Sr. Manager, Operational Programs & Knowledge Management

SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES

The Sr. Manager, Operational Programs & Knowledge Management is responsible for managing mid-sized operational projects end-to-end and leading the development and maintenance of job aids, standard operating procedures, and knowledge base (KeyKnowledge) content across Operations. This role serves as the day-to-day leader for operational project execution and content development, ensuring that cross-functional changes are implemented effectively and that operational teams have the documentation and tools needed to perform their roles. Additionally, this role plays a hands-on role in change execution verification - managing the monitoring plans, verification checkpoints, and feedback loops that ensure operational changes land as intended. This role also provides facilitation and execution support for the Sr. Director in the buildout and ongoing operation of the quality management program, including the rollout and adoption of quality monitoring tools. This position supervises one Knowledge Management Specialist focused on knowledge base content development and operational documentation.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Cross-Functional Project Execution

• Own and manage mid-sized operational projects end-to-end, including entity transfers, bulk acquisitions, law changes with significant operational impact (e.g., state-specific regulatory changes), and new system or technology rollouts.
• Develop and maintain detailed project plans, timelines, and stakeholder communications to ensure all impacted teams are aligned through execution and go-live.
• Coordinate across Operations, Legal/Compliance, IT, Accounting, and field teams to ensure seamless implementation of operational changes.
• Identify risks, dependencies, and resource needs early in the project lifecycle and escalate appropriately to ensure timely delivery.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for operational readiness on cross-functional initiatives, ensuring all teams are trained, informed, and equipped before changes take effect.

Job Aid & Knowledge Base Content Development

• Lead the strategy and prioritization for job aid, standard operating procedure, and knowledge base (KeyKnowledge) content development across Operations.
• Directly oversee the day-to-day work of the Knowledge Management Specialist, ensuring quality, accuracy, and timeliness of all content produced - including decision trees, process documentation, and role-specific guidance.
• Provide senior facilitation, stakeholder coordination, and process mapping to support the buildout and onboarding of knowledge base content across operational roles - addressing a significant backlog of undocumented job aids and role-specific guidance.
• Ensure alignment between project deliverables and documentation; every project should produce corresponding job aids and process documentation on the back end.
• Partner with Compliance (responsible for final ownership and publication in KeyKnowledge), Learning & Development, Communications, and functional leaders to ensure content is accurate, accessible, and integrated into training programs.
• Collaborate closely with the Compliance team and compliance governance function to ensure that Ops-produced content aligns with compliance requirements and that ownership boundaries between Ops and Compliance are clearly maintained throughout the content development process.
• Drive the consolidation of unofficial knowledge bases (e.g., OneNote, SharePoint documents) into the centralized KeyKnowledge platform to ensure a single source of truth.

Change Execution Verification

• Execute and manage defined monitoring plans for post-change verification from an Operations perspective across all significant change types - lease configuration changes (e.g., Yardi), IT/system updates, fee changes, and process-driven changes - as directed by the Sr. Director's strategic framework.
• Maintain verification checkpoints, timelines, and escalation paths for each significant change, ensuring execution gaps are identified and surfaced quickly.
• Create and manage feedback loops that enable rapid remediation before issues compound or go undetected - routing findings to the appropriate functional owners for corrective action.
• Track and document change execution outcomes, preparing data and trend analyses for the Sr. Director's leadership report-outs.
• Partner with Accounting, IT, Legal/Compliance, and field operations to ensure monitoring plans account for all downstream impacts of operational changes.

Operational Updates & Communication

• Develop and distribute operational updates related to process changes, system updates, and new procedures to ensure all impacted teams are informed and prepared.
• Coordinate with Communications, Learning & Development, and Tech Enablement to ensure that operational changes are supported with appropriate training, communications, and rollout plans.
• Maintain a structured change management tracker to provide visibility into the status, ownership, and timeline of all active mid-sized projects and process changes.

Quality Management Program Support

• Facilitate and support the Sr. Director in the design and buildout of the operational quality management program, including research, data gathering, process documentation, and coordination of cross-functional inputs.
• Assist in the evaluation, rollout, and operationalization of quality monitoring tools - potentially including but not limited to those available within the organization's existing technology ecosystem (e.g., Zendesk, Qualtrics CXOne, etc.) as well as other QA platforms, survey and feedback tools, and reporting solutions. Support includes configuration coordination, user training, and documentation of quality monitoring workflows.
• Help prepare quality findings, trend analyses, and recommendations for senior leadership report-outs.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Primarily working indoors, office environment.
• Occasionally requires working extended evenings and weekends to meet deadlines.
• May sit for several hours at a time.
• Prolonged exposure to computer screens.
• Repetitive use of hands to operate computers, printers, and copiers.
• Occasional domestic travel for internal meetings and trainings.

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations Management, Communications, or related field required.

5+ years of progressive experience in operations, project management, or process improvement, preferably in property management, real estate, or financial services.

2+ years of experience managing or overseeing direct reports.

Demonstrated experience in project management, including developing project plans, managing timelines, and coordinating cross-functional stakeholders.

Strong background in process documentation, job aid development, and knowledge management.

Experience working with property management systems (e.g., Yardi) and understanding of lease administration and operational processes.

Experience supporting or leading user acceptance testing (UAT) processes for system implementations, configuration changes, or technology rollouts, with a strong understanding of how to validate that technical changes meet operational requirements before go-live.

PREFERRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Experience in single-family rental, multifamily, or residential property management operations.
• Familiarity with knowledge management platforms (e.g., USU/KeyKnowledge, or similar).
• Familiarity with quality management tools and platforms (e.g., QA scoring tools, survey/feedback platforms, operational reporting solutions, or similar).
• Experience with IT development and release management processes, including familiarity with UAT best practices, defect tracking, and post-deployment monitoring and validation.
• Background in change management, training coordination, or learning and development.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE

• Project management methodologies and tools.
• Knowledge management principles and content development best practices.
• Change management principles and post-implementation documentation standards.
• User acceptance testing (UAT) methodologies, test plan development, and defect documentation and tracking.
• IT development lifecycle awareness, particularly as it relates to operational readiness, post-deployment validation, and quality assurance of system changes from an end-user perspective.
• Data analysis and reporting tools (e.g., Excel, BI tools).
• Cross-functional coordination in a multi-team operating environment.

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Judgment and Decision Making - Evaluating the costs and benefits of potential actions to determine the most effective course of action, particularly when managing competing project priorities and content development timelines.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify root causes of documentation gaps, project delays, and execution issues across multiple functions.
• Project Management - Planning, organizing, and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives within defined timelines and budgets.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Monitoring - Assessing project progress, content quality, and operational readiness to identify gaps and ensure corrective action is taken in a timely manner.
• Systems Evaluation - Understanding how technology changes impact operational workflows and end-user execution, with the ability to design and execute UAT plans, identify gaps between technical delivery and operational requirements, and ensure that post-development quality standards are met before and after go-live.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing, including the development of job aids, process documentation, project plans, operational updates, and stakeholder communications.
• Speaking - Presenting project updates, content development progress, and operational readiness assessments clearly to leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Management of Personnel Resources - Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
• Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others to meet project deadlines and content development milestones.

WORK STYLES & BEHAVIORS

Leadership - Willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction, particularly when managing cross-functional projects and content development priorities.

Initiative - Willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges, including proactively identifying gaps in documentation and project execution before they escalate.

Attention to Detail - Being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks, especially when developing job aids, reviewing knowledge base content, and verifying project deliverables.

Integrity - Being honest and ethical, particularly when surfacing project risks or documentation gaps to leadership.

Analytical Thinking - Analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues, prioritize content development, and inform project recommendations.

Cooperation - Being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude, essential for cross-functional coordination across Operations, Legal, IT, Compliance, and L&D.

Adaptability/Flexibility - Being open to change and to considerable variety in the workplace, given the breadth of projects and operational areas this role will encounter.

FirstKey Homes is an equal opportunity employer and will not tolerate discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, disability, ethnicity, national origin, marital status, veteran status, genetic information or any other legally protected classification or status.

This document is provided by the Company for the benefit of its employees. It is not a contract and does not create a contract of any kind. The Company, at its sole discretion, may modify, suspend or terminate the document at any time, with or without notice. Final interpretation of the document and its provisions is the responsibility of the Human Resources Department.