Auxiliary Services Director Job Description

Salary Range

$86,460 - $157,420

Experience

Mid-career to senior

Work Environment

University business offices

What Does an Auxiliary Services Director Do?

Campus dining halls, parking lots, bookstores and ID card offices usually get no tuition money and must cover their own costs. The auxiliary services director keeps them in the black, setting budgets and rates for each unit, planning projects such as a new parking deck and negotiating contracts with outside food service and bookstore companies.

Also known as: Director of Auxiliary and Administrative Services, Assistant Director of Auxiliary Services

Other Job Titles for This Work

Workers in this occupation report titles such as Administrative Coordinator, Administrative Director, Administrative Manager, Administrative Officer, Administrator, Business Administrator, Business Manager.

Auxiliary Services Director Duties and Responsibilities

The primary responsibilities of an auxiliary services director include:

• Direct campus auxiliary units such as dining, housing, the bookstore, parking and ID card services.
• Set annual budgets and rates so each unit covers its costs and builds reserves.
• Negotiate and oversee outsourced contracts with food service, bookstore and vending companies.
• Review monthly financial reports and act when a unit's revenue falls short.
• Plan capital projects such as dining hall renovations or new parking decks with facilities staff.
• Survey students and staff on service quality and turn the results into improvements.
• Lead unit managers, setting goals and holding regular performance reviews.
• Represent auxiliary services on university committees and before student government.
• Set policies for campus card use, parking permits and vendor access to campus.
• Prepare reports for senior administrators and auditors on revenue, spending and reserves.

Required Skills and Qualifications

To succeed as an auxiliary services director, you will need the following skills and qualifications:

• Financial planning for self-supporting operations
• Contract negotiation and vendor oversight
• Leading managers across very different services
• Reading profit and loss statements
• Service standards for student-facing businesses
• Capital project planning
• Presenting to committees and senior leaders
• Fair, firm dealing with outside contractors

Education and Training

An auxiliary services director is distinguished from a single-unit manager in that the job covers several businesses at once, each with its own budget, staff and customers. Most directors hold a bachelor's degree in business, hospitality or finance and have run a campus service such as dining or parking. Most universities require directors to be experienced managers.

Salary and Job Outlook

For administrative services managers as a whole, BLS projects employment growth of about 5 percent from 2025 to 2035 and about 22,000 openings a year. Director posts in auxiliary services are fewer and more senior than most jobs in that group. Campus budgets and enrollment often shape hiring, but directors always will be needed as universities keep running businesses that must pay for themselves.

Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Administrative services managers.

Auxiliary Services Director Pay Range

Highest-Paying States for Auxiliary Services Directors

The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are Colorado ($157,000), New Jersey ($144,460), New York ($142,280), Delaware ($139,910), Minnesota ($137,290). Pay is lowest in Idaho ($92,880), West Virginia ($84,820), Arkansas ($84,480).

What the Work Is Like

O*NET surveys people who work as administrative services managers about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:

• 96% use email every day
• 96% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
• 82% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
• 80% are on the phone every day
• 74% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
• 64% spend more than half the workday sitting
• 54% have a lot of freedom to make decisions

Education Workers Say the Job Needs

Tools and Software Auxiliary Services Directors Use

Tools and equipment

• 10-key calculators
• Desktop computers
• Laptop computers
• Laser facsimile machines
• Mobile phones
• Multi-line telephone systems
• Notebook computers
• Personal computers
• Personal digital assistants PDA
• Photocopying equipment

Software

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Word
• Adobe Acrobat
• Atlassian JIRA
• Autodesk AutoCAD
• Google Docs
• IBM SPSS Statistics
• Intuit QuickBooks
• Microsoft Access

Is This Job a Good Fit for You?

People who do well in this job tend to enjoy leading, persuading and making business decisions as well as organized work with data, records and clear procedures.

Skills O*NET rates most important: Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Time Management, Speaking, Writing, Critical Thinking.

Knowledge areas used most: Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management, English Language, Administrative, Personnel and Human Resources.

Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 3 of 5, which means medium preparation.

Related Careers

These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:

• Center Coordinator job description
• Office Manager job description
• Mail Services Manager job description
• Records Manager job description
• Administrative Services Manager job description
• Business Manager job description
• Surplus Property Manager job description
• Payroll Supervisor job description

Applying for an Auxiliary Services Director Job

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