Apartment Maintenance Manager

Fairstead operates as an integrated owner, operator, and developer across a portfolio of more than 30,000 affordable apartments in 28 states. At a company built around keeping development, construction, and property management under one platform, the Service Manager role sits at the center of daily operations. This position is responsible for the physical condition of the property, the performance of the maintenance team, and the standards that residents experience every day.

What the Work Actually Looks Like

On any given week, you're inspecting mechanical systems, reviewing repair work, walking the property for cleanliness and safety, and stepping in to perform skilled maintenance tasks yourself when the situation calls for it. You supervise other maintenance employees, which means setting standards, coordinating workflows, and taking the lead on special projects that fall outside routine upkeep. Routine repairs you'll handle independently. Complex projects may bring in additional support, but your role is to stay ahead of issues before they escalate.

Fairstead leans into technology and data-driven operations across its platform, so comfort with Yardi property management software will serve you well here. Microsoft Office proficiency is expected. The company's emphasis on digital systems means a Service Manager who can document work orders accurately and work within those platforms adds real operational value beyond what a wrench can fix.

What You Bring to This Role

• At least three years of hands-on property maintenance experience
• Depth in at least one skilled trade, paired with broad general maintenance knowledge
• Familiarity with building and mechanical systems, tools, and trade terminology
• Strong grasp of safety protocols and accident prevention
• Ability to implement and refine maintenance policies and procedures
• Organization skills that hold up under pressure when multiple systems need attention at once

The honest reality of this role: occasional overtime for emergencies or special projects is part of the job. Affordable housing communities run on tight operational margins, and residents depend on functional, safe units. When something goes wrong outside of business hours, you're often the person who resolves it.

Where This Role Can Take You

Service Managers who perform well in affordable housing portfolios at this scale tend to develop a breadth of skills that translates across all asset classes. You're managing people, coordinating capex-level projects, maintaining compliance with safety standards, and contributing to NOI by keeping maintenance costs predictable and controllable. Those skills carry weight whether you stay within affordable housing or move into conventional property management. At a company with Fairstead's footprint and growth trajectory, there's also room to move into regional maintenance oversight for candidates who demonstrate leadership and system-level thinking.