Downing
Residence Manager
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Residence Manager – The Fernley
Manchester
Full-Time
Permanent
Based at Square Gardens, Manchester, one of the UK’s largest and most prestigious residential developments, the Residence Manager is responsible for the day-to-day leadership and operational performance of a premium, service-led residential experience at The Fernley, a residential community of 700 residents, accommodating long-term professional residents, students, and short-stay guests. This is a visible, hands-on role requiring strong leadership of a multidisciplinary site team, with direct management responsibility for the Resident Services and Maintenance teams and responsibility for directing the day-to-day activities of contracted Cleaning and Security teams.
Working closely with central Operations, Sales, and other support functions, the Residence Manager will maintain high operational standards, ensure issues are owned through to resolution, and retain clear accountability for delivery within The Fernley.
Downing are an award-winning leading developer, owner, and operator of bespoke, luxury student accommodation, co-living, residential, and commercial property across the UK. We have been operating for over 35 years and currently have 14 operational schemes in 10 major cities, with a further £1.6bn of upcoming developments in our pipeline.
Key Responsibilities:
- Take overall responsibility for the day-to-day operation of The Fernley, ensuring consistently high standards across a mixed-tenure residential building accommodating long-term residents, students, and short-stay guests.
- Lead, manage, and develop the Resident Services and Maintenance teams, creating a collaborative, accountable, and high-performing site culture.
- Oversee contracted Cleaning and Security services, delegating day-to-day tasks, and monitoring performance against agreed standards and SLAs.
- Deliver a high-quality residential experience tailored to the differing needs of residents and guests, taking ownership of escalated complaints and driving service improvements.
- Monitor resident feedback, satisfaction, and service performance, working towards the Square Gardens Net Promoter Score (NPS) target of +60.
- Oversee move-ins, move-outs, apartment inspections, and short-stay arrivals and departures, ensuring apartments are prepared, presented, and available within required timescales.
- Coordinate Resident Services, Maintenance, and Cleaning to manage apartment readiness, minimise turnaround times, and maintain high presentation standards.
- Oversee planned and reactive maintenance, contractor activity, and building inspections, ensuring issues are prioritised and resolved effectively.
- Ensure compliance with relevant legislation, company procedures, Health & Safety, and fire safety requirements, maintaining accurate records and effective operational controls.
- Drive operational and commercial performance by supporting occupancy, retention, renewals, new lettings, and short-stay accommodation activity in partnership with central Sales teams.
- Manage controllable expenditure, monitor operational KPIs, and provide accurate reporting to senior management, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and performance.
- Develop a strong, inclusive residential community through effective communications, engagement activities, and events, while respecting residents' privacy, differing lifestyles, and cultural diversity.
- Build positive relationships with residents, colleagues, contractors, and relevant external stakeholders, protecting and enhancing the reputation of The Fernley and Square Gardens.
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Person Specification:
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- Proven management experience within residential property, hospitality, serviced apartments, Build to Rent (BTR), or a comparable customer-focused operational environment.
- Experience leading and developing customer-facing operational teams, ideally including maintenance or facilities colleagues.
- Strong operational management skills, with the ability to take ownership of a large, complex building serving different customer groups.
- A track record of delivering excellent customer service, managing complaints, and improving satisfaction against measurable targets.
- Commercial awareness and an understanding of the relationship between service quality, occupancy, retention, revenue, and financial performance.
- Experience coordinating apartment readiness, resident transitions, contractors, or short-stay operations is advantageous.
- Good understanding of Health & Safety, fire safety, and operational compliance.
- Excellent people-management, communication, and organisational skills, with the ability to balance competing operational and commercial priorities.
- A proactive, hands-on approach to leadership, with the ability to build an inclusive team culture and deliver consistently high standards.
- Comfortable using operational systems, reporting tools, and Microsoft Office applications.
Additional Information:
- There is a requirement to work 1 Saturday in 5 on a rota basis with a lieu day off the following week.
- There will also be a requirement to work overtime on weekends in line with peak tenancy periods.
Benefits:
- Competitive salary.
- 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays.
- Paid overtime.
- Pension scheme.
- Life Assurance cover.
- Employee Assistance Scheme.
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