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Housing and Residential Life Specialist

Florida Polytechnic University
life insurance, paid time off, paid holidays, sick time
United States, Florida, Lakeland
4700 Research Way (Show on map)
Feb 05, 2026

Make a difference at one of Florida's premier institutions for education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Florida Polytechnic University, ranked the No. 1 public college in the region by U.S. News and World Report, offers a unique working environment that encourages faculty and staff to be part of a culture that prizes collaboration, innovation, and the willingness to go above and beyond to ensure our students and University succeed. Florida Poly offers a small campus academic environment where students form connections with their faculty and peers as they pursue high-value degrees in engineering and applied sciences.

The University is equipped with cutting-edge facilities and equipment and two award-winning, architecturally distinct academic buildings. Its evolving curriculum, designed to meet the needs of industry and provide a life-long educational foundation for students, has helped the institution grow in prominence since its opening in 2014. Florida Poly's deliberately small classes, affordability, and outstanding graduate outcomes have helped it earn recognitions such as being named a top value school, in the top 25 nationally for affordability, and in the top five best universities in the South for tech students. Accredited by ABET and SACSCOC, Florida Poly is educating some of the brightest minds in Florida and attracting standout talent from across the nation.

JOB TITLE Housing and Residential Life Specialist JOB DESCRIPTION SUMMARY Job Summary
The Department of Housing Operations is seeking applicants for the Housing and Residential Life Specialist position. Under the general direction of the Director of Student Engagement, the Housing and Residential Life Specialist independently coordinates and leads high-quality Residential Life programming.

The Housing and Residential Life Specialist supervises Resident Assistants, coordinates residential programming, and responds to on-call situations as they arise. In addition, the coordinator oversees administrative processes within the residence halls, educates students on community standards, and supports the University's retention efforts by closely monitoring and supporting students in their care. JOB DESCRIPTION

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Oversees day-to-day operations of two residence halls with a total population of 800 residents.
  • Hires, trains, mentors, and supervises a team of 15 Resident Assistants and 4 Community Directors, as they develop as leaders and serve the residential population.
  • Facilitate area staff meetings and individual one-on-ones.
  • Coordinates the administrative functions of a residential community, which include facility management, record keeping, and student conduct.
  • Facilitates large-scale, department-wide events, programs, and initiatives for the entire campus community, covering leadership, collaboration, innovation, adaptability, sustainability, community engagement, and more.
  • Identifies, plans, coordinates, and assesses the residential programming model to meet the developmental and formative needs of the residential population.
  • Oversee expenditures and manage administrative procedures for student programming funds.
  • Educates residents about Housing and Residential Life community standards and facilitates conduct hearings when violations occur.
  • Participate in a rotating duty schedule, providing on-call/on-duty emergency and crisis response for students. Provide facilitation for conflict resolution, assist students, and refer them to appropriate University and community resources. Provide in-person response to critical incidents and maintain on-going student follow-up until reasonable care is provided.
  • Coordinates and delivers semesterly centralized training for students and professional staff.
  • Assist with development of policies, procedures, goal development, assessment activities, training activities, and overall operation of the Housing and Residential Life unit.
  • Independently compose, prepare, and edit correspondence and reports containing information that requires thorough knowledge and understanding of Housing and Residential Life policies and procedures; and assist in generating and developing communications for students, parents, and the University community related to on-campus housing policies and procedures.
  • Serve as first contact to students and parents in dealing with interpersonal concerns. Resolve these issues using sound judgment and creative decision making.

Minimum Qualifications

  • A Bachelor's Degree in higher education administration from an accredited institution of higher education or a related field
  • One year of related professional experience.
  • Excellent human relations and communication skills.
  • Experience managing complex and detailed projects/tasks.
  • Experience with housing assignment software.

Preferred Qualifications

  • A Master's Degree in higher education administration from an accredited institution is preferred.
  • Knowledge of StarRez housing software is strongly preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

  • Excellent analytical, communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills, along with the ability to exercise sound judgment and discretion, are required. A proven ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining a high level of professionalism and attention to detail is required.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills are required.
  • Strong leadership, personnel, management, planning, organizational, and team-building skills.
  • Ability to manage multiple tasks under tight time restrictions.
  • Capacity and maturity to assume and satisfactorily discharge assigned responsibilities.
  • Ability to build effective relationships between the office staff and students.
  • Develop and, as needed, revise a variety of documents related to Residential Life processes.
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality.

REQUIRED LICENSES, CERTIFICATIONS, AND/OR OTHER SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS OF LAW:

  • Must possess a valid driver's license.

  • This position requires a criminal background check, which may include a Level II screening as required by Florida Statute *435.04.

  • This position is subject to federal and state privacy regulations.

NORMAL WORK SCHEDULE: This position is salary exempt. The normal work schedule is Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.; however, occasional overtime (weekends and evenings) may be required.

TARGET HIRING SALARY: $50,200 - $53,000, commensurate with experience.

APPLICATION DEADLINE DATE: The position may be open for 14 days with a minimum of 7 days; however, the review of applications will commence immediately.

APPLICATION PROCESS:
In addition to completing the online application, all applicants are required to upload the following as attachments to the application (preferably in PDF format):

  • Cover Letter

  • Resume

  • Three (3) Professional References

If any of these three items are missing, you will not be considered for the position.
References will not be contacted unless you are selected as a finalist for the position.

DIVERSITY STATEMENT:

Florida Polytechnic University is an equal opportunity/equal access institution. It is the policy of the Board of Trustees to provide equal opportunity for employment and educational opportunities to all (including applicants for employment, employees, applicants for admission, students, and others affiliated with the University) without regard to race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or genetic information.

Employment is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. An appointment is not final until proof is provided.

FLORIDA POLY BENEFITS INFORMATION

Florida Poly qualified employees have the opportunity to take advantage of a variety of health benefits (through the State of Florida) to help meet their specific needs, as well as the needs of their family. This comprehensive coverage includes flexible spending accounts, medical and life insurance, and worker's compensation.

Health benefits are administered through People First, on behalf of the State of Florida, as pre-tax insurance plans. People First handles all new hire enrollments, coverage changes, premium administration, and dependent eligibility. Their Service Center is staffed Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. EST, at 1-866-663-4735.

RETIREMENT

Florida Poly offers great options for retirement. From the required selection of a state plan to additional voluntary retirement plans, our employees have many opportunities to save and prepare for their future. Click Here for more information.

OTHER BENEFITS

  • Discounts & Perks

  • Annual Leave

    • To help promote work-life balance, Florida Poly provides a generous leave program, which includes paid time off and paid holidays. Qualified employees may accrue 22 days of annual leave. In addition, the University observes the holidays listed in our University Holidays policy FPU-1.008.

  • Sick Leave

    • Qualified employees may also accrue 12 days of annual sick leave and participate in our Sick Pool Program.

  • Employee Assistant Program (EAP)

EXPLORE LAKELAND FLORIDA

Conveniently located along I-4 between Tampa and Orlando, Lakeland is home to Florida Polytechnic University and many other businesses and attractions. Click here to explore Lakeland, Florida.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING ATTACHMENTS:

Required attachments are listed on each posting. Please be sure to attach all required documents in the Resume/CV field before continuing through the application. Once your application has been submitted, no changes may be made and additional attachments will not be considered.

An unofficial copy of the degree/transcript is acceptable during the application process. For positions requiring a degree, the official transcripts are required upon hire.

Foreign Transcript: Transcripts issued outside of the United States require a equivalency statement from a certified transcript evaluation service verifying the degree equivalency to that of an accredited institution within the USA. This report must be attached with the application and submitted by the application deadline.

All document(s) must be received on or before the closing date of the job announcements.

This position requires a background check, which may include a level II screening as required by the Florida Statute*435.04.

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