Residence Life Operations Supervisor

Housing and Conference Services (HCS) plays a vital role in supporting McMaster University’s mission to advance human and societal well-being and its overarching vision of educating for capability. We are committed to delivering a distinctive living and learning environment that prioritizes community building, personal development, academic success, wellness, and inclusion. HCS provides a transformative residential experience for approximately 3,900 students, with a focus on key educational priorities.

HCS concurrently drives a positive McMaster experience for guests, alumni, staff, faculty, and students by providing accommodation and event coordination, which meet the highest standards of service excellence. HCS is a proud and significant ancillary contributor to the financial health of the University and the core academic and research mission of McMaster.

HCS is currently undergoing a period of significant expansion, increasing capacity by 66% over the next several years. Moving from 3,900 to 6,000 bed spaces across 15 buildings. This growth will diversify the housing portfolio beyond its traditional focus on first-year undergraduate students to include upper-year, graduate, and family housing, as well as a constantly evolving internal and external client base.

The department operates with an annual pre-expansion budget of approximately $31 million and employs over 100 full-time and 250 part-time staff. HCS reports directly to both the Divisions of Student Affairs and Operations & Finance.

Housing & Conference Services (HCS) supports McMaster’s Vision of Impact, Ambition and Transformation through Excellence, Inclusion and Community: Advancing Human and Societal Health and Well-being. Our focus is on creating distinctive living and learning environments for residence students that supports the overall mission of the institution. Housing and Conference Services creates an environment which contributes to students’ pursuit of learning and provides critical opportunities for emotional growth, well-being and the development of constructive personal skills and social attitudes.

The Residence Life Office has lead responsibility for creating community, enhancing student learning, and promoting the student success of more than 6000 undergraduate and graduate students across 16 residence buildings, on multiple sites. The Residence Life Unit aligns with the academic mission of McMaster, facilitates the development of the student both professionally and personally, and addresses first through upper year transition issues. Beginning in 2023 with the opening of McMaster’s first Graduate Student Residence, the focus of the Unit has expanded to include providing safe, desirable housing that allows Graduate students to focus on their academic pursuits while supporting their development as people and active members of the McMaster Residence & University Community. Residence Life is responsible for educating the character of our students through our stated learning goals of student success, community impact and personal well-being. The team is responsible for creating and maintaining a student community which is safe mentally, emotionally and physically, celebrates equity, diversity and inclusion with a focus on good citizenship. The unit is responsible for regularly reviewing programs, policies and procedures to ensure that they are educative and effective in meeting the changing needs of McMaster’s residence students, and that the residence experience will attract and retain excellent undergraduate and graduate students to McMaster University.

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Associate Director of Residence Life, the Residence Life Operations Supervisor plays a crucial role in supporting key, large-scale initiatives within the Residence Life unit and Housing & Conference Services (HCS). The primary focus is on recruiting and the appointment process for several hundred staff (Community Advisors) and volunteers for various roles and managing the move-in and move-out initiatives for the Residence Life unit.

Additionally, the Supervisor manages a team of approximately 40 staff, including Guest Registration Assistants (GRA) and Project Assistants, ensuring the safe and efficient operation of residence buildings during peak times.

The role also involves project management within the Residence Life unit, representing Residence Life in department-wide planning initiatives such as move-in/out, fire drills, and open house tours. This position requires independent decision making within established parameters, with a higher operational oversight and autonomy in managing immediate operational issues.

Accountabilities:

Student Staff Hiring & Administration:

• Coordinates the human resources activities for upwards of 200 Community Advisors and 150 volunteers including recruitment and performance evalutaion.
• Implements efficient record keeping systems for performance evaluations and new hire paperwork.
• Coordinates the recruitment, selection and appointment process for vacant positions by scheduling group and individual interviews and finalizing all of the logistics for the process.
• Annually review and assess the effectiveness of all hiring initiatives and make recommendations for year over year improvements.
• Work with the HCS HR Coordinator to issue job offers, new hire paperwork, and ensure they are submitted for processing in timely fashion.
• Work with the HCS marketing team to develop an annual marketing strategy for our various student roles and represent HCS at events to promote student roles in Residence.
• Work with Training and Development Coordinator to align our competency model each year to meet the changing and unique needs of all teams within Residence Life as well as HCS.

Staff Management & Development:

• Manage Guest Registration Assistants (GRAs) and Project Assistants, including hiring, training, establishing work priorities and schedules to ensure efficient and effective task completed, as well as managing the performance of these staff under the CUPE 3906 Unit 4 Collective Agreement.
• Conducts the formal and informal performance evaluation process for Community Advisors in alignment with the collective agreement. Acts as a subject matter expert on performance management procedures and collaborates with the Residence Life Management Team (RLACs and Residence Life Managers) to provide recommendations related to disciplinary action or dismissal.
• Collects and maintains accurate records, and ensures confidentiality of all discipline-related matters in their assigned area: investigation notes, Incident Reports, probation contracts, etc.

Operational Coordination & Support:

• Collaborate with the HCS Manager, P&P, to plan and execute residence life move-in/out activities, including scheduling over 1,000 staff, volunteers, and managing traffic logistics.
• Oversee the strategic management of residence games rooms, including long-term planning, inventory auditing, equipment rotation, repairs, and integration of self-serve technology to enhance student engagement.
• Manage Community Advisor (CA) staff rooms by standardizing furnishings, maintaining inventory, and coordinating regular refresh cycles to ensure consistency and functionality.
• Oversee Residence Life storage rooms, ensuring organized inventory systems, accessibility, and routine audits for accountability and efficiency.
• Work with the residence life management team (RLACs and Residence Life Managers) to assess and enhance residence operations by recommending procedural changes as needed.
• Under the leadership of the Associate Director, Residence Life, coordinate the development and implementation of initiatives to address evolving needs within the residence community.
• Lead the annual residence room inspection process, ensuring compliance with standards and identifying areas for improvement.
• Collaborate closely with HCS Information Technology team to implement updates and changes to Star Rez platform.
• Lead the completion of Community Advisor placements with a focus on student accommodations.
• Create and maintain spreadsheets, forms, or databases to input, track, store, and retrieve data efficiently. Design tables or charts to illustrate data clearly and effectively.
• Schedule and coordinate meetings including room bookings, agendas, catering arrangements.
• Complete financial forms such as travel expense reports, purchase orders and journal entries.
• Liaise with students, staff and external organizations and professionals to ensure effective communication and collaboration.
• Maintain confidential records and handle sensitive materials with discretion.
• Assemble, copy, collate, and disseminate documents and materials.

Qualifications:

Education: University degree, preferably with a specialization in higher education, student affairs or equivalent

Experience: 3 years management experience in a university residence environment or similar related role in student affairs; supervision/managerial experience in a unionized environment is an asset; demonstrated experience and success collaborating across divisional units and pan-university; knowledge of student development and learning outcomes.

Knowledge/Skills:

• Strong leadership, team-building and employee engagement skills
• Demonstrated effectiveness as a leader in positions of responsibility and complexity
• Demonstrated practice of promoting collaboration with students and colleagues
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Strong listening skills and demonstrated capacity for exercising sound judgment
• Strong conflict resolution skills
• Superior initiative, resourcefulness and creative problem-solving skills
• Strong organization and project management skills including work process review and leveraging technology to improve student experience
• Proven ability to adapt and work under pressure at a high level of effectiveness in a fast paced, multi-tasked environment with high volume of work and tight deadlines
• Professional attitude, demonstration of integrity, confidentiality and excellent work ethic

To apply for this job, please submit your application online.

McMaster University is located on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and Mississauga Nations and within the lands protected by the “Dish With One Spoon” wampum agreement.

The diversity of our workforce is at the core of our innovation and creativity and strengthens our research and teaching excellence. In keeping with its Statement on Building an Inclusive Community with a Shared Purpose, McMaster University strives to embody the values of respect, collaboration and diversity, and has a strong commitment to employment equity.

The University seeks qualified candidates who share our commitment to equity and inclusion, who will contribute to the diversification of ideas and perspectives, and especially welcomes applications from indigenous (First Nations, Métis or Inuit) peoples, members of racialized communities, persons with disabilities, women, and persons who identify as 2SLGBTQ+.

As part of McMaster’s commitment, all applicants are invited to complete a confidential Applicant Diversity Survey through the online application submission process. The Survey questionnaire requests voluntary self-identification in relation to equity-seeking groups that have historically faced and continue to face barriers in employment. Please refer to the Applicant Diversity Survey - Statement of Collection for additional information.

Job applicants requiring accommodation to participate in the hiring process should contact:

• Human Resources Service Centre at 905-525-9140 ext. 222-HR (22247), or
• Faculty of Health Sciences HR Office at ext. 22207, or
• School of Graduate Studies at ext. 23679

to communicate accommodation needs.

To ensure an ongoing and vibrant University community that meets the needs of our students, staff and faculty and supports the University mission, ability to work on-site continues to be a requirement for most University positions. The University is supportive of exploring flexible work arrangements that effectively balance operational needs and employee interests.

At McMaster University, we believe in a comprehensive and inclusive interview process. Our interview methods encompass a variety of approaches that allow our hiring teams to provide a flexible and accessible experience for engaging with our candidates. Throughout your recruitment process at McMaster, you may be requested to participate in a variety of formats, that may include in-person, virtual or recorded interviews. If you have any questions as you move through the hiring process, please reach out to talent@mcmaster.ca or the HR contact associated with your position of interest.