Job Description
About SAIC
For more than 150 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the world’s most influential artists, designers and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program consistently ranking among the top four graduate fine arts programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago Museum, on-campus galleries and state-of-the-art facilities. SAIC’s undergraduate, graduate and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world—as seen through notable alumni and faculty such as Michelle Grabner, David Sedaris, Elizabeth Murray, Richard Hunt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Cynthia Rowley, Nick Cave, and LeRoy Neiman.
About the Department
Residence Life provides a living-learning community in well maintained downtown facilities designed for the student artist. Student and Professional staff engage in community development, offer fun & educational events and programs, connect students with campus resources and provide 24 hour on call support.
Position Summary
The Housing & Residence Life Coordinator (HRLC) manages the day-to-day occupancy for all on campus housing, oversees systems to predict & adjust for future occupancy; supervise students in CWS student worker positions; provides leadership in community development by facilitating large scale & educational programming; oversees online communication & social media; oversees ECPSI summer housing needs and co manages educational support; adjudicates student conduct; provides crisis response and a high level of in-person student support follow up. The position reports directly to the Assistant Director of Residence Life for Housing and Summer Programs.
This position is a full-time, live-in, 12 month appointment, with a typical work day being 9:00am - 5:00pm. Frequent evening and weekend commitments should be expected.
Responsibilities
Housing Occupancy, Assignments:
- Assists in maintaining accurate occupancy; maintains accurate information on total & type of spaces available in the residence halls; confirms housing eligibility for all residents before the add/drop period and throughout the term; ensures cleaning schedule, confirms room identification to needed parties; manages single room waitlist; assists students in making room changes; facilitates housing intention form & consolidation process including communication with students & staff, approves and denies room change requests, offers new spaces, ensures completion by all residents, assists with residence hall consolidation including identifying spaces, communicating with students & families, ensures student needs/preferences are met.
Administer Housing Database:
- Assists with managing the housing database and online housing system, including housing assignments, billing, and account management for students, interns, and guests across the Fall, Spring, and Summer terms.
- Collaborates with Residence Life and campus partners, including Accounting, International Student Affairs, the Registrar, and Admissions, to ensure accurate and timely information related to housing applications, assignments, occupancy, billing, and account reconciliation.
- Coordinates with the Refund Review Board to process approved housing-related bill appeals and refunds.
- Collaborates with ARTICard and Accounting to process meal plan refunds and reconcile student accounts.
Central Office Supervision:
- Supervises and provides leadership for student central office assistants; provides on-going feedback through biweekly 1:1 meetings with Grad Assistant; conducts performance evaluations annually; provides on-going training for student staff and takes active role in formal training sessions; works with Grad Assistant to define direction for office; meets with office staff as needed.
- Completes proper online paperwork for proper payment and record of hours for direct supervisees and other student workers in the department.
Summer Housing: Program Management & Housing Management:
- Collaborates with the Residence Hall Director – Jones Hall & the Buckingham, Graduate Assistant, Continuing Studies to facilitate the co-curricular experience for SAIC Early College Program Summer Institute (ECPSI) which resides in Jones Hall over the summer; co-coordinates summer programming efforts to meet the needs of the program; co-manages nightly curfew process; co-coordinates ECPSI Session room preparation with Facilities Management; assists in coordination of staffing for check-ins and check-outs; actively works with summer staff to ensure customer-service focus.
- Manages housing application process for SAIC Early College Program Summer Institute (ECPSI) including proper billing and housing assignments, ensures effective communication with constituents throughout their respective housing processes.
- Communicates with ECPSI students, Continuing Studies, Student Financial Services including mailings and e-mails via our Housing Database, Welcome Letters, etc.
Programming:
- Coordinates co-curricular programming initiatives across the residence halls; plans, implements, and supports large-scale programs and events, including Room Swap Fairs, Roommate Finder Fairs, and Housing Information Tablings.
Virtual Communications & Social Media:
- Manages Residence Life communications across multiple digital and social media platforms, including creating and posting content, engaging with audiences, responding to questions and inquiries, and identifying and addressing emerging concerns.
- Promotes Residence Life programs, events, policies, and procedures through strategic digital communications.
- Collaborates with campus departments and their social media platforms to expand Residence Life’s reach and support broader SAIC initiatives. Supervises, trains, and provides leadership to the student Social Media Coordinator.
On-Call Responsibilities & Student Support:
- Participates in 24-hour on-call rotation; recognize that residence halls are open 365 days/year and therefore being on-call during holidays should be expected; responds to student and/or facilities issues/crises in person; high levels of in-person response to mental health concerns, other distressed student situations should be expected; professional staff may be asked to respond to the hospital if a student is transported via ambulance; consistent communication with Dean On-Call during crisis/emergency situations; maintain accurate reports using Symplicity Advocate Software.
Crisis Management:
- Works with Residence Life and Student Affairs team to respond to critical incidents on campus.
- Works with other departments including IRFM, Campus Security, Wellness Center, and others to provide appropriate response to crises.
Student-Centered Practices and Inclusive Campus Environment:
- Participates and assists in initiatives within SAIC that promotes belonging, access, well-being and community engagement.
- Collaborates across campus to cultivate an inclusive and welcoming campus environment.
- Commitment to student-centered practices, inclusion, and creating supportive residential communities.
Communication:
- Assists Assistant Director of Housing and Summer Programs with email & phone calls to Residence Life; ensures they are responded to accurately and in a timely manner.
- Maintains regular contact with appropriate resources to ensure effective operation of residence hall; communicates facility issues to appropriate areas in a timely fashion; communicate student issues/crises; responds to parental communication as appropriate; meets with supervisor, at a minimum, biweekly; provides email and written reports as requested by department head.
Student Conduct:
- Serves as a conduct officer for low-level policy violations including first time alcohol; utilizes Symplicity Software for adjudication process including notification letters, sanctioning, and closing of conduct cases.
Professional Staff Team Member:
- Attends bi-weekly meetings with direct supervisor; understands and implements SAIC’s core values whenever possible; participates in departmental planning efforts; develops goals & objectives for each year; completes administrative paperwork; cultivates mutually supportive relationships with the campus community; serves as a positive role model and mentors for new members of the team.
- Develops relationships and liaison with other departments including Instructional Resources and Facilities Management, Campus Security, and Continuing Studies.
Live-in Position:
- This is a 12-month, live-in position; weekend and evening commitments should be expected; assist on-call staff as needed for student and/or facilities issues/crises (e.g., fire alarms, flooding, multiple student issues, etc.); allowed one weekend away each month (to be approved by supervisor).
Assist with Residence Life & Office of Student Affairs Programs:
- Assists with departmental programs and events such as RA Selection, RA training, Move In, Move Out;
- Assists with OSA departmental programs such as Halloween Ball, Holiday Art Sale, Spring Art Sale, Leadership Dinner;
- Serves on school committees and various work groups as assigned.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience in student housing, residential operations, or student services (Master’s degree is a plus).
- 1+ years of professional or progressive paraprofessional experience in Residence Life, Student Housing, or Student Affairs, including familiarity with community development and student staff supervision.
- Practical understanding of student mental health resources, crisis response, and referral pathways, with the ability to navigate sensitive student situations calmly and empathetically.
- Demonstrated ability to build relationships, communicate effectively across diverse cultural identities, and foster an inclusive, supportive living-learning environment (experience with or appreciation for student artists is valued).
- Proficiency with standard office productivity tools (e.g., Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace) and prior experience with, or aptitude to learn, housing and conduct database systems (such as Symplicity or StarRez).
- Strong interpersonal and organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize tasks independently, manage administrative follow-through, and assist in low-level student conduct or conflict mediation.
Compensation & Benefits
Please click on the links below to view our competitive, comprehensive benefits package:
The expected hiring range is an estimated amount for positions based on the grade. Final offers are based on various factors, including skill set, experience, qualifications and other job-related reasons.
If you are accessing this listing from a third party, not all links to salary and benefits information may work. Please visit our career page at saic/artic.edu/employment for complete information
Application Instructions
Please submit your resume and cover letter to be considered for this position.
Union
This position is part of a bargaining unit represented by AFSCME Council 31.
Accessibility
If you are a job seeker with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to apply for one of our jobs, you will find the contact information to request the appropriate accommodation by visiting the following page:
Accessibility Accommodation for Applicants
Equal Opportunity Statement
The Art Institute of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits, hires and promotes qualified individuals compliant with federal and state laws. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact the Department of Human Resources at apply_help@artic.edu.
