Assistant Community Manager

Most multifamily communities run on two people: the Community Manager and whoever's standing next to them. That second seat is the Assistant Community Manager, and at a property like Avenues of West Ashley, it carries real operational weight. This isn't a purely leasing-focused role. It spans leasing, resident relations, delinquency follow-up, ledger accuracy, and stepping in to run the community when the manager is out.

What the Work Actually Looks Like

On a typical day, you might start by reviewing the delinquency report and making follow-up calls before the leasing office opens at 9. From there, you're fielding prospect traffic, conducting tours, and making sure applications and renewal paperwork move through cleanly. Afternoons can shift quickly: a resident dispute at the front desk, a ledger discrepancy to sort out, or social media content to schedule for an upcoming community event. Saturdays are part of the schedule (10 AM to 4 PM), and occasional evenings come with the territory when resident events are on the calendar. None of that is unusual for this level of role, but it's worth knowing upfront.

The financial side is more involved than most ACM postings suggest. You'll handle rent collection, payment posting, check scanning, and weekly delinquency outreach. You'll conduct ledger reviews to catch billing errors and payment misapplications before they become bigger problems. When eviction procedures are necessary, you'll coordinate those too. Hawthorne expects you to understand what you're looking at in a financial report, not just hand it off to the manager.

Who Fits This Role Well

• At least two years of property management experience, with some time already spent in an assistant manager or senior leasing capacity
• Comfort handling delinquency conversations directly with residents, without escalating unnecessarily
• Ability to run the community independently when the manager is unavailable
• Attention to detail on lease documents, renewals, and account ledgers
• Valid driver's license; CALP designation is a plus but not required

Hawthorne sits among the 50 largest multifamily operators in the country, with roots in the Southeast. They offer a defined career path program, so the ACM role here has a clear next step toward Community Manager. Monthly leasing and renewal commissions, plus quarterly performance bonuses, supplement the hourly base. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, 401k match, paid parental leave, and pet insurance, among others.

Charleston's rental market has stayed competitive, and West Ashley has absorbed significant multifamily inventory over the past several years. Keeping occupancy strong at a community on Ashley River Road means leasing performance and resident retention both matter. The ACM who understands how renewals protect NOI will outperform one who only thinks about new traffic.