Role Overview:
Sodexo is seeking a Resident Experience Manager 3 (Associate Director of Residential Education) for New Mexico State University located in Las Cruces, NM. NMSU.
The Associate Director of Residential Education is a full-time, professional leadership position managed by Sodexo Campus Services and embedded directly within NMSU’s Department of Housing and Residential Life. Reporting to the Director, this role is one of three Associate Directors who collectively manage our housing program.
Our leadership structure is broken down into three distinct areas:
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One Associate Director manages housing assignments, business operations, and our core database systems.
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One Associate Director oversees and has ownership of the first-year residential experience.
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This Associate Director manages the strategic planning and community oversight of our upper-class, family, veteran, non-traditional, and affiliate housing populations across campus.
The Associate Director directly manages a team of professional, live-in Residence Directors and has indirect oversight of roughly 34 Resident Assistants and Resident Activities Planners. This position balances a student-first philosophy with Sodexo's operational standards, focusing heavily on facility partnerships, curriculum implementation, student conduct, and campus-wide collaboration.
Position Perks & Benefits
On top of Sodexo’s standard corporate benefits package (including health insurance, 401k options, and paid time off), this position includes specific campus perks to support a healthy work-life balance:
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Campus Parking: One complimentary campus parking permit provided every year.
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Technology: A company-provided mobile phone for professional use and on-call response management.
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Dining Privileges: One free meal per day in the campus dining center during the academic year.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
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Lead the recruitment, selection, onboarding, training, and regular performance evaluations for the residential education professional staff team.
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Directly supervise professional Residence Directors who manage our apartment complexes, family housing communities, and specialized traditional spaces.
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Oversee the training, accountability, and performance frameworks for our student staff team of approximately 34 Resident Assistants and Resident Activities Planners.
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Assign, coordinate, and advise our professional staff on departmental collateral portfolios to keep operations running smoothly. These portfolios include:
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Staffing & Leadership: Student and professional staff selection, training, ongoing development, and student leadership advising (RHA/NRHH).
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Operations & Engagement: Welcome Week/Move-In, break housing operations, departmental outreach, and social media strategy.
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Systems & Accountability: Departmental assessment data tracking and student conduct systems.
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Manage the day-to-day facilities partnership by working hand-in-hand with housing operations, facilities maintenance, and environmental services to keep our apartment and family housing areas safe, clean, and fully operational.
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Walk the residential areas regularly, coordinate closely with maintenance supervisors on turnover schedules, and advocate for long-term physical plant improvements in the apartment and family housing sectors.
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Ensure all residential education initiatives align with Sodexo’s budget parameters, corporate reporting, and operational guidelines without compromising the quality of the student experience.
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Partner with the housing leadership team to continually improve, run, and evaluate our residential strategic goals, program curriculum, and community development strategies.
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Establish clear, practical, data-driven learning outcomes that fit the specific needs of independent upper-class students, student-parents, veterans, and affiliate groups.
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Build strong working relationships with other NMSU departments (such as the Dean of Students, Military and Veterans Programs, and Academic Affairs) to integrate housing into the university's larger retention goals.
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Participate in the senior leadership on-call rotation, providing clear direction and second-tier support during high-level behavioral, medical, or mental health emergencies.
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Act as the primary point of escalation for high-level student, family, and stakeholder concerns within the upper-class and family housing areas, resolving complaints with professional, clear communication.
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Maintain strict compliance with safety regulations and university protocols, including keeping a direct line of communication with the University Police Department (UPD) when minors are found in possession of alcohol or during immediate safety threats.
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Represent Sodexo and the housing department on university-wide committees, task forces, and student success initiatives.
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Work closely with the other two Associate Directors to ensure operational continuity and smooth transitions for students moving from first-year halls into upper-class housing environments.
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Run the Residential Education unit when the Director is away, ensuring seamless service to our university clients.
Qualifications & Experience
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Education: Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration, Student Personnel, Counseling, Human Resources, Business Administration, or a closely related field; or an equivalent combination of education and supplementary professional experience.
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Experience: Minimum of 5 years of progressive, full-time professional experience within university housing or residential life operations.
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Supervision: A proven track record of supervising staff and managing high-volume student staff engagement strategies.
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Crisis & Conduct: Direct experience managing student conduct systems, handling emergency response, and navigating escalated parent or stakeholder concerns.
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Specific experience managing apartment-style, single-family, or non-traditional/family housing environments, including direct facilities tracking or occupancy transition management.
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Experience working within public-private partnerships or contract-managed higher education environments.
Sodexo provides college campuses with food, nutrition, environmental, and facilities management solutions. Joining us at one of our campus sites enables you to positively influence college students' well-being and create a healthy learning environment.
Incentives: Relocation Assistance What You'll Do:
- Personnel Management & Team Development (35%)
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Operational & Facilities Collaboration (25%)
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Community Development & Curriculum Design (15%)
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Crisis Intervention & Escalated Response (15%)
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Institutional Leadership & Service (10%)
What We Offer:
Compensation is fair and equitable, partially determined by a candidate's education level or years of relevant experience. Salary offers are based on a candidate's specific criteria, like experience, skills, education, and training. Sodexo offers a comprehensive benefits package that may include:
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Medical, Dental, Vision Care and Wellness Programs
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401(k) Plan with Matching Contributions
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Paid Time Off and Company Holidays
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Career Growth Opportunities and Tuition Reimbursement
More extensive information is provided to new employees upon hire.
What You Bring:
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Education: Master’s degree preferred in Higher Education Administration, Student Personnel, Counseling, Human Resources, Business Administration, or a closely related field; or an equivalent combination of education and supplementary professional experience.
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Experience: Minimum of 5 years of progressive, full-time professional experience within university housing or residential life operations.
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Supervision: A proven track record of supervising staff and managing high-volume student staff engagement strategies.
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Crisis & Conduct: Direct experience managing student conduct systems, handling emergency response, and navigating escalated parent or stakeholder concerns.
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Specific experience managing apartment-style, single-family, or non-traditional/family housing environments, including direct facilities tracking or occupancy transition management.
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Experience working within public-private partnerships or contract-managed higher education environments.
Who We Are:
At Sodexo, our purpose is to create a better everyday for everyone and build a better life for all. We believe in improving the quality of life for those we serve and contributing to the economic, social, and environmental progress in the communities where we operate. Sodexo partners with clients to provide a truly memorable experience for both customers and employees alike. We do this by providing food service, catering, facilities management, and other integrated solutions worldwide.
Our company values you for you; you will be treated fairly and with respect, and you can be yourself. You will have your ideas count and your opinions heard because we can be a stronger team when you’re happy at work. This is why we embrace diversity and inclusion as core values, fostering an environment where all employees are valued and respected. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to individuals regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, disability, sexual orientation, military status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. If you need assistance with the application process, please complete this form.
Qualifications & Requirements:
Minimum Education Requirement - Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
Minimum Management Experience - 3 years
Minimum Functional Experience - 3 years
