Senior Manager of Operations

Hillwood•Dallas, TX

About The Position

Hillwood Communities is seeking a highly capable and proactive Senior Manager of Operations to play a critical role in supporting the successful delivery of residential singleâfamily, masterâplanned communities. Based in Dallas, TX, this role is responsible for driving operational efficiency, scalability, and consistency across a complex portfolio of residential real estate development projects. The Senior Manager of Operations partners closely with Development, Project Management, Finance, IT, and other key stakeholders to optimize processes, enable effective use of technology, and ensure operational rigor throughout the development lifecycle—from contract administration and cost tracking to reporting, risk oversight, and system integration. The ideal candidate brings strong project and change management expertise, a systemsâoriented mindset, and a deep understanding of real estate development operations. This role is instrumental in building and sustaining the operational infrastructure required to support Hillwood Communities’ continued growth and longâterm success.

Requirements

Demonstrated ability to design, implement, and scale efficient operational processes across the real estate development lifecycle, including contracts, change orders, insurance, pay applications, and lot closings.
Strong systems and technology aptitude, with experience evaluating, implementing, and optimizing operational tools, supporting system integrations, and translating business needs into functional system and reporting requirements.
Proven ability to lead process improvement and change management initiatives, including stakeholder communication, training, and driving adoption of new tools and workflows.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret operational and financial data, identify trends, and deliver clear, actionable insights to senior leadership.
Ability to collaborate effectively across crossâfunctional teams and influence outcomes without direct authority.
Experience managing vendors and external partners, ensuring quality, costâeffectiveness, contract compliance, and timely delivery.
Proven people leadership skills, including mentoring teams, setting expectations, driving accountability, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.
High attention to detail, strong organizational skills, and sound judgment in managing risk, compliance, and data integrity across systems of record.
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Real Estate, Construction Management, Finance, or a related field required; advanced degree preferred.
Minimum of 8–10 years of experience in operations management within real estate development, construction, or a related industry, including at least 3 years in a supervisory or people leadership capacity.
Demonstrated success leading process improvement, systems implementations, and change management initiatives.
Strong understanding of development operations, contracts, financial tracking, and cross-functional workflows.
Experience working with ERP systems (e.g., JDE), CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce), and related operational technologies.
Proven leadership experience managing teams and influencing stakeholders at multiple levels.

Responsibilities

Operational Strategy, Process Improvement and Systems Enablement: Identify, evaluate, and implement process improvements to streamline operations and enhance efficiency across the real estate development lifecycle.
Establish and maintain standardized workflows, operating procedures, and controls to support scalable growth and operational excellence.
Lead the assessment, selection, and implementation of technology solutions supporting project management, development cost tracking, analytics, and reporting.
Partner with IT and senior leadership to ensure systems and tools align with operational needs and longâterm growth objectives.
Oversee change management efforts, including planning, communication, and training, to ensure successful adoption and effective utilization of new systems.
Monitor and support operational system integrations, including Salesforce and Cecilian XO integrations with JD Edwards (JDE).
CrossâFunctional and Vendor Partnership: Act as a liaison across Project Management, Development, Marketing, FP&A, Accounting, HR, IT, and Enterprise Risk Management to align operational activities with companyâwide objectives.
Partner with division leadership, Finance, and HR to support workforce planning aligned with business growth and operational demands.
Oversee relationships with vendors and service providers, particularly those supporting technology and operational services.
Ensure vendor deliverables meet quality standards, timelines, and budget expectations, and manage performance, renewals, and cost effectiveness.
Reporting, Analytics and Risk Oversight: Generate and deliver regular reporting on development activity, operational metrics, project timelines, budget status, and revenue.
Partner with FP&A team to analyze data and provide senior management with actionable insights and recommendations.
Ensure data integrity, consistency, and accuracy across systems of record.
Partner with the Enterprise Risk Management team to ensure projects are appropriately insured.
Serve as the primary point of contact for insuranceârelated reporting, documentation, and inquiries.
Team Leadership and Management: Lead, manage, and mentor a team of contract coordinators and managers, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
Oversee contract administration activities, including builder contracts, amendments, change orders, insurance documentation, and pay applications.
Oversee residential lot coordination activities, ensuring all lot closings are accurate, timely, and properly documented.
Identify training needs and oversee the development of roleâbased onboarding, systems training, and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Foster a culture of operational excellence, ownership, and collaboration across the division.