Area Manager

CYM Living; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plan with employer match

Paid time off

Job summary

CYM Living, based in Chicago with national reach, is seeking an Area Manager to own the P&L for a zone of properties. You will drive rent strategy, occupancy targets, and operational excellence across multiple PM teams.

You'll lead Senior Property Managers, set budgets, review financials, and partner with HR, IT, Legal, and Maintenance to ensure SOPs and scalable processes. Travel between properties is expected.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of multifamily property management experience.
• Proven P&L ownership including budgeting and forecasting.
• Ability to lead cross-property teams and drive financial targets.

Responsibilities

• Own full P&L for the assigned zone and manage budgets.
• Set rent strategy and occupancy targets with PM teams.
• Lead Property Managers and ensure KPI execution.
• Oversee vendor management and maintenance with regional operations.
• Prepare and present quarterly financial performance for leadership.
• Coordinate cross-departmental alignment and SOPs.
• Travel between properties within the zone.

Skills

P&L ownership

Leadership

Communication

Tenant relations

Budgeting & forecasting

Occupancy management

Strategic planning

Team development

Property management experience

Data analysis

Tools

Property management software

Excel

Job description

Overview: CYM Living - Where caring meets innovation. We are a national real estate firm with corporate headquarters in Chicago, IL, and just outside of New York City. Our mission is to provide our residents with an exceptional living experience, nurture a culture of community, and empower growth from within. As a vertically integrated firm, we lead with operations by taking a hands‑on approach to real estate investment and property management, accomplishing our mission by incorporating data and technology with hyperlocal customer service to all units.

Position Summary:
The Area Manager (AM) is the full P&L owner for an assigned zone or portfolio, accountable for financial performance, rent strategy, operational alignment, and risk management. This role provides senior leadership across multiple properties, ensuring that onsite execution and management decisions directly support revenue growth, expense control, compliance, and long‑term asset performance.

The AM leads Property Managers (PM), sets strategy, approves key financial and operational decisions, and serves as the escalation point for high‑risk, tenant, regulatory, and external matters.

Key Responsibilities:

• P&L Ownership & Financial Leadership:
• Own full financial performance for the zone, including NOI, revenue growth, and expense control
• Monitor unit turn progress, maintenance spending, and operational expense trends
• Review delinquency and vacancy loss on a monthly basis and direct corrective action
• Review monthly financial statements and analyze variance drivers against budget and forecast
• Approve annual budgets and ensure execution aligns with financial targets
• Rent Strategy & Occupancy Management:
• Approve renewal and rent pricing recommendations with the Asset Management team
• Set occupancy and collection targets for PM teams with the Asset Management team
• Review leasing velocity and initiate strategic shifts when performance lags
• Partner with Marketing to address underperforming submarkets, unit types, or channels
• Property Manager Leadership & Accountability:
• Conduct weekly performance and strategy meetings with Senior Property Managers
• Review building walk results, vacancy strategy, and operational risks
• Hold PMs accountable for operational, leasing, turn, and resident experience KPIs
• Support PMs in resolving major escalations, resource constraints, or cross‑property challenges
• Maintenance & Vendor Management:
• Identify, onboard, and recommend new vendors for approval by the Regional Director of Operations
• Work side by side with Maintenance to ensure vendor adherence to approved scopes and service timelines

• Escalations, Risk Management & External Relations:
• Serve as the escalation point for issues beyond PM scope, including tenant, safety, city, and agency matters
• Promptly escalat[peak] all legal, city, and regulatory matters to the Asset Compliance team
• Oversee resident and employee conflicts or emergencies
• Cross‑Departmental Alignment:
• Partner with HR, IT, Legal, Maintenance, Regional Manager, and Asset Management teams
• Ensure standard operating procedures (SOPs) are implemented consistently across the zone
• Drive operational alignment and best practices across all PM teams
• Staffing, Talent Development & Performance Management:
• Make final decisions on hiring, termination, promotions, and role changes
• Conduct quarterly and annual performance reviews for direct reports
• Approve compensation adjustments and incentive recommendations
• Develop and maintain a talent pipeline from Maintenance teams to Property Manager
• Business Reporting & Strategic Planning:
• Prepare and submit biweekly business review packages
• Present zone‑level monthly financial performance, KPIs, and operational dashboards to leadership
• Lead quarterly planning sessions and mid‑year strategy adjustments with Asset Management teams
• Identify and report key risks, growth opportunities, and resource requirements

Team Mindset & Expectations:

While this role has clearly defined responsibilities and scope, the Area Manager is a critical leader whose decisions directly impact property performance, financial outcomes, and team success. Success in this position requires strong ownership, strategic thinking, and proactive collaboration across properties, departments, and leadership teams. We expect team members in this role to go beyond day‑to‑day oversight—anticipating risks, identifying growth opportunities, driving operational alignment, and coaching SPMs and PMs to excel. An entrepreneurial mindset, initiative, and a commitment to both financial and operational excellence are essential.

• Ability to communicate effectively, both written and verbal, including presenting financial results and strategy to senior leadership;
• Ability to take initiative and be a self‑starter;
• Excellent customer service skills a must;
• Prior experience in multifamily property management, including multi‑property or regional oversight;
• Proven experience owning a P&L, including budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis;
• Strong leadership skills with experience hiring, coaching, and managing Property Managers and onsite teams;
• Working knowledge of rent pricing, occupancy, leasing, and delinquency management;
• Knowledge of Fair Housing laws, landlord‑tenant regulations, and local building and safety codes;
• Proficiency with property management software and Excel, with the ability to analyze data and build reports;
• Ability to travel between properties within the zone and respond to escalations and emergencies, including after hours, weekends and holidays.

Salary: $70K-$90K

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.
• Retirement savings plan with employer match.
• Paid time off and holidays.
• Professional development opportunities and ongoing training.

CYM Living is an equal opportunity employer.