Operations & Finance Manager

University Center is unlike any other property in Chicago's student housing market, and that's not a small claim. A 1,700-plus bed complex in the heart of downtown, it serves residents from five master-leased universities alongside individually leased beds, a full-service dining center, retail tenants, and a summer operation that pivots entirely into a hoteling facility for interns, corporate clients, and groups. That's a lot of moving parts. The Operations and Finance Manager sits at the center of it.

PeakMade Real Estate is looking for someone who can hold the financial and operational details of a property this complex without losing sight of the people those details affect. That means accurate, timely accounts payable and receivable across several income streams: master lease billing, retail tenant ledgers, individual resident accounts, and client invoicing. It also means owning delinquency management, tracking concessions and marketing spend, supporting the annual budget cycle, and keeping the property's permits and licenses current. If you've managed AR across multiple account types before, you know how quickly discrepancies compound. Clean books here require genuine discipline and system fluency.

The reporting cadence is real. Weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual deliverables go to property leadership, corporate stakeholders, and clients. Lease file audits, billing reviews, delinquency audits, risk analysis: these aren't occasional asks. They're part of the rhythm. You'll also support renters insurance compliance for individually leased residents and administer retail lease requirements, which adds a layer of legal and contractual awareness that most traditional multifamily finance roles don't require.

What sets strong candidates apart here is comfort with context-switching. On any given day, you might be reconciling an invoice, fielding a question from a retail tenant about their ledger, pulling a report for a university client, and helping coordinate a move-in event that involves hundreds of students. The diversity of the work is genuinely one of the more appealing things about this role, but it requires someone who organizes their own time well and stays calm when three things need attention at once.

Evenings and weekends during peak move-in and move-out periods are part of the job. That's worth acknowledging honestly. Student housing has natural operational spikes, and a property this size amplifies them.

What you'll bring

• At least two years of experience in property management, finance, collections, or a related real estate or hospitality role
• Comfort working across property management software systems and managing high-volume financial records
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with a track record of working across teams and with external stakeholders
• A bachelor's degree or a high school diploma with meaningful additional coursework or experience
• Willingness to obtain an Illinois Leasing License within 120 days of hire

The anticipated salary range for this role is $70,000 to $75,000, with final compensation based on experience and qualifications. If you want a finance-adjacent property management role with genuine operational depth and a property that's genuinely one of a kind, this is a serious opportunity worth pursuing.