Director of Operations

Yugo is the trusted name for student housing, globally. Every day we connect young people to opportunities and students to amazing spaces. Here at Yugo, we like to do things differently. It’s about people, planet, and passion.

As the Director of Operations, you are passionate about financial success, building high performing teams through values-based leadership. You will cultivate new revenue-driving strategic partnerships with mission-aligned companies who share our purpose of enabling aspiring minds to make their difference in the world.

The role will also actively seek new ideas, understand, and evaluate new initiatives through strong analysis, supporting materials and proposals that ensure Yugo remains a market leader and shape future success.

This is a dynamic, entrepreneurial role in which you will work with partners to create market scalable programs that benefit our Yugoers and students, drive brand awareness resulting in sales and revenue growth.

Strategic Objectives include:

• Develop and lead a high performing team that will execute on world class leadership, detailed financial management and student satisfaction.
• Drive NOI growth through improved topline performance, prudent expense management creating asset value.
• Driving accountability throughout the spaces on revenue generation, leasing, expense management and student satisfaction.
• Deliver on revenue and expense goals based on annual business plans.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead a team of world class Regional Property Managers in delivering on Yugo values, financial performance, facilities management, and student satisfaction.
• Responsible for ensuring management and adherence of property level budgets to meet asset and investment expectations creating asset value.
• Deliver annual operating budgets and forecasts, collaborating with sister business GSA for final agreements and approval.
• Ensure in year business plans for all assets within the region are achieved or improved, with GOI, Opex and NOI financial metrics achieved. Identify trends and recommend strategies to address any challenges early.
• Responsible for the monthly evaluation of income and expense reconciliations. Partner with finance leads to understand any variances.
• Maximize asset value through strategic analysis of revenue generation opportunities, expense management, facilities management and capital expenditures.
• Monitor outstanding debt to ensure that timely follow-up and receipt of outstanding collections are prioritized.
• Champion Balanced Score Card (BSC) metrics through accountability and engagement to ensure KPI’s and business performance is prioritized.
• Ensure application and consistency of policies and procedures across the portfolio.
• Develop leadership competencies within their direct and indirect reports
• Strategically lead and execute succession planning initiatives and review process in line with Yugo expectations.
• Drive student experience and delivery of student satisfaction, enhancing reputation. Ensure that teams are achieving NPS targets and improving YoY.
• Execute all responsibilities against the Yugo Management Agreement (YMA).
• Involved in the creation and revision of standard operating procedures which will optimize operations, reduce costs, and ensure a consistent delivery experience, based on the changing needs within operations.
• Responsible for the successful onboarding and mobilization of new property acquisitions.
• Nurture existing University/College relationships whilst also seeking to establish new relationships with education providers for the benefit of the business.
• Provide ongoing feedback to the management team to drive a high-performance culture and teams, driving strong student satisfaction (customer), people and financial performance.
• Support the employee experience and engagement through learning and development, career advancement, wellness and diversity and inclusion cultural activities.
• Represent Yugo with clients, education providers, regulatory authorities, and shareholders in the best interests of the business always.
• Create an environment of collaboration and urgency between functional departments to deliver operational excellence.
• Travel to properties and home office on a regular basis to ensure operational excellence.
• Develop strategies and implement continuous value-oriented improvements to customer satisfaction/NPS results.
• Collaborate with business excellence team to support testing, implementation and refinement of systems and processes.
• Clear and regular reporting on student performance and student ‘live your best life’ program, identifying opportunities for marginal and major improvements.

KPI’s

• Meet portfolio balanced scorecard goals including NOI, GOI, Debt, Training Compliance, NPS, Employee Turnover and Facilities Audits
• Reduce employee vacancy and turnover by 5%
• Student satisfaction through NPS score > 10%
• Meet budgeted occupancy targets

Experience and Knowledge

Essential:

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in business or related field.
• Minimum of 10 experience in property management preferably in student housing.
• Minimum of 5 years experience in Director level role within property management, preferably student housing.
• Proficient in property management CRM, preferably Entrata
• Proven ability to lead through values based initiatives and accountability
• Exceptional organization and problem solving skills
• Superior financial acumen with revenue, expenses, P&L and strategic planning.
• Knowledge of regulatory requirements related to student housing including but not limited to Fair Housing.
• Excellent interpersonal and conflict resolution skills
• Proven ability to generate revenue growth through creative and strategic initiatives.
• Ability to build relationships with individuals with diverse personalities and styles and at different levels of seniority, from assistants to C-level corporate leadership.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and can prioritize while working under multiple deadlines.
• Excellent problem solving and negotiation skills; ability to effectively collect, analyze, organize, distil and present information.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Self-motivated; ability to lead projects independently from concept to completion.
• Ability to travel to domestic and international locations.
• Proficient in PowerPoint, Excel and Microsoft Word

Desirable:

• Experience in global markets
• Knowledge and working relationships with Universities or Educational organizations.
• Additional languages: Spanish, German, Chinese, Japanese
• Experience in Public & Private Partnership structures
• Experience with corporate foundations.

What else?

If you are a dedicated and passionate leader who embodies our company values of being bold, real, true and open, we encourage you to apply for the Director of Operations position. Join us in creating an exceptional student housing experience and shaping the future of our student residents.

This job description serves as a guideline, this list of responsibilities is not intended to be exhaustive and other requests commensurate with the role may be made of you from time to time.  This is a client-facing, commercial role and, therefore, requires a degree of flexibility in terms of location, days and hours worked. From time to time, domestic and international travel and entertaining will be required as well as flexibility against acute deadlines when deals are on the line.

The Yugo team is a force for good, our mission is to harness this passion to deliver an extraordinary living experience that supports the transition to and from student life.

GSA – Global Student Accommodation