Assistant Community Manager

The assistant community manager role sits at the intersection of leasing, collections, and day-to-day operations. At a company like Hawthorne Residential Partners, one of the larger Southeast-based multifamily operators in the country, that means you're not just supporting the community manager. You're running the floor when they're out and keeping financials tight while still closing leases and managing resident relationships.

What the Day-to-Day Actually Looks Like

Mornings might start with a ledger review, catching misapplied payments or flagging delinquency before it compounds. By midday you're conducting tours, working leads, and moving prospects through the leasing process. Renewals need to get done on time, paperwork needs to be accurate, and the office needs to look like it hasn't been ignored. Afternoons can shift quickly. A resident concern escalates, a check needs scanning, or the community manager is out and the team needs direction. You're the continuity.

On the collections side, you'll track delinquency weekly, make follow-up calls, and coordinate eviction procedures when it gets to that point. Ledger accuracy matters here. Billing errors and misapplied payments create downstream headaches that are much easier to prevent than fix. Financial reporting gets passed up to regional leadership, so clean documentation is part of the job, not an afterthought.

Leasing responsibilities include handling inbound traffic, managing lead follow-up, processing applications and renewals, and keeping occupancy on target. Hawthorne also expects this role to manage the community's social media presence, which means creating content around resident events and community activity.

What Hawthorne Is Looking For

• High school diploma or GED equivalent
• Two years of property management experience preferred
• At least six months in an assistant community manager capacity, preferred
• Valid driver's license required
• CALP designation is a plus

Beyond credentials, the candidates who tend to do well in this role are the ones who can read a T-12 without glazing over and who don't fold when a resident is standing at the counter upset about a charge. Conflict resolution and financial literacy are the two skill sets that separate a solid ACM from one who's constantly leaning on the CM to handle things.

Schedule, Compensation, and Growth

The leasing office runs Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM, and Saturdays from 10 AM to 4 PM. One weekday off each week keeps the schedule at 40 hours, though evening and weekend availability may be needed for resident events or community needs. That's standard for this type of role.

Compensation includes hourly pay plus monthly leasing and renewal commissions and quarterly performance bonuses. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401k match, paid time off (including your birthday), paid parental and adoption leave, pet insurance, company-paid life insurance, and 24/7 telehealth access.

Hawthorne offers a defined Career Path Program with learning and development support aimed at moving assistant managers into community manager seats. If you're two or three years into your PM career and want a clear line of sight to running your own property, this is the kind of structure worth paying attention to.