Senior General Manager

Overview

Who Are We

At aparto, we're more than just student accommodation, we're a community that acts as a home-away-from-home for students across the UK, Ireland, Italy, and Spain. We understand that university life is a significant transition for many, often marking the first time they've lived away from their families. That's why we strive to make aparto not just a place to stay, but a vibrant, supportive environment where students can make lifelong friends, discover new possibilities, and have experiences that will shape their futures.

Responsibilities

Role Profile

The Senior General Manager is accountable for the operational, commercial and customer performance of all properties within their cluster, which may include direct responsibility for the day-to-day management of an assigned property. The role provides leadership and direction across the cluster, working through General Managers, Assistant Managers and property teams as applicable to ensure each property delivers against its Business Plan while maintaining consistent aparto standards.

The Senior General Manager balances direct property leadership with multi-site oversight, allocating their time and resources according to operational requirements. They are responsible for driving financial performance, resident experience, compliance, leasing performance, people development and continuous improvement across the cluster.

 

Operational Leadership

• Take overall responsibility for the operational and commercial performance of all properties within the cluster.
• Lead, coach and support General Managers, Assistant Managers and property teams as applicable, ensuring clear accountability and consistent performance across the cluster.
• Ensure each property delivers against its Business Plan, aparto standards, agreed KPIs and operational priorities.
• Balance time effectively across properties according to operational requirements, using remote management and delegation where appropriate.
• Ensure consistent implementation of aparto policies, processes, systems and operational standards across the cluster.
• Review cluster performance data, identify trends and implement clear action plans to improve performance.
• Act as a senior escalation point for significant operational issues and support property leaders in resolving complex matters.
• Support mobilisation of new properties, operational transitions, refurbishments and other strategic projects as required.

Commercial Performance

• Take overall responsibility for the financial performance of the cluster, including P&L management, budgeting, forecasting and cost control.
• Ensure each property delivers its revenue, occupancy and profitability targets.
• Review financial performance with property leaders and ensure appropriate action is taken where performance is below plan.
• Monitor operating expenditure, OPEX and CAPEX, ensuring costs are appropriately controlled and allocated.
• Identify opportunities to improve NOI, generate additional income and improve operational efficiency across the cluster.
• Support commercial decision-making through analysis of market, competitor and property performance data. Resident Experience
• Champion an exceptional resident experience across the cluster, ensuring consistent service standards across all properties.
• Use resident feedback, reviews, NPS and service data to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Ensure enquiries, complaints and significant resident issues are managed promptly and effectively.
• Promote a strong culture of Service, Belonging and Community across all properties.
• Ensure resident events, wellbeing initiatives and community activity are delivered to an appropriate standard.

Property & Facilities Management

• Ensure all properties within the cluster are safe, clean, well maintained and presented to a high standard.
• Ensure planned preventative and reactive maintenance is effectively managed across the cluster.
• Monitor property standards and ensure defects, maintenance issues and other actions are resolved within agreed timescales.
• Ensure lifecycle maintenance and refurbishment programmes are delivered effectively.
• Monitor contractor and supplier performance and support property leaders in addressing issues where required.
• Ensure properties are operationally ready for key trading periods, including summer turnaround and student move-in.

Health, Safety & Compliance

• Take overall responsibility for maintaining high standards of health and safety across the cluster.
• Ensure property leaders understand and fulfil their responsibilities for health and safety and compliance.
• Ensure required inspections, statutory testing, risk assessments, audits and training are completed and accurately recorded.
• Ensure actions arising from audits, inspections and risk assessments are completed within agreed timescales.
• Review incidents, accidents and significant risks and ensure appropriate corrective action is taken.
• Ensure properties comply with applicable legislation, regulatory requirements and aparto policies and standards.
• Lead and support health and safety audits from preparation through to completion.

Team Management & Culture

• Provide leadership, coaching and development to General Managers, Assistant Managers and property teams as applicable.
• Create a high-performance culture aligned with Service, Belonging & Community.
• Ensure regular 1:1s, performance reviews, development plans and engagement activity are completed across the cluster.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, succession planning and talent development.
• Ensure mandatory training requirements are achieved across the cluster.
• Develop effective cross-site resource planning to ensure operational coverage and reduce reliance on agency support where appropriate.
• Identify and develop future leaders within the cluster.

Sales, Marketing & Stakeholder Relationships

• Take accountability for leasing performance across the cluster.
• Create a strong sales culture where all appropriate opportunities are identified, followed up and converted.
• Ensure rebooking, renewal and occupancy strategies are delivered effectively.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with universities, language schools, accommodation agencies and other relevant local partners.
• Maintain awareness of competitor pricing, positioning and promotional activity.
• Work with Sales and Marketing to ensure local strategies and campaigns are effectively delivered at property level.
• Identify opportunities for dynamic pricing and revenue optimisation with the appropriate teams.

Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Prepare and review regular cluster performance reporting covering financial, operational, leasing and customer metrics.
• Ensure data is accurate, timely and used effectively to drive decisions.
• Complete regular site standards audits and ensure properties consistently achieve required standards.
• Benchmark performance across properties and identify opportunities to share best practice.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives that improve service, efficiency and financial performance.
• Support implementation of European and company-wide operational initiatives.
• Maintain effective communication with the Head of Aparto Operations and escalate material risks, opportunities and decisions promptly.

Qualifications

Person Specification

 

• Proven experience leading multi-site operations within student accommodation, hospitality, residential or a similar service-led environment.
• Proven experience leading and developing managers and multi-site teams, with the ability to lead both directly and through others.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, with experience managing multi-site P&Ls, budgets, cost control and performance improvement.
• Strong understanding of health and safety, compliance and risk management within a property-based environment.
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities across multiple locations and operate effectively through remote leadership and delegation.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with senior internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of leasing, occupancy, revenue management and local market dynamics.
• Highly organised, adaptable and solutions-focused, with strong attention to detail.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret performance data and turn insight into action.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Self-motivated and confident working with a high level of autonomy.
• Willingness to travel regularly across the cluster and provide out-of-hours support where required.

Closing

At Hines, we strive for excellence as a leading global real estate investment manager, driven by our by our belief that real estate is fundamentally about people. Our diverse portfolio spans $93.2 billion¹ of assets across such property types as living, office, retail, mixed-use, logistics and life science projects – all designed to enhance value, connection and inspiration. Our strategic approach integrates local expertise with global knowledge, taking calculated risks aligned with our convictions to exceed expectations and tailor solutions to our clients' needs.

 

While our projects are renowned for enhancing cities and pioneering sustainable practices, we recognize that the true driving force behind Hines' success is our 5,000 dedicated employees in 30 countries who draw on our 65-year history to build the world forward. This is why we prioritize investing in our people, offering comprehensive training, competitive compensation, robust benefits and generous vacation packages. By centering our focus on the growth and wellbeing of our team, we cultivate an inclusive environment where everyone, including our clients, can thrive.

 

Hines is proud to be named to Fast Company’s prestigious annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2024. ¹Includes both the global Hines organization and RIA AUM as of December 31, 2023.

 

 

We are an equal opportunity employer and support workforce diversity.

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