Join HANDS Inc. – Making Cities Just and Beautiful
Are you passionate about creating vibrant, inclusive communities? HANDS Inc. is dedicated to transforming Orange and neighboring cities into healthy, robust neighborhoods where all residents can thrive. Since 1986, we’ve been empowering residents to create places of choice—where families flourish and businesses prosper. We are looking to add a Property Manager to our team and hope it is you!
Our Mission and Vision
Our vision is to build neighborhoods that offer security, opportunity, and access to civic, cultural, and natural resources for low and moderate-income families. HANDS is on a mission to empower residents to shape their communities, ensuring they have the same economic, educational, and cultural opportunities as those in more affluent areas.
Our Dynamic Approach
HANDS focuses on developing affordable housing and commercial spaces, revitalizing key properties, and fostering resident leadership. Our innovative initiatives encourage community ownership of the revitalization process, and our asset-based programming aims to increase the financial resources of homeowners, small business owners, and families in Orange public schools.
We envision a future where empowered stakeholders lead the way in building a 21st-century urban village—a truly just and beautiful city. HANDS is a proud nonprofit and a chartered affiliate of NeighborWorks® America.
Join us in making a lasting impact in the heart of New Jersey. Together, we can build communities that provide security and opportunity for all.
WHO WILL BE SUCCESSFUL: The people who thrive on our team are passionate, visionary, curious, creative, open-minded, flexible, self-directed, and willing to learn from mistakes. They are also results-driven, detail-oriented, and responsible.
Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to represent HANDS in a professional and personable manner and build relationships with a wide range of people; and ability to use both “head and heart” methods of persuasion.
HANDS portfolio is diverse, small, and growing: 65 affordable units (46 commercial and 19 residential) and is developing mixed use, 1-3 family homes and rehabs. As Property Manager, this person directly provides full management of the portfolio. This position reports to the CEO and interacts with senior staff to integrate this line of business with the organization and to expand it.
Essential Duties
Department Leadership
- Create, refine, and implement property management operational policies and procedures.
- Visit sites on a regular basis to establish and ensure physical standards.
- Policies and procedures with a particular focus on resident retention practices
- Implement best industry practices for operating procedures such as:
- rent collection
- evictions
- property management accounting
- budget monitoring
- maintenance
- unit turnover protocols
- purchasing
- Manage relationships and prepare for inspections with/by all municipalities, regulatory agencies, lenders and investors. Review responses to findings or citations and ensure they are complete and submitted to the agencies on time.
- Compliance monitoring and reporting as needed for affordable housing units.
- Oversee the preparation and timely implementation of preventive maintenance programs, identify capital needs, and monitor preparation for physical inspections.
- As portfolio grows, oversee the hiring, training, evaluation of new staff.
- Ensure that each property has a management and marketing plan tailored to any unique characteristics of the property that will guide site staff in the marketing, leasing, management, and maintenance of the property.
- Represent HANDS on property management matters in meetings with tenant advocates, governmental agencies, funders, and other stakeholders.
- Manage annual tenant satisfaction survey.
- Successful management of vendors.
Property Management
Leasing & Collections
- Implement marketing and outreach plans for all residential and follow fair housing laws including reasonable accommodation procedures and policy.
- Show and lease units and handle all telephone inquiries.
- Work with brokers to ensure timely leasing of commercial units.
- Monitor all lease provisions for charge backs and expenses.
- Ensure that lease provisions are consistently enforced. Enforce late payment and nonpayment policies and lease violations.
- Execute and monitor rent collections procedures for tenants and review collections results with senior staff monthly.
- Oversee commercial lease improvements as negotiated.
- Must approve tenant improvements (commercial).
- Must obtain sign-off on the move-in checklist (residential).
Budget Management
- Create annual site budgets and submit complete budget to the CEO/CFO for approval in a timely manner.
- Approve all rent changes, write-offs, and reimbursements.
- Perform monthly financial reviews with senior staff to ensure compliance with budget and explain variances.
- Review long term capital plans for properties as needed.
- Prepare and present monthly status reports of key property performance indicators (occupancy, budget-to-actual performance, average days vacant, rental collection rates, etc.) to leadership team.
Maintenance
- Regular monthly inspection of properties.
- Unit inspection at least twice per year and at turnovers.
- Maintain an approved list of appropriately insured vendors.
- Schedule regular cleaning and preventative maintenance.
- Respond to all emergency calls, available 24/7 rotating schedule.
- Manage all work orders and maintenance requests.
- Arrange access to properties for vendors, utilities as needed.
- Manage keys and security for all properties.
- Completion of inspection forms with tenant sign-off (residential).
Relevant Education and Experience Required:
Minimum 4-5 years property management experience in increasingly responsible affordable rental housing positions.
Experience in commercial leasing
Strong knowledge of local and federal Fair Housing laws.
Bachelor’s degree in management/finance or equivalent industry experience.
Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, and related industry software.
Excellent leadership, team building skills and negotiation skills.
Valid Driver’s License and auto insurance in good standing
Physical mobility and condition to walk properties, climb stairs and show units.
Ability to lift up to 20 lbs.
Demonstrated experience in effective communication with residents, staff, supervisors, vendors, etc.
Relevant Education and Experience Desired
- Knowledge of the HOME, Section 42 Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, various HUD- assisted and other similar affordable housing programs.
- Knowledge of housing development and financing.
- Experience in community development.
- Knowledge of Spanish desirable.
- Knowledge of commercial leasing.
- Review and placement of insurance.
- Knowledge of energy efficiency and green practices.
The Property Manager role will be hybrid [3-4 days in office], based out of the main office in Orange, NJ. The salary for this role range for this role is 65 – 85k with a competitive benefits package.
Please visit: https://www.handsinc.org/ for more information about the organization. For further details about this opportunity, contact Sophia LaFontant, Consultant, Search, at slafontant@nonprofithr.com.
