Front Door Waste Technician - Austin, TX

Cortland runs one of the top multifamily portfolios in the country, and the physical condition of a community shows up in every resident satisfaction score, every renewal decision, and ultimately in NOI. The Front Door Waste Technician role in Austin is part of that equation. Valet trash is a resident-facing amenity, and when it runs well, it's invisible. When it doesn't, leasing traffic notices and renewals suffer. This position keeps that from happening.

The core work is straightforward: each evening you walk assigned routes through the community, collecting bagged waste from resident doorsteps, transferring it to leak-proof carts and then to onsite compactors or containers. You'll cover common areas too, including pool decks, dog waste stations, mail areas, and parking lots. Routes involve stairs and long walks, and the job requires lifting up to 50 lbs consistently throughout the shift. Outdoor work in Austin's heat, cold fronts, and occasional rain is part of the deal, and so are odors that come with the territory.

Beyond the physical work, there's a reporting layer that matters. You'll log route start and end times, document conditions through a mobile app, and flag improper or prohibited waste when you encounter it. That documentation feeds back to property management and helps the site stay ahead of compliance issues tied to EPA and OSHA standards. A personal smartphone with data capability is required to do that part of the job.

Resident and staff interaction happens daily. You're on the property when most residents are home, which makes this role more visible than it might sound. Professional, courteous communication with residents and site staff reflects directly on Cortland's brand at the community level.

What Cortland is Looking For

• High school diploma or equivalent, preferred
• At least one year in waste services or a customer-facing role
• Working knowledge of EPA and OSHA waste handling regulations
• Ability to climb stairs, walk extended distances, and lift up to 50 lbs
• Valid Class E driver's license for local driving needs
• Smartphone (Android 2.2+ or iPhone iOS 4.3+) with data plan and active email
• Bilingual ability is a plus

Candidates who stand out tend to be self-directed on route efficiency, consistent in their documentation, and genuinely comfortable being the face of a service that residents interact with every single day. Reliability matters more here than almost anything else. A missed route or an incomplete punch on a compactor area shows up fast at the property level, and property managers notice.

Cortland is a vertically integrated owner-operator, which means the people working at the community level are working for the same organization that owns and develops the assets. That structure tends to mean clearer accountability and more consistent operational standards than you'd see in third-party management arrangements.