Area Manager

Core Spaces; State College (Centre County); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Generous PTO

Paid holidays

Cell phone stipend

401(k) + matching

Job summary

Core Spaces is seeking an Area Manager to lead a portfolio of student housing communities. You will drive occupancy, revenue growth, and asset performance while overseeing budgets, staffing, and operations across multiple sites.

The role requires strong leadership and a track record of delivering results in a fast-paced, service-focused real estate environment. You will partner with cross-functional teams to optimize leasing, resident experience, and strategic initiatives, while maintaining high

Qualifications

• 6+ years of progressive property management experience, including multi-site leadership.
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing budgets, forecasting, and asset performance.
• Experience developing leaders and drivingOperational performance across portfolios.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for multiple communities and ensure consistency with company standards.
• Oversee occupancy, revenue growth, expense management, and asset performance across the portfolio.
• Coach community leaders, support talent development, and drive resident experience improvements.
• Collaborate with Revenue Management, Marketing, and Facilities to optimize leasing and operations.
• Ensure compliance, risk management, and reporting across the portfolio.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Financial acumen

Communication

Problem solving

Tools

Entrata

Yardi

Job description

Who We Are

Core Spaces (Core) is more than a real estate company, it’s a people company. Where building relationships is just as important as building properties. From researchers and architects to designers and operators, Core is made up of risk takers and dreamers who are on a mission to invent the future of living. Our six cultural values guide us every day and we strive to live them in everything we do: PUSH (Invent Better Places to Live), GRIT (We Got This), LIFT (Help Each Other Win), SHINE (Bring Your Full Self), UPHOLD (Never Break Trust), GROW (Always Get Better). Everything Core does stems from this culture of collaboration and innovation, and the drive to constantly improve the resident experience. This unique approach has led to creating spaces and services that are redefining the way people live.

What We Do

Founded in 2010, Core is a vertically integrated real estate investment manager focused on acquiring, developing and managing across the student housing and build-to-rent (“BTR”) sectors. Its residential communities feature world-class amenities, progressive design, and hospitality-driven service. Core’s student housing portfolio includes over 74,440 beds currently owned or managed, with a pipeline of over 53,860 beds in various stages of development. Core’s BTR division has over 3,000 homes under development, now leasing or in its pipeline in high-growth metros nationwide. For more information, visit www.corespaces.com.

* Portfolio and pipeline numbers as of Q2 2026

Benefits That Matter

• A culture that provides you with a sense of belonging
• Competitive pay that values your contributions
• Generous PTO to disconnect or celebrate life milestones
• Paid 14+ holidays, including your birthday, to disconnect and celebrate
• Cell Phone stipend included
• Paid Parental Leave that begins after 90 days
• Paid volunteer time off to give back to your community
• Robust health plan options that begin within at least 30 days of your employment
• Yearly subscription to a meditation app for personal wellness
• An environment that provides you a voice to share your perspectives
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for access to confidential support services
• Company retirement options including 401(k) + matching & Roth account option

Position Overview

The Area Manager serves as the operational and business leader for an assigned portfolio of Core Spaces communities. This role is responsible for driving property performance across multiple assets through strategic leadership, operational oversight, financial management, talent development, and execution of portfolio objectives.

The Area Manager partners closely with Community and Regional Leadership, Revenue Management, Marketing, Facilities, and other cross-functional teams to ensure consistent execution of company standards while maximizing occupancy, revenue growth, resident satisfaction, and asset performance across the portfolio.

This role exercises independent judgment in evaluating property performance, identifying operational risks, developing corrective action plans, allocating resources, coaching community leadership teams, and implementing strategies that support business objectives and long-term portfolio success. Success in this role requires strong leadership, financial acumen, operational expertise, and the ability to balance competing priorities while driving results across multiple communities.

What You Will Do

Leadership and Team Management:

• Lead, develop, and support Community Managers, Senior Community Managers, and community teams across the assigned portfolio.
• Provide ongoing coaching, performance feedback, mentorship, and development opportunities to strengthen leadership capability and operational execution.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition and People Operations to support hiring, onboarding, workforce planning, succession planning, and talent development initiatives.
• Establish clear performance expectations and hold community leadership accountable to operational, financial, leasing, and resident experience goals.
• Identify high-potential team members and create development plans that support future leadership growth within the organization.
• Promote a culture of accountability, ownership, collaboration, operational excellence, and resident-focused service throughout the portfolio.

Financial and Asset Performance:

• Own portfolio-level financial performance, including occupancy, revenue growth, expense management, delinquency control, and NOI performance.
• Review and analyze property financial statements, budget performance, variance reporting, and operational trends to identify opportunities and risks.
• Partner with community leadership teams to develop and implement corrective action plans when properties fall short of financial or operational goals.
• Support annual budgeting, forecasting, capital planning, and business planning processes across the portfolio.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency, optimize expenses, increase revenue, and enhance overall asset performance.
• Partner with Revenue Management to evaluate pricing strategies, leasing velocity, market positioning, and performance trends to maximize portfolio results.

Operational Leadership:

• Provide strategic oversight and operational support for multiple communities, ensuring consistency in execution, compliance, service delivery, and company standards.
• Conduct regular site visits, operational reviews, and property audits to evaluate performance, identify operational challenges, and implement solutions proactively.
• Monitor key operational metrics and performance indicators to assess property health and drive continuous improvement efforts.
• Partner with community leadership to identify operational gaps, streamline processes, and implement best practices across the portfolio.
• Support large-scale operational initiatives including turn, move-in, move-out, lease-up, staffing transitions, and special projects.
• Ensure communities are operating efficiently and effectively while maintaining a strong focus on resident experience and asset preservation.

Leasing and Marketing Performance:

• Drive portfolio leasing performance through strategic oversight of occupancy, pre-leasing, retention, lease-up activity, and resident lifecycle management.
• Evaluate leasing funnel performance, conversion trends, competitive positioning, and market conditions to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Partner with Community Managers, Marketing, and Revenue Management to develop and execute strategies that support occupancy and revenue goals.
• Monitor underperforming assets and implement targeted action plans to improve leasing performance, retention, and market competitiveness.
• Support new development lease-up strategies and stabilization efforts as required.

Resident and University Relations:

• Champion an exceptional resident experience across all communities by establishing high service expectations and operational standards.
• Serve as an escalation resource for significant resident, guarantor, university, or stakeholder concerns requiring advanced judgment and resolution.
• Support community leadership in reputation management efforts, resident engagement initiatives, and customer service improvement opportunities.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with university partners, vendors, and community stakeholders that support property performance and company objectives.
• Monitor resident satisfaction trends and implement strategies to improve overall community experience.

Maintenance and Facilities:

• Partner with Maintenance leadership to ensure communities maintain strong operational performance, service delivery, and asset preservation standards.
• Monitor work order completion, preventative maintenance execution, capital project progress, and property condition across the portfolio.
• Support planning and execution of major maintenance initiatives, capital improvements, and asset enhancement projects.
• Ensure communities maintain compliance with safety requirements, risk management standards, and company operational expectations.

Compliance, Risk Management & Business Operations:

• Ensure compliance with all company policies, operational procedures, legal requirements, and regulatory obligations.
• Identify operational, financial, staffing, or compliance risks and implement mitigation strategies proactively.
• Maintain accountability for operational audits, documentation standards, payroll accuracy, administrative compliance, and reporting requirements.
• Partner with Regional Leadership on strategic initiatives, organizational priorities, and operational improvement efforts.
• Lead or participate in special projects that support business objectives and portfolio performance.

Other:

• Must be able to work a full shift / required work schedule on-site at the property.
• Must be available for additional hours including evenings, weekends, and overtime when necessary.
• Must be available to assist with move-outs, turn, and move-ins that extend beyond normal full-time hours.
• Must be able to lift and move objects weighing up to 50 pounds regularly, as required by the demands of the job. This may include bending, stooping, and lifting throughout the workday.

Ideally, You'll Have

• 6+ years of progressive property management experience, including multi-site leadership responsibility.
• Demonstrated success leading community teams, developing leaders, and driving operational performance across multiple assets.
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing budgets, forecasting, financial reporting, and asset performance.
• Experience evaluating business performance, implementing operational improvements, and driving measurable results.
• Strong leadership, communication, coaching, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment and effectively manage competing priorities across multiple communities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and property management platforms.
• Valid driver's license and reliable transportation required.

You’ll crush it if you have experience with

• Student housing operations and large-scale turn execution.
• Entrata, Yardi, or other property management systems.
• Multi-site leadership across geographically dispersed portfolios.
• Lease-ups, new developments, repositioning efforts, or stabilization strategies.
• Developing high-performing Community Managers, Senior Community Managers, and future leaders.
• Driving portfolio-level operational, financial, and leasing performance improvements.

Organizational Structure

Reports to: Regional Manager

Direct Reports: Direct Reports: Leasing, Maintenance, and Administration Team Members

Disclaimer

Please note that job responsibilities, reporting lines, and duties outlined in this job description are subject to change to meet the evolving needs of the organization.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Core Spaces celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an equitable and inclusive environment, which creates a sense of belonging for all employees. We do not discriminate and believe every individual should be proud of who they are and the community they represent.