What are the responsibilities and job description for the Community Manager position at River View Companies?
Community Manager
Position Title: Community Manager
Reports To: Regional Manager
Work Arrangement: On-site. Regular, in-person attendance at the employee’s assigned community, office, or other designated Company location is an essential function of this position. This position is not eligible for a remote or hybrid work arrangement, except where otherwise required by applicable law or approved by the Company as a reasonable accommodation.
Position Summary
The Community Manager is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations and overall performance of an assigned multifamily community. This position leads leasing, resident retention, collections, financial administration, maintenance coordination, team performance, budgeting, compliance, and resident relations.
The Community Manager is accountable for achieving occupancy, revenue, expense-control, customer-service, and operational goals established by River View Residential and ownership. This position analyzes financial and market information, develops annual budgets and business plans, supervises community team members, and ensures that community operations comply with Company policies and applicable federal, state, and local requirements.
Essential Responsibilities
Community Operations & Leadership
- Oversee the daily operations and overall performance of the community.
- Coordinate team members, activities, schedules, and available resources to achieve established community goals.
- Implement operational priorities established by River View Residential, the Regional Manager, and ownership.
- Maintain an organized, professional, and service-oriented community office.
- Ensure assigned responsibilities are completed accurately and within established timelines.
- Monitor operational conditions and address concerns before they negatively affect residents, team members, financial performance, or community appearance.
- Communicate significant operational concerns, risks, staffing needs, and performance issues to the Regional Manager.
- Complete required operational reports, reviews, inspections, and follow-up activities.
- Maintain accurate and organized community records.
- Ensure community practices remain consistent with Company policies and standards.
Financial Management & Budget Performance
- Maintain the financial performance of the community by monitoring rental income, occupancy, collections, expenditures, and operating results.
- Review monthly financial statements, budget reports, income, expenses, and performance variances.
- Analyze financial results and identify opportunities to improve revenue or control expenses.
- Discuss financial performance, projections, risks, and recommended strategies with the Regional Manager.
- Develop the annual community budget and business plan.
- Prepare budget forecasts and financial projections.
- Monitor community spending to ensure expenses remain within approved budget limits.
- Review and approve purchases and expenditures within established authority.
- Monitor concessions, delinquency, bad debt, vacancy loss, and other factors affecting financial performance.
- Maintain supporting documentation for financial transactions and operational expenses.
- Recommend operational or financial adjustments necessary to achieve community and ownership objectives.
- Protect Company funds and follow all cash-handling, payment-processing, and financial-control procedures.
Leasing & Occupancy Management
- Oversee leasing activities and occupancy performance.
- Supervise leasing, renewal, and resident-retention programs designed to maximize occupancy and revenue.
- Monitor apartment availability, leasing traffic, applications, move-ins, move-outs, renewals, transfers, and cancellations.
- Review leasing activity and conversion performance regularly.
- Establish leasing priorities and occupancy strategies in collaboration with the Regional Manager.
- Ensure prospective residents receive prompt, professional, and consistent service.
- Confirm that leasing team members complete required prospect follow-up and accurately document activity in the property management system.
- Review rental applications and leasing documentation as required.
- Ensure apartment availability, pricing, concessions, lease terms, and occupancy information remain accurate.
- Assist with leasing activities, tours, applications, and move-ins when needed.
- Ensure all leasing practices comply with Fair Housing requirements, approved rental criteria, and Company policies.
Lease Renewals & Resident Retention
- Oversee the community’s lease-renewal and resident-retention programs.
- Review lease-expiration reports and upcoming renewal opportunities.
- Establish renewal priorities and ensure residents are contacted within required timelines.
- Review renewal offers, lease terms, and pricing recommendations.
- Work directly with residents to encourage lease renewals and resolve concerns affecting retention.
- Ensure renewal documentation is completed, signed, and implemented promptly.
- Monitor renewal performance and identify trends affecting resident retention.
- Develop and implement strategies to improve renewal rates and reduce avoidable move-outs.
- Coordinate resident events, communication, and engagement initiatives that support retention.
- Maintain accurate renewal and resident-retention information in the property management system.
Resident Relations & Customer Service
- Oversee resident relations and customer-service standards.
- Respond promptly and professionally to resident telephone calls, emails, requests, complaints, and concerns.
- Investigate resident concerns and determine appropriate resolutions.
- Resolve matters within the position’s authority or escalate concerns when necessary.
- Communicate clearly with residents regarding community policies, lease requirements, account matters, maintenance concerns, and operational updates.
- Ensure resident requests are documented and directed to the appropriate team member.
- Follow up on unresolved concerns and commitments.
- Maintain professional boundaries and protect resident confidentiality.
- Promote a respectful, welcoming, and service-oriented community environment.
- Identify recurring resident concerns and implement appropriate corrective measures.
- Ensure community team members provide consistent and professional resident service.
Collections & Account Management
- Oversee rent collection and delinquency-management activities.
- Review resident account balances and delinquency reports regularly.
- Ensure rent, fees, deposits, and other authorized charges are posted accurately.
- Direct timely resident communication regarding outstanding balances.
- Review and approve late notices, payment agreements, legal referrals, and collection documentation as required.
- Enforce lease terms related to rent, fees, notices, and other resident financial obligations.
- Coordinate collection efforts with the Regional Manager, Accounting Department, and legal counsel when appropriate.
- Monitor returned payments, unpaid balances, payment arrangements, and collection activity.
- Ensure collection actions comply with applicable laws, lease terms, and Company procedures.
- Maintain complete and accurate supporting documentation for account activity.
- Report significant collection concerns and financial exposure promptly.
Lease Administration & Enforcement
- Administer and enforce lease requirements consistently and professionally.
- Conduct or coordinate apartment inspections in accordance with lease terms, applicable notice requirements, and Company procedures.
- Address documented lease violations and resident noncompliance.
- Prepare or approve notices and supporting documentation.
- Coordinate legal action, including eviction proceedings, when authorized and appropriate.
- Assess and collect allowable late fees, damages, and other charges in accordance with lease terms and applicable law.
- Maintain accurate records of notices, inspections, resident communication, and enforcement actions.
- Consult the Regional Manager or legal counsel regarding complex or high-risk matters.
- Ensure lease enforcement practices remain consistent and comply with Fair Housing requirements.
Market Analysis & Business Planning
- Maintain knowledge of competing communities, local market conditions, pricing trends, concessions, occupancy levels, and other factors affecting community performance.
- Review, analyze, and interpret market data.
- Conduct or oversee market surveys and competitive reviews.
- Evaluate how market conditions affect pricing, leasing, renewals, occupancy, and resident retention.
- Provide the Regional Manager and ownership with accurate market observations and recommendations.
- Use financial, operational, leasing, and market information to support business decisions.
- Develop strategies designed to achieve community, management, and ownership objectives.
- Adjust leasing, marketing, pricing, or operational priorities based on documented performance and market conditions.
- Support the preparation and execution of annual business plans.
Marketing & Outreach
- Oversee community marketing and outreach activities.
- Ensure marketing efforts support occupancy, leasing, and resident-retention goals.
- Coordinate with the Corporate Marketing Department on advertising, promotions, social media, outreach, branding, and resident communication.
- Monitor lead sources, traffic volume, conversion performance, and marketing effectiveness.
- Review community marketing materials for accuracy, professionalism, branding, and Fair Housing compliance.
- Ensure the community’s online presence and marketing information remain current.
- Support outreach to local employers, businesses, schools, organizations, referral partners, and community resources.
- Evaluate marketing results and recommend adjustments when performance does not meet expectations.
- Ensure models, tour routes, signage, leasing collateral, and community presentation support leasing efforts.
Maintenance & Community Appearance
- Coordinate with the Maintenance Supervisor to maintain the physical condition, safety, functionality, and appearance of the community.
- Review work-order activity, completion timelines, recurring concerns, and resident feedback.
- Monitor apartment-turn and make-ready schedules.
- Ensure vacant apartment homes are completed before scheduled move-ins.
- Conduct community, common-area, vacant-apartment, and occupied-apartment inspections as needed.
- Identify maintenance, safety, cleanliness, landscaping, and curb-appeal concerns.
- Communicate repair and operational priorities to the Maintenance Supervisor.
- Monitor preventive maintenance programs and major building-system concerns.
- Review emergency maintenance activity and unresolved repairs.
- Coordinate preparation for ownership, lender, regulatory, insurance, and other required inspections.
- Ensure community grounds, amenities, offices, building exteriors, and common areas remain clean, safe, and presentable.
- Communicate significant maintenance expenses, risks, or capital needs to the Regional Manager.
Vendor & Contract Administration
- Coordinate services provided by vendors, contractors, and other service providers.
- Review vendor performance, service quality, scheduling, and completion of assigned work.
- Ensure vendors follow community access, safety, insurance, and operational requirements.
- Review invoices and supporting documentation for accuracy.
- Approve and submit authorized invoices to the Accounting Department for payment.
- Confirm that invoiced work or materials were completed or received as represented.
- Address incomplete, deficient, unauthorized, or disputed vendor work.
- Maintain organized vendor records, contracts, insurance documents, invoices, and related correspondence.
- Obtain required approvals before authorizing work outside established spending authority.
- Support competitive bidding and responsible vendor selection when required.
- Report vendor-performance or contract concerns to the Regional Manager.
Team Supervision & Development
- Directly supervise community team members.
- Interview, select, hire, onboard, train, coach, motivate, and manage team members in accordance with Company policies.
- Plan, assign, prioritize, and direct daily work.
- Establish clear expectations for performance, customer service, attendance, productivity, accuracy, and professionalism.
- Monitor team performance and provide regular feedback.
- Conduct or assist with performance evaluations.
- Recognize strong performance and support employee development.
- Address performance deficiencies, attendance concerns, complaints, and workplace issues promptly.
- Administer corrective action and discipline in accordance with Company policies.
- Encourage teamwork, accountability, communication, and professional growth.
- Ensure adequate office and maintenance coverage based on community needs.
- Keep the Regional Manager informed of significant staffing or employee-relations concerns.
Scheduling, Timekeeping & Payroll Administration
- Prepare and manage community team schedules.
- Ensure appropriate staffing coverage based on leasing activity, resident needs, maintenance demands, and business levels.
- Review employee time and attendance records for accuracy.
- Calculate, approve, and submit employee timekeeping information for payroll.
- Review and approve employee time-off requests based on available coverage and Company procedures.
- Maintain accurate records of approved time off and attendance-related information.
- Address timekeeping discrepancies promptly.
- Ensure overtime is properly authorized and controlled.
- Follow all Company requirements related to scheduling, timekeeping, payroll submissions, and employee records.
Compliance & Risk Management
- Ensure community operations comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations governing multifamily housing.
- Maintain compliance with Fair Housing requirements and Company policies.
- Ensure required notices, documentation, inspections, licenses, permits, and operational records are maintained.
- Protect confidential resident, applicant, employee, and Company information.
- Maintain appropriate documentation for audits, legal matters, inspections, and operational reviews.
- Identify and report potential legal, financial, safety, or operational risks.
- Consult with the Regional Manager, Human Resources, Compliance, or legal counsel when appropriate.
- Ensure team members complete required training.
- Apply policies and procedures consistently.
- Report accidents, injuries, safety concerns, suspected fraud, or significant compliance matters promptly.
Reporting & Documentation
- Maintain accurate records of leasing traffic, applications, move-ins, renewals, collections, resident activity, financial performance, maintenance activity, and other operational information.
- Ensure information entered into the property management system is complete and accurate.
- Review community reports for errors, omissions, unusual activity, or unresolved items.
- Complete monthly, quarterly, annual, and other required reports within established deadlines.
- Provide the Regional Manager with accurate updates regarding community performance.
- Prepare supporting documentation for financial reviews, audits, inspections, legal matters, and ownership reporting.
- Maintain organized digital and physical files.
- Ensure community documentation remains complete, current, and readily available.
Performance Expectations
The Community Manager is expected to:
- Achieve established occupancy, revenue, collection, expense-control, and resident-retention goals.
- Maintain accurate and timely financial, leasing, operational, and resident records.
- Complete annual budgets, business plans, forecasts, and required reports within established deadlines.
- Maintain delinquency and bad debt within Company standards.
- Ensure leasing inquiries, applications, renewals, move-ins, and resident concerns are handled promptly.
- Maintain strong resident-service and team-performance standards.
- Ensure apartment turns and maintenance responsibilities are completed within established timelines.
- Maintain excellent community appearance and curb appeal.
- Monitor market conditions and implement appropriate leasing and operational strategies.
- Manage community expenditures responsibly.
- Review and submit accurate invoices and payroll information on time.
- Develop, coach, and hold community team members accountable.
- Maintain compliance with Fair Housing requirements, applicable laws, and Company policies.
- Communicate financial, operational, staffing, maintenance, and compliance concerns promptly.
- Foster a professional, collaborative, accountable, and service-oriented work environment.
Supervisory Responsibilities
- Directly supervise assigned community team members.
- Carry out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with Company policies and applicable laws.
- Interview, hire, onboard, train, coach, motivate, and evaluate employees.
- Plan, assign, prioritize, and direct work.
- Recognize strong performance and administer corrective action when necessary.
- Address employee concerns, complaints, conflicts, and performance issues.
- Develop team members and support professional growth.
- Maintain accountability for the performance and conduct of the community team.
Qualifications
- High school diploma or GED required.
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Real Estate, Hospitality, Finance, or a related field preferred.
- Three to five years of multifamily housing, community management, leasing, sales, hospitality, or related experience required.
- Previous supervisory or team-leadership experience required.
- Strong understanding of multifamily leasing, renewals, collections, resident relations, maintenance coordination, and community operations.
- Ability to review, understand, analyze, and communicate financial information.
- Working knowledge of budgeting, forecasting, expense management, and business planning.
- Strong understanding of market-analysis and marketing techniques.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in an organized manner.
- Strong leadership, delegation, judgment, and decision-making skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong customer-service, conflict-resolution, and interpersonal skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, standard office equipment, and property management systems.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment.
- Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, and holidays, as needed.
- Legal authorization to work in the United States required.
Preferred Certifications
- CAM (Certified Apartment Manager)
- CALP (Certified Apartment Leasing Professional)
- Fair Housing Certification
- Relevant affordable housing certification when assigned to an affordable or mixed-income community
Key Competencies
- Strong leadership and team-management skills
- Financially accountable and business-minded
- Analytical and data-driven
- Organized and deadline-focused
- Effective delegation and performance management
- Sound judgment and decision-making
- Customer-service oriented
- Professional and composed under pressure
- Adaptable to changing business needs
- Results-oriented and self-motivated
- Ethical and trustworthy
- Strong conflict-resolution skills
- Clear written and verbal communication
- Knowledgeable about market conditions and competition
- Collaborative and solutions-focused
- Committed to Fair Housing and consistent service
Physical Requirements
- Ability to sit for extended periods while completing administrative responsibilities.
- Ability to stand and walk throughout the community.
- Ability to climb stairs and occasionally balance, bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
- Ability to frequently use hands and fingers to operate computers, telephones, and office equipment.
- Ability to communicate verbally and hear conversations, telephones, alarms, and surrounding activity.
- Ability to frequently lift, carry, push, or pull up to 10 pounds.
- Ability to occasionally work near moving mechanical equipment.
- Ability to occasionally work around fumes, airborne particles, cleaning products, or other materials commonly encountered in community operations.
- Ability to work indoors and occasionally outdoors in varying weather conditions.
- Ability to perform duties in an office environment with generally quiet to moderate noise levels.
- Ability to perform work requiring close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
- Ability to safely operate a golf cart or similar community vehicle when authorized.
- Ability to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.