Maintenance Technician

Maintenance work at a residential community is rarely glamorous, but it's genuinely important. When a resident's heat goes out at 10 PM or a toilet won't stop running, you're the person who makes it right. Cottonwood Residential is looking for a Maintenance Technician to join the team at The Colony at the Oaks in Lexington, a community where the maintenance role carries real weight in how residents experience their home.

Day to day, you'll handle the full range of residential repairs: plumbing, electrical, general carpentry, and whatever else a property throws at you. Some days are predictable; many aren't. You'll work through a mix of scheduled work orders and the kind of urgent calls that don't wait for business hours. On-call rotation is part of the job here, and that's worth being honest about. You won't be doing it alone , the Service Manager backs you up , but you should go in with clear eyes about what after-hours availability actually means in practice.

Cottonwood has built a reputation for being early to adopt resident-facing technology, including self-guided tours that changed how prospective residents experience their communities. That same mindset shapes how they approach maintenance. They want technicians who are curious, willing to learn new systems, and not stuck in the "we've always done it this way" mode. If you're the kind of person who figures things out rather than waits to be told exactly what to do, that fits well here.

What they're looking for

• Hands-on experience with plumbing, electrical, and carpentry repairs in a residential setting
• Valid driver's license
• Physical ability to lift up to 50 lbs, work in confined spaces, and spend time on your feet, on ladders, and in awkward positions
• Availability for on-call and after-hours emergency coverage
• EPA Type II or Universal certification is a plus
• CPO certification is a plus
• Clear written and verbal communication in English for work orders, safety procedures, and resident interaction

The benefits package is competitive. Health, vision, dental, life, and disability coverage can kick in within the first 30 days, which is faster than most in this industry. You'd also get a 401k with company match, HSA matching, three weeks of PTO available in your first year, and 10.5 paid holidays. For a maintenance role, that's a solid total package.

What tends to separate strong maintenance techs from average ones in a community like this isn't just technical skill. It's the ability to read a situation, communicate with a resident who's frustrated or anxious, and leave a unit better than you found it , every time. Residents notice when someone takes pride in the work. Ownership does too, and that visibility often leads to lead technician or service manager opportunities for people who perform consistently and earn trust over time.