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 The Operations Manager is accountable for the operational and commercial performance of the aparto portfolio in Italy. Acting as the country operations lead, the role ensures our properties operate safely, efficiently and profitably while delivering an outstanding resident experience that differentiates aparto in the market.

The role leads and develops the operational teams across Italy and is responsible for driving consistent standards, strong financial performance and continuous improvement. Working closely with Asset Management, Marketing, Finance and other central functions, they will ensure the portfolio meets its commercial objectives while leading key investor, owner and client relationships in Italy.

Lead day-to-day operational performance across the Italian portfolio

Manage the operational and financial performance of the properties and their teams

Coach and support General Managers to deliver high standards and consistent execution

Ensure service delivery, property presentation and operational routines align with aparto standards

Review performance data and implement actions to improve occupancy, revenue, cost and resident experience

Build and maintain strong relationships with key investors, owners, clients, universities, partners and other stakeholders

Monitor market trends, competitor activity and legislative developments that may impact operational or commercial performance in Italy

Provide out-of-hours support to site teams as required, ensuring issues are escalated and managed in accordance with agreed procedures

Take full responsibility for the financial performance of all assigned properties, including P&L; management, budgeting, and financial reporting

Work with Asset Management, Marketing and Sales to deliver annual budgets and occupancy plans

Monitor property performance against budget, identifying trends,



variances and opportunities and implementing clear action plans to maximise profitability while protecting the resident experience

Monitor and manage rental rates, leasing, renewals, rebookers, summer revenue and ancillary income, using local market and competitor insight to inform commercial decisions

Oversee rent collection, deposits, charges, arrears and bad debt, ensuring timely reconciliation and appropriate action with General Managers and Finance

Identify and deliver opportunities to generate additional income, including summer lettings and other non-academic revenue streams

Support new business budgeting and elevate material commercial risks and opportunities with clear recommendations and action plans

Ensure all properties are well maintained, safe and presented to a high standard

Partner with Facilities and contractors to deliver planned maintenance, lifecycle works and service quality

Oversee summer turnaround, readiness and defect resolution

Support refurbishments, capex works and asset enhancement projects

Ensure that each building and its processes are compliant with the relevant local and national current legislation and regulations for all operational matters, and aparto policies

Drive a proactive health and safety culture across all sites

Ensure audits, inspections, training, risk assessments and incident reporting are completed on time

Track and close out actions from audits and compliance reviews

Lead, coach and develop GMs and site leaders across Italy

Build a high-performance culture aligned to Service, Belonging & Community

Support recruitment, onboarding, performance management and succession planningEnsure regular communication, 1:1s and reviews are in place across the country

Champion the resident journey, community standards and service responsiveness

Use feedback, reviews and NPS insight to drive continuous improvement

Ensure escalations are handled professionally, promptly and with accountability

Support events, wellbeing activity and local community engagement

Support mobilisation of new properties and operational transitions, refurbishments and minor capex projects





Implement group initiatives and share best practice across the Italian portfolio

Benchmark against competitors and identify opportunities to improve performance

Support process, systems and reporting improvements that drive efficiency and consistency

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements include

Proven experience leading multi-site operations in PBSA, residential, hospitality or similar

Strong knowledge of the Italian market and local regulatory environment

Proven ability to lead, coach and develop General Managers and high-performing multi-site teams

Strong commercial and financial acumen, with experience managing P&Ls;, budgets and delivering improved financial performance

Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills

Strong understanding of health and safety, compliance and property operations

Fluent Italian and English

Highly organised, adaptable and solutions-focused

Strong communication skills with the ability to engage diverse audiences

Willingness to travel extensively across Italy

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.

📌 Operations Manager - Country Lead (Milano)
🏢 Hines
📍 Milano