South Dakota State University (SDState) is seeking an Assistant Director for Housing Services and Operations in Housing and Residential Life. This position will provide oversight and strategic direction for a broad portfolio for residential operations, including summer camps and conference housing, apartment contracting and occupancy management, residential communications and marketing, front desk and mailroom services and overall residential services systems. This position is located in Brookings, South Dakota and is a 12-month, full-time, benefits-eligible position.
Housing & Residential Life creates welcoming, supportive communities where students can thrive. Our team of professional and student staff work together to foster connection, growth, and a positive on-campus living experience.
Must be authorized to work in the U.S. Sponsorship is not available for this position.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Assistant Director for Housing Services and Operations will lead complex operational cycles such as student move-in/move-out, for summer transitions, guest housing, and contract management while ensuring high-quality service delivery, financial accountability, and compliance with institutional policies. In addition, this position supervises professional staff, graduate assistants, and student employees, providing training, performance management, and leadership development across multiple functional areas. The role requires strong collaboration with campus and community partners, including student services, facilities, dining, admissions, and external organizations, to support a seamless residential experience and successful conference and housing operations. The Assistant Director for Housing Services and Operations develops and executes communication and marketing strategies that enhance student engagement and promote on-campus living. Responsibilities that include on-call crisis response, student conduct support, and participation in senior leadership functions.
BENEFITS:
SDState offers a wide range of excellent benefits including medical, dental, and flexible benefits, retirement plans, compensation packages, paid holidays, and vacation leave. We offer a generous retirement plan that includes 6% matching, 10 hours of annual leave each month, 9.34 hours of sick leave each month, and eleven paid holidays. Employees also have access to internal and state-sponsored training as well as reduced tuition for state-supported courses at all State of South Dakota academic institutions. Relocation benefits are available per university’s guidelines.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
- Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration, Hospitality Management, Operations Management, Communications, Business Administration, Student Affairs Administration, Management, or related field from a regionally accredited institution. Would be willing to consider a bachelor’s level candidate with four years of directly related experience, completed by start date;
- At least three years of progressively responsible professional experience in university housing, residential life, conference services, hospitality management, student affairs, operations management, or a related field;
- Experience supervising professional and/or student staff;
- Experience managing complex operational processes, projects, or programs with multiple stakeholders;
- Experience providing customer service and resolving complex concerns;
- Experience coordinating events, conferences, housing assignments, occupancy management, or residential operations;
- Ability to manage multiple large-scale operational functions simultaneously;
- Demonstrated organizational and project management skills;
- Ability to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences;
- Effective written and verbal communication skills;
- Effective interpersonal and relationship-building skills;
- Valid drivers license
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Training or coursework in project management, marketing, supervision, leadership development, or assessment;
- Experience with summer conference and camp housing programs;
- Experience managing front desk, mailroom, package, or customer service operations;
- Experience with apartment housing or occupancy management;
- Experience developing communication plans, marketing campaigns, or student-facing communications;
- Experience managing budgets, contracts, billing, or revenue-generating programs;
- Experience with conduct processes, crisis response, or on-call responsibilities in higher education;
- Experience using housing management systems such as StarRez or similar enterprise systems.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
This system will guide you through the electronic application form. This employment site will also require the attachment of a cover letter, which should specifically address how the candidate meets the qualifications as outlined in the advertisement, resume, and a reference page with the contact information for three professional references. Email applications will not be accepted. Please contact SDState Human Resources at (605) 688-4128 if you require assistance with this process.
Any offer of employment is contingent on the university’s verification of credentials and other information required by law and/or university policies, including but not limited to, successful completion of a criminal background check.
SDState is a tobacco free environment. It is the policy of the University to maintain a drug-free environment and to thereby establish, promote, and maintain a safe and healthy working and learning environment for employees and students. This position is subject to South Dakota State University’s Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy 4:14.
