Demo

Sr. Programs Specialist

AppFolio
Santa Barbara, CA Full Time
POSTED ON 5/16/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 6/13/2026
Description

AppFolio is more than a company. We’re a community of dreamers, big thinkers, problem solvers, active listeners, and multipliers. At every opportunity, we set the pace while delivering innovation built to carry real estate into the future. One in which every experience feels effortless, yet meaningful. Where customers are empowered to take on any opportunity. We show up as one team, connected by our values to be a force for good. Because together, we have the power to create extraordinary outcomes for our customers, our communities, and ourselves.

The Senior Programs Specialist will serve as the operational backbone for a newly integrated organization spanning our Resident, Payments, and Insurance business lines. Reporting into the Senior Vice President of Product and Vice President of Engineering, you will craft the organizational identity, build connective tissue between sub-teams, and ensure the leadership team operates at a high level of efficiency. This is a strategic role for an individual who thrives on turning ambiguity into clear, actionable plans that foster a unified team culture.

Your Impact

  • Architect Organizational Culture: Design and implement the rituals, values, and engagement programs that unify three distinct business lines into one cohesive organization.
  • Optimize Information Flow: Optimize the communication rhythms and documentation standards that ensure transparency across teams without increasing meeting overhead.
  • Drive Executive Excellence: Support the team in producing high-quality, executive-grade content for Quarterly Business Reviews and leadership meetings, ensuring consistent narratives across all sub-teams.
  • Design Team Experiences: Lead the strategy and execution of offsites, team-building initiatives, and recognition systems to reinforce a positive day-to-day environment.
  • Onboarding Coordination: Take ownership of our existing experience and refine the onboarding journey for new hires in Product, User Experience, and Engineering to ensure a consistent and welcoming experience.
  • Enable Leadership Efficiency: Provide strategic support to senior leadership through high-level calendar judgment, meeting preparation, and occasional prioritization triage.


Qualifications

  • Strategic Planning: Ability to take a broad goal and transform it into a concrete, multi-step operational plan.
  • Exceptional Communication: Skilled in writing tight, well-structured memos and creating polished executive-level presentations.
  • High EQ and Judgment: You read people and dynamics well. You catch what others miss. You know when to push, when to work around, and when to step back.
  • AI Fluency: Proactive in using and implementing AI tools to automate workflows and increase personal and team productivity.
  • Relationship Building: Proven ability to collaborate cross-functionally and build genuine networks across a large organization.
  • Adaptability & Discretion: Comfortable handling sensitive information and making decisions independently in a fast-paced, direct environment.


Must-Have

  • 4 to 6 years of experience in program management, team operations, Chief of Staff, or similar strategic operational roles.
  • Experience managing operational rhythms or engagement programs for an organization of 20 or more people.
  • High proficiency in collaborative tools such as Google Workspace, Slack, and document management platforms like Coda or Airtable.
  • Experience operating within a product development or technology-focused organization.


Location

Find out more about our locations by visiting our site. This role is hub-based out of Santa Barbara to allow for tight alignment with the leadership team.

Compensation & Benefits

The compensation that we reasonably expect to pay for this role is: 85,600 - 107,000 base pay. The actual compensation for this role will be determined by a variety of factors, including but not limited to the candidate’s skills, education, experience, and internal equity.

Please note that compensation is just one aspect of a comprehensive Total Rewards package. The compensation range listed here does not include additional benefits or any discretionary bonuses you may be eligible for based on your role and/or employment type.

Regular full-time employees are eligible for benefits - see here.

About AppFolio

AppFolio is the technology leader powering the future of the real estate industry. Our innovative platform and trusted partnership enable our customers to connect communities, increase operational efficiency, and grow their business. For more information about AppFolio, visit appfolio.com.

Why AppFolio

Grow | We enable a culture of high performance, where delivering results is recognized by opportunities for growth and compelling total rewards. Our challenging and meaningful work drive the growth of our business, and ourselves.

Learn | We partner with you to realize your potential by investing in you from the start. We're cultivating a team of big thinkers through coaching and mentorship with our best-in-class leaders, and giving you the time and tools to develop your skills.

Impact | We are creating a world where living in, investing in, managing, and supporting communities feels magical and effortless, freeing people to thrive. We do this by innovating with purpose while cultivating a culture of impact. We learn as much from each other as we do our customers and our communities.

Connect | We excel at hybrid work by fostering an environment that feels flexible, personal and connected, no matter where we are. We create space to fuel innovation and collaboration, and we come together to celebrate, connect, and succeed.

Paddle as One.

Learn more at appfolio.com/company/careers

Statement of Equal Opportunity

At AppFolio, we value diversity in backgrounds and perspectives and depend on it to drive our innovative culture. That’s why we’re a proud Equal Opportunity Employer, and we believe that our products, our teams, and our business are stronger because of it. This means that no matter what race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identification, national origin, age, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, or veteran status, you’re always welcome at AppFolio.

Salary.com Estimation for Sr. Programs Specialist in Santa Barbara, CA
$72,000 to $97,195
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