Housing Systems Strategist

MU Housing, a department within the division of Student Affairs, provides a world-class housing experience by engaging students within an innovative and educational environment that supports best on-campus housing practices and promotes student success.

Summary
The Housing Systems Strategist serves as the functional administrator for MU Housing's StarRez housing management system, which supports core operational functions, including contracts, assignments, billing, communications and business processes. This position ensures systems and workflows effectively support daily operations and align with departmental and divisional priorities, including informing strategic direction for housing operations. The role supports systems and processes serving a large residential population of over 7,000 residents.

This role is responsible for developing, implementing and maintaining system-based business processes and procedures in StarRez that promote operational efficiency and a positive student experience. The position collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to support housing operations, improve StarRez system functionality and provide data-informed insights that guide decision-making.

The Housing Systems Strategist manages multiple priorities and supports critical housing processes tied to the student lifecycle, including contracting, room selection, assignments and move-in, as well as summer housing and Camps & Conferences operations.

Essential Functions
System Administration

• Serve as the functional administrator for StarRez, ensuring system configurations align with established business processes and operational needs, such as housing and dining contracts, assignments, billing and related workflows that drive housing operations.
• Maintain and support StarRez and related systems to ensure reliable and efficient performance.
• Test and validate StarRez system updates and enhancements prior to implementation of modules and business processes that impact students.

Business Process Support

• Develop, implement and maintain business processes, procedures and workflows within StarRez to support housing operations, including processes such as contracts for first-time college students (FTCs), returning students and graduate students; room selection; graduate renewal; housing policy exemptions; and coordinated workflows, such as for Emotional Support Animal (ESA) requests, which includes campus partners. Ensure processes align with university policies, regulatory requirements and data governance standards.
• Support development and maintenance of specialized StarRez workflows, including processes that involve coordination with internal partners (such as MU Housing's Residential Life unit) and campus partners (such as MU Cashiers and Student Information Systems).
• Partner with Residential Life leadership to support system functionality that documents student interactions (such as Tiger Chats) and other reportable activities, events, training and program curriculum.
• Build, implement and maintain businesses processes within the StarRez PortalX interface (student-facing interaction) to ensure a convenient, consistent and accessible user experience.

Data, Reporting and Analysis

• Develop and maintain StarRez reports and dashboards to support operational and strategic decision-making.
• Analyze housing data, including occupancy, assignments, billing and student trends to provide senior leadership with information that supports planning, operational decision-making and process improvement.
• Ensure data accuracy and integrity through routine validation and review.

Collaboration and Integration

• Collaborate with internal department/division stakeholders - such as Residential Life, Facilities and Capital Assets, Camps & Conferences, Student Affairs Fiscal and Human Resources - to support system-related needs that impact processes and procedures that are collaborative between units.
• Coordinate with campus partners - such as Campus Dining Services, Parking & Transportation Services and Athletics - to support integrated processes and data that impact their business practices.
• Manage, support and test integrations between StarRez and campus systems (for example, myZou and TouchNet).

Operations and Support

• Trouble-shoot StarRez system and process issues. Identify root causes, and implement solutions, including resolving challenges related to data feeds, system integrations and timing constraints tied to high-impact processes such as FTC housing applications.
• Support and improve existing workflows while identifying opportunities for continuous improvement in systems, processes and user experience.
• Manage and prioritize system-related requests in alignment with operational needs and timelines. This includes development of a roadmap for StarRez improvement procedures.
• Ensure system readiness for key housing cycles, including onboarding, room selection, move-in and summer operations.
• Provide guidance and training for staff on system functionality and report tools.
• Maintain documentation of system processes, configurations and updates.

As with all positions, involvement with other duties and responsibilities is expected to serve and maintain our departmental and Student Affairs mission.

Average number of hours per week: 40, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday

This position may require evening and weekend hours supporting activities and programs within the department. Occasionally division and campus projects may require additional hours outside of your normal schedule.

A Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience and at least 4 years of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired is necessary.

• Experience administering or supporting enterprise systems
• Experience with business process development and workflow design
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Experience with reporting tools and dashboards
• Ability to collaborate effectively with stakeholders

Range: $52,915.20 - $78,000 per year, paid on a monthly basis.
Grade; GGS-010
University Title: Business Services Consultant II

Internal applicants can determine their university title by accessing the Talent Profile tile in myHR.

Complete application, and upload resume, contact information for three references (including current or former supervisor) and cover letter.

This position is eligible for University benefits. As part of your total compensation, the University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision plans, retirement, paid time off, short- and long-term disability, paid parental leave, paid caregiver leave, and educational fee discounts for all four UM System campuses. For additional information on University benefits, please visit the Faculty & Staff Benefits website at https://www.umsystem.edu/totalrewards/benefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To request ADA accommodations, please call the Director of Accessibility and ADA at 573-884-7278.