse identities and perspectives of our students, faculty, and staff and recognize that in order to achieve a just and equitable society, diversity must go beyond simple representation. It requires critical inquiry and dialogue and a commitment to action. We strive to provide a culture of belonging for all community members to achieve personal and professional success.