Director of Property Operations

Bisnow • Chicago, IL

14d

About The Position

The Director of Property Operations will be a foundational leadership hire responsible for building, leading, and scaling a property management platform focused on Class A multifamily properties. The role will design and implement the operating model, systems, standards, processes, and teams needed to support growth while overseeing day-to-day operations across the initial portfolio. Acting as a link between ownership, finance, and on-site operations, the Director will translate financial strategies and performance expectations into actionable plans that drive operational excellence and portfolio performance. The position calls for an entrepreneurial, hands-on leader who is comfortable building from the ground up and accountable for both strategic development and property-level execution.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 8–15+ years of progressive multifamily property management leadership experience.
• Demonstrated success overseeing sizable residential portfolios.
• Experience launching, building, expanding, or significantly improving a property management platform, division, region, or operating function.
• Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, expense management, and NOI optimization.
• Comprehensive understanding of leasing, maintenance, compliance, resident relations, and property operations.
• Proven ability to recruit, lead, and develop high-performing teams while implementing scalable operational systems.
• Familiarity with institutional ownership expectations, reporting standards, and governance.
• Proficiency in enterprise property management software and operational reporting dashboards.
• Excellent strategic thinking, problem-solving, leadership, and communication skills.
• Entrepreneurial, hands-on, strategic, financially driven, accountable, and growth-oriented approach.

Nice To Haves

• MBA or related graduate degree.
• Experience overseeing Class A or luxury multifamily portfolios with a hospitality-minded approach to resident experience.
• Experience with property management software selection, implementation, or platform migrations.
• Exposure to lease-up, value-add, or adaptive reuse strategies.
• Professional certification such as CPM, CAM, or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement the property management operating model, including systems, policies, and processes that support growth.
• Develop standardized procedures for leasing, maintenance, resident experience, compliance, vendor management, collections, reporting, and turnover management.
• Evaluate, select, and implement property management software, work order systems, resident communication tools, and reporting infrastructure.
• Establish portfolio KPIs and operating cadences to provide visibility and accountability.
• Develop budgeting, forecasting, and variance review processes; implement internal controls, approval frameworks, and financial accountability measures.
• Create scalable onboarding and property transition procedures for future portfolio growth.
• Lead day-to-day property management operations across the multifamily portfolio.
• Drive occupancy, collections, resident retention, revenue growth, and NOI performance.
• Oversee maintenance operations, preventative maintenance programs, capital project coordination, and vendor performance.
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulations, including fair housing and local landlord-tenant laws.
• Manage leasing operations and revenue optimization strategies in collaboration with ownership and executive leadership.
• Resolve escalated resident matters professionally and with sound judgment.
• Collaborate with hospitality leadership to develop and maintain a differentiated, service-oriented resident experience.
• Recruit, hire, train, and lead property management and operational teams; define organizational structure and staffing strategies as the platform scales.
• Establish performance expectations, accountability measures, and operational benchmarks, and build a culture centered on ownership, excellence, responsiveness, and professionalism.
• Mentor and develop emerging operational talent.
• Serve as a trusted operational partner to executive leadership and ownership and deliver clear, concise, executive-level financial and operational reporting.
• Participate in acquisition underwriting, property transitions, and portfolio growth planning.
• Advise on scaling operations, staffing, technology, and operational investments.
• Develop scalable processes to integrate new assets, teams, and service lines efficiently without compromising performance or resident experience.
• Build and maintain relationships with ownership groups, lenders, vendors, and institutional stakeholders.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary and performance-based bonus opportunity.
• Significant professional growth potential as the portfolio and platform expand.
• Foundational leadership opportunity with direct influence over the operating model, company culture, and the future of a growing property management platform.
• Opportunity to build and scale an organization backed by established real estate and hospitality leadership.
• Direct access to ownership and executive leadership, with meaningful involvement in strategic decision-making.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director