Assistant Community Manager

The assistant community manager role exists because running an apartment community is genuinely too much for one person. The Community Manager carries strategic accountability, but the day-to-day rhythm of resident interactions, leasing traffic, ledger accuracy, and team momentum requires a second-in-command who can own their portion of the operation rather than just assist with it. At Hawthorne Residential Partners, a Southeast-rooted multifamily company ranked among the country's 50 largest, that distinction matters. This is a real operational partnership, not a clerical support role dressed up with a nice title.

The position is based at Elevate the Crossings in Fuquay-Varina, NC, and carries a schedule that reflects how leasing offices actually work: Monday through Friday with a rotating weekday off, Saturdays from 10 to 4, and occasional evening availability for resident events.

What You're Responsible For

On the leasing side, you'll guide prospects through tours and the application process, work on renewals, and help hit occupancy goals through both new leases and resident retention. You'll also manage the community's social media presence, which at most properties has become a real driver of engagement and referral traffic.

The financial piece carries more weight here than in a pure leasing role. You'll post payments, monitor delinquency, run weekly follow-up calls on past-due accounts, review ledgers for accuracy, and coordinate eviction procedures when they're necessary. If your experience is mostly front-desk leasing, this is the area to strengthen before applying.

When the Community Manager is out, you run the office. That means keeping the team focused, decisions moving, and residents served at the same standard they'd expect any other day.

Who Fits Well Here

• Two years of property management experience, with at least six months in an assistant manager capacity preferred
• Comfort reading financial reports and translating them into decisions
• A track record of de-escalating resident conflicts without letting things drag on
• Valid driver's license; CALP designation is a plus
• High school diploma or GED equivalent

Compensation includes hourly pay plus monthly leasing and renewal commissions, quarterly performance bonuses, and access to Hawthorne's career path program. The company has a stated track record of promoting from within, and the assistant manager seat is the most direct pipeline to a Community Manager role. If you're in this position and performing well, that next step is a realistic near-term goal rather than a distant one.

The candidate who stands out at this level typically combines financial comfort with genuine resident service instincts. Delinquency calls and difficult lease terminations are part of the job, and the people who do this work well are the ones who can be firm and fair in the same conversation without letting either quality undermine the other.