Director of Property Management

Company

Our client is a vertically integrated, family-owned retail property company based in Kentucky. For more than 50 years, the firm has invested in, developed, and managed well-situated commercial real estate, with a particular focus on last-mile, multi-tenant retail centers, outlots, and complementary commercial assets. The company operates approximately one million square feet across Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky—about 95% retail—comprising more than 40 individually held sites. Occupancy is strong and the portfolio has grown about 12% annually in each of the most recent years, with continued growth and development projects in progress. The team manages day-to-day operations in-house, supported by long-standing local vendors and limited third-party assistance in more distant markets. The culture is lean and collaborative, with a beautiful modern Lexington office and an expectation that team members work on-site and contribute beyond a narrow specialty.

Location: Lexington, KY (Relocation required)

Position

The Director of Property Management will take day-to-day ownership of the property management function for a primarily retail portfolio, with meaningful office exposure and most site responsibility centered in Lexington. This is a hands-on leadership role for an operator who combines commercial property management knowledge, financial discipline, and sound operating judgment with the ability to develop staff and build scalable processes for tracking, reporting, and management. The Director will report to the CEO, lead associate property managers and maintenance resources, and work closely with ownership, accounting, legal, and leasing support.

The successful candidate will independently identify priorities, resolve issues, and drive work to completion within established policies, budgets, and authority. Responsibilities span property operations, tenant and vendor relationships, budgeting and expense recoveries, CAM administration, capital improvements, and tenant build-out coordination. Equally important is the mandate to replace informal practices with clear systems, reporting, and accountability so the property management function can operate consistently as the portfolio continues to scale. The role is based in Lexington, is in-office five days per week, and requires regular property visits, with periodic travel to assets in other markets.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations across an approximately one-million-square-foot, primarily retail portfolio in Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio. Ensure consistent service delivery, property condition, and ownership standards.
• Directly supervise, mentor, and develop associate property manager(s) and maintenance resources; set performance expectations; conduct regular reviews; and recommend staffing as portfolio needs evolve.
• Build scalable property management systems, reporting, and processes that encourage transparency and grow with the company
• Conduct regular property inspections and hold the team accountable for presentation, code and lease compliance, preventive maintenance, and timely completion of work orders.
• Direct vendor and contractor relationships, including RFP and bid processes, contract negotiation, scope management, insurance compliance, and performance oversight, while leveraging established local service providers.
• Lead the annual operating and capital budgeting process; monitor performance against budget; provide variance analysis and re-forecast recommendations; and partner with accounting on property-level financials, tenant billing, aging, and collections.
• Own CAM administration and reconciliation end-to-end, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and lease compliance across retail and office assets.
• Plan, budget, and execute capital improvement, major renovation, roofing, paving, and tenant improvement / fit-up projects from scope through occupancy, coordinating with ownership, architects, engineers, and contractors.
• Serve as senior relationship manager for retail and office tenants; oversee onboarding, move-out, lease-compliance enforcement, and renewal coordination in partnership with leasing.
• Review and interpret commercial leases and LOIs to protect ownership interests; administer lease obligations; and coordinate material disputes, defaults, and concessions with leadership and legal counsel.
• Lead urgent incident response, including after-hours coordination as needed, contractor mobilization, cost control, tenant communication, and corrective follow-through, escalating material matters with clear recommendations and supporting analysis.

Qualifications

• Five or more years of hands-on retail property management experience; multi-property portfolio responsibility and office experience are strongly preferred.
• Proven results in tenant retention, operational performance, and financial management across a multi-property retail portfolio.
• Demonstrated success supervising and developing property management staff and improving operating processes in a lean, owner-operator environment.
• Strong practical knowledge of commercial lease structures, CAM reconciliations, operating expense administration, and lease compliance.
• Financial management strength, including budget development, variance analysis, capital planning, and coordination of capital improvements and tenant build-outs through completion.
• Proficiency with property management software and Microsoft Excel skills; experience introducing or refining PM systems and reporting is highly valued.
• Willingness to relocate to Lexington, Kentucky if not already local; valid driver’s license and reliable transportation for regular portfolio site visits. Established relationships with Lexington-area contractors and vendors are preferred.

Personal Skills & Attributes

• Self-motivated operator who exercises independent judgment within policy and budget and drives issues through to completion.
• Hands-on, flexible leader comfortable both in the field and in the office, and willing to contribute beyond a narrow functional lane.
• Process- and systems-oriented, with the discipline to develop documented workflows that encourage accountability.
• Strong communicator who can work effectively with ownership, tenants, vendors, accounting, legal, and leasing partners.
• Team builder who develops people, sets clear expectations, and creates a culture of professionalism, continuous improvement, and problem-solving.
• Financially disciplined and detail-oriented, particularly around budgets, recoveries, and capital spend.
• Committed to Lexington as a long-term home and to building a durable presence with a growing, family-owned organization.