Director of Maintenance

Job Type

Full-time

Description

Responsibilities

Work Order Management

The Regional Maintenance Director is responsible for the overall integrity and responsiveness of the work order process across all properties. Expectations include:

• Ensure all work orders are triaged, assigned, and completed within established timeframes
• Monitor work order aging daily and intervene when backlogs develop
• Maintain work order data as an accurate reflection of real-time field activity
• Establish and enforce completion standards - work orders are not closed until the work is verified complete
• Review work order trends across properties to identify recurring issues, deferred items, or systemic failures

Make-Ready and Unit Turns

Unit turn performance directly impacts revenue. The Regional Maintenance Director is expected to own the make-ready process from vacant to rent-ready, including:

• Ensure make-ready boards are maintained and accurate at all properties
• Hold supervisors accountable to turn timelines by unit classification (T1, T2, T3)
• Identify bottlenecks in the turn process and resolve them without waiting for escalation
• Coordinate with property management and leasing to align turn completion with move-in commitments
• Track days-to-turn by property and report variances with explanation and corrective action

Preventive Maintenance

A functioning preventive maintenance program reduces emergency work orders, extends asset life, and controls costs. The Regional Maintenance Director is expected to:

• Ensure a documented PM schedule exists and is actively followed at each property
• Verify PM completion rates are tracked and reported
• Address deferred PM items before they escalate into larger repair needs
• Ensure seasonal readiness - HVAC, winterization, and other cyclical requirements are completed on schedule

Emergency Response

The Regional Maintenance Director is the first line of escalation for maintenance emergencies across the portfolio. Expectations include:

• Ensure after-hours emergency coverage is in place and staffed at all times
• Respond to major emergency situations and take ownership of resolution
• Communicate proactively with leadership on any emergency that affects habitability, safety, or significant cost
• Document emergency events and follow up with root cause assessment

Vendor and Contractor Management

The Regional Maintenance Director is responsible for managing the vendor and contractor relationships that support the maintenance department.

• Maintain an approved vendor list and ensure work is assigned to qualified, vetted contractors
• Hold vendors accountable to scope, timeline, and quality standards
• Identify underperforming vendors and suggest alternatives or recommendations
• Ensure invoices are reviewed for accuracy before submission for payment

Budget and Financial Accountability

The Regional Maintenance Director is expected to operate within budget and to understand the financial impact of maintenance decisions.

• Understand the maintenance budget for assigned properties
• Monitor spend against budget and flag variances proactively
• Make cost-conscious decisions on materials, labor, and vendor use without sacrificing quality

Supervising Maintenance Supervisors

The Regional Maintenance Director manages a team of property-level maintenance supervisors.

• Set clear, documented performance expectations for each supervisor on the team
• Conduct regular one-on-ones with each supervisor

Staffing and Coverage

The Regional Maintenance Director is responsible for ensuring adequate maintenance staffing across the portfolio.

• Identify staffing gaps and bring hiring recommendations t
• Manage scheduling to ensure coverage does not create operational risk
• Address attendance and reliability issues at the team level before they affect property operations

Property Inspections and Habitability

The Regional Maintenance Director is expected to conduct and oversee regular property inspections across the portfolio.

• Establish and maintain a routine inspection schedule for all assigned properties
• Identify deferred maintenance, habitability concerns, and code-related issues before they generate resident complaints or violations
• Document inspection findings and assign corrective work orders with clear deadlines
• Follow up to confirm identified issues are resolved within an appropriate timeframe
• Report property condition trends to leadership, particularly where systemic issues are developing
• Ensure vacant units are inspected and documented at the time of move-out and prior to move-in

Resident-Facing Standards

Maintenance has more direct contact with residents than nearly any other department. The Regional Maintenance Director is accountable for the experience residents have when maintenance enters their home or responds to their concerns.

• Enforce response time standards for all work order categories - routine, urgent, and emergency
• Ensure maintenance staff conduct themselves professionally in all resident interactions
• Address resident complaints related to maintenance response, quality of work, or staff conduct promptly and directly
• Monitor work order follow-through - a completed work order should mean the issue is resolved, not just closed in the system
• Coordinate with the Resident Experience team when maintenance issues affect resident satisfaction or retention

Inventory and Equipment Management

• Establish and maintain appropriate truck stock and shop supply levels at each property
• Implement a process for tracking and replenishing inventory that does not rely on technicians making unplanned supply runs
• Ensure maintenance vehicles and equipment are maintained, inspected, and in safe operating condition
• Identify and address patterns of excessive or wasteful supply spending
• Escalate capital equipment needs to leadership with supporting justification

Safety and Compliance

The Regional Maintenance Director is responsible for maintaining a safe working environment for the maintenance team and ensuring the department operates in compliance with applicable safety standards.

• Enforce safe work practices across all maintenance staff and contractors
• Ensure proper handling, storage, and disposal of chemicals, hazardous materials, and equipment
• Address unsafe conditions on properties immediately and document the corrective action taken
• Ensure maintenance staff are equipped with appropriate personal protective equipment
• Report workplace injuries, near-misses, and safety concerns promptly
• Stay current on safety requirements relevant to residential maintenance operations and ensure the team is informed

Cross-Departmental Coordination

The Regional Maintenance Director works collaboratively and communicates proactively with other departments to support overall property performance.

• Coordinate with property management on unit turn schedules, resident work order priorities, and property condition issues
• Align with leasing on make-ready timelines to ensure units are ready to show and move in as committed
• Communicate with the Resident Experience and collections teams when maintenance issues are connected to lease compliance or resident concerns
• Participate in cross-functional meetings and contribute maintenance perspective to operational decisions

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• 10+ years of relevant experience in property maintenance or property management.
• Strong financial acumen with experience in budgeting, cost management, and vendor negotiations.
• Exceptional project management and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in property management software and Google Workspace.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively with internal teams and external partners.
• Management skills - Hired, Trained, Coached and managed a team of 5+ members
• High level of experience in property management and maintenance
• Knowledge of sustainability initiatives and energy-efficient building practices.
• High level of culture building and motivational coaching

Requirements

The candidate must be located in Indiana and able to commute to our properties in Central Indiana. This is a flexible hybrid role.