Role OverviewAs the Senior Manager, Brand Strategy and Experience, you will help bring Cortland's brand vision to life across our multifamily portfolio. Reporting to the VP of Brand Strategy and Experience, you'll translate enterprise brand and experience strategy into the standards, programs, and playbooks that resident-facing and cross-functional teams use every day. You'll manage the day-to-day execution of brand initiatives across design, operations, marketing, and development, own Cortland's voice-of-resident program, and ensure every touchpoint - from the prospect funnel to on-property programming - reflects a consistent, differentiated experience. Through disciplined program management and a sharp eye for the details that make communities feel distinct, you'll help elevate resident satisfaction and retention, and strengthen Cortland's reputation as a leader in consumer experience within multifamily.
Strategic Execution & Cross-Functional Collaboration- Support the VP in developing brand strategies, annual business plans, and multi-year roadmaps by managing timelines, deliverables, and stakeholder input.
- Analyze Cortland's proprietary consumer segmentation, resident insights, surveys, and data analytics to identify friction points and opportunities across the resident journey, translating findings into clear, prioritized recommendations.
- Serve as the day-to-day connective tissue with operations, field teams, investments, marketing, and design, ensuring brand roadmaps are executed consistently and on schedule across the portfolio.
Brand Performance & Program Management- Own and report on key performance indicators tracking resident experience success - satisfaction scores, retention, online reputation - flagging trends and recommending action to the VP and cross-functional stakeholders.
- Manage brand and experience initiatives from pilot through portfolio-wide rollout, keeping projects on time, on budget, and true to brand intent.
- Track initiative-level contribution to community financial performance and incorporate learnings into future program design.
Resident Experience Excellence- Help orchestrate brand delivery across the full ecosystem - online, prospect funnel, and on-property execution and programming - auditing performance against brand standards and partnering with field teams to close gaps.
- Build training content and facilitate enablement sessions that help onsite and community teams deliver a consistent, high-quality resident experience.
- Collaborate with marketing and communications to ensure prospect- and resident-facing messaging stays aligned across all channels.
Innovation & Implementation- Plan and manage pilots for brand hallmarks, product and service innovations, and other experience initiatives - coordinating cross-functional partners and tracking results against goals.
- Support the development of fresh engagement concepts and programming tailored to specific resident segments and asset archetypes.
- Partner with product and technology teams to test and roll out improvements to digital touchpoints that reduce friction and increase resident engagement.
Brand Standards & Advocacy- Champion the voice of the resident in day-to-day decisions, bringing survey data, reviews, and direct feedback into planning conversations across the organization.
- Translate brand positioning into practical design and operating standards; review property-level creative concepts and provide guidance during renovations and new community openings to ensure alignment with brand and customer segmentation standards.
- Manage day-to-day implementation of brand standards across the portfolio, escalating risks or inconsistencies to the VP as needed.
Qualifications - Bachelor's degree in Brand Management, Marketing, Industrial Design, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
- 6-9 years of experience in marketing, brand management, or experience strategy roles, including some people or project leadership experience.
- Experience delivering brand or resident/guest experience programs, ideally within real estate, hospitality, or consumer lifestyle sectors.
- Demonstrated project management experience, including managing budgets, timelines, and multiple cross-functional or external partner relationships.
- Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret consumer and resident data to inform clear, actionable recommendations.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the presence and polish to engage senior stakeholders and cross-functional partners.
- Ability to move fluidly between strategic thinking and hands-on, detail-oriented execution.
- Demonstrated ability to build relationships and influence without direct authority across departments and levels.
