Operational Asset Manager

About Our Client

Established in the early 2020s, our client is a specialist UK residential living investment management business, acquiring, developing, managing and operating high-quality rental property across London and key regional cities on behalf of institutional capital partners. The senior team brings 25+ years' average experience in UK residential, with an ambition to become a leading specialist investment and development manager of residential communities. The business is backed by a major institutional asset manager.

About the Role

This role bridges strategic plans and day-to-day delivery across a diverse BTR portfolio, combining strategic asset management, operational efficiency and exemplary customer service. It's not a traditional operator-side role - this is an owner-manager platform within an institutional private equity environment, so the successful candidate must balance strategic asset performance, operator oversight and investor-grade reporting with hands-on problem solving in a lean team.

You'll work closely with outsourced operating partners and the senior management team to implement strategic plans, ensuring all third-party managed properties perform optimally and deliver exceptional resident service. Based in London, with travel across UK regional schemes.

About You

An experienced operations leader with a strong multi-site property management background in Build-to-Rent or a comparable sector, and proven expertise managing third-party operators/managing agents on operational excellence, financial performance and customer experience. You combine strategic thinking with hands-on execution - driving occupancy, rent growth and cost efficiencies while maintaining compliance and risk management - and lead in a way that keeps internal teams and external partners aligned.

Contract management, financial oversight, H&S compliance and resident engagement experience are all beneficial, alongside a commercial mindset. You're comfortable in a scaling platform where processes and governance are still evolving.

Key Accountabilities

• Build a collaborative relationship with outsourced operators, aligning on goals and standards.
• Drive leasing/renewal strategy with operators and property teams to maximise occupancy and retention.
• Monitor compliance with rental housing regulations and stay ahead of local market/economic trends.
• Support accurate, decision-useful performance reporting for senior management and capital partners.
• Assess property performance metrics with operators, identifying efficiency and satisfaction improvements.
• Drive asset NOI through revenue growth, occupancy and cost control, working with an engaged property team.
• Evaluate operator performance (including customer/team feedback) and act on findings.
• Feed operational insight into design and development for new schemes.
• Support the Operations Director on plans against KPIs spanning occupancy, H&S, satisfaction and asset management.

Customer Service

• Ensure the operator delivers a consistently exceptional customer experience and the company's social values across schemes.
• Oversee community engagement - resident events, communications, and initiatives.
• Drive improvements to service delivery and reporting.

Develop and Manage Team

• Foster a culture with the operating partner that motivates onsite teams toward efficiency and service.
• Ensure legislative compliance (Housing Act, H&S, data protection).
• Provide a clear framework for team execution and engagement.
• Support recruitment, coaching and succession planning for key property team members.

Protect and Nurture the Asset

• Support compliance on health, safety and fire safety.
• Ensure properties meet appearance/physical standards; run regular building audits.
• Work with the operator on successful building mobilisation and aftercare.

Qualifications, Experience and Role Requirements

• Leadership experience in build-to-rent or comparable purpose-built residential asset classes, with a track record of team development and delivery.
• Considerable multisite operational experience, spanning administrative and procedural functions.
• Strong grasp of operational P&L, NOI drivers, budgeting, variance analysis and cost control; ability to challenge operator budgets and spot commercial upside.
• Resilient, customer-service-driven, and a strategic thinker able to give timely, concise advice.
• Articulate communicator, confident presenting operational initiatives and outcomes in writing and orally.
• Strong business systems proficiency.
• Practical knowledge of UK landlord/tenant legislation, housing regulation, rent reform and H&S requirements.
• Flexibility for occasional urgent out-of-hours support.