Manager of Product Operations at AIR Communities — Chicago, IL

Are you the person who can bring structure to ambiguity, keep cross-functional initiatives moving, and make complex technology and process changes land smoothly with the business? As Manager, of Product Operations, you will serve as the connective tissue across business teams, operating partners, technology groups, analytics, data, and leadership. You will help translate strategic priorities into disciplined execution across the Revenue Management program, Lens product enhancements, implementation readiness, reporting, stakeholder alignment, and ongoing operational optimization.

What You’ll Do

Lead Technology Implementations & Go-Live Readiness

• Coordinate implementation planning, readiness validation, deployment activities, operator onboarding, platform migrations, and system go-lives for enterprise technology initiatives.
• Support launch planning, risk mitigation, issue resolution, and post-implementation stabilization across operating partners and business stakeholders.
• Facilitate implementation reviews, follow-up sessions, and go-live validation checkpoints to promote successful adoption and operational continuity.

Turn Reporting & Analytics into Executive-Ready Insights

• Develop, maintain, and automate recurring business reporting processes that provide visibility into implementation progress, operational status, and key business metrics.
• Prepare clear updates, insights, and recommendations for leadership to support data-driven decision-making and transparent program governance.
• Maintain reporting cadences and performance monitoring processes that support strategic initiatives and execution priorities.
• Coordinate user administration activities, including access tracking, stakeholder communications, status follow-up, and partnership with technology teams to support timely and controlled user enablement.

Improve Processes & Prepare the Business for Change

• Identify opportunities to streamline workflows, improve business processes, and strengthen operational effectiveness.
• Support process standardization by documenting procedures, implementation requirements, and operational best practices.
• Partner with stakeholders to validate readiness, resolve process gaps, and support organizational change initiatives.

Align Stakeholders, Vendors & Operating Partners

• Act as a central coordination point across internal departments, external operating partners, and vendor stakeholders to align priorities, dependencies, timelines, and deliverables.
• Build strong working relationships that support implementation success, operational objectives, and ongoing optimization.
• Run recurring engagement sessions to track progress, address risks, and maintain stakeholder alignment.
• Provide clear communication and follow-through throughout project and product lifecycles.

Support Strategic Planning & Change Management

• Support strategic planning, roadmap execution, implementation sequencing, and organizational change initiatives.
• Partner with leadership and cross-functional teams to assess dependencies, resource needs, risks, and tradeoffs.
• Help stakeholders navigate process and technology changes to promote adoption, continuity, and effective execution.

Enable Product Enhancements

• Serve as the operating partner to the Product Manager, turning the Lens product vision into a disciplined execution model across business, analytics, data, technology, and operator stakeholders.
• Establish and maintain the Lens product operating cadence, including prioritization forums, decision tracking, stakeholder alignment touchpoints, release planning, and post-release follow-up.
• Create structure for how Lens priorities move from product direction to delivery by organizing the right conversations, surfacing tradeoffs, documenting decisions, and keeping teams aligned on timing and outcomes.
• Coordinate cross-functional execution of Lens enhancements so workstreams stay aligned to product priorities, business objectives, adoption goals, and implementation sequencing.
• Maintain visibility into enhancement status, open decisions, risks, dependencies, stakeholder commitments, and readiness milestones.
• Partner with the Product Manager to prepare stakeholders for upcoming Lens changes, including communications, adoption planning, operating impacts, and support needs.
• Reinforce a consistent Lens operating model with clear ownership, disciplined follow-through, stakeholder accountability, and measurable business adoption.

What You Bring

• 5-7 years of relevant program management and analytic experience.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional initiatives that span business operations, technology, analytics, reporting, and stakeholder groups.
• Strong ability to translate business priorities into clear action plans, operating cadences, milestones, and follow-through.
• Comfort working in ambiguous and fast-moving environments
• Clear executive communication skills, including the ability to summarize progress, risks, decisions, and recommendations.
• Strong process improvement mindset with the ability to document workflows, identify gaps, and support scalable operating models.
• Experience supporting technology implementations, go-live readiness, change management, adoption planning, or operational readiness efforts.
• Ability to build trust with business partners, operators, vendors, technology teams, product stakeholders, and leadership.
• Data-oriented approach to reporting, validation, metrics, and performance monitoring.
• Curiosity for using AI, automation, and improved workflows to reduce manual effort and increase operational efficiency.

Preferred Experience

• Bachelor's degree in business administration or related field.
• Revenue management and/or property operations experience.
• Experience working in Jira or a similar project, product, or issue-tracking platform.
• Ability to write, edit, or validate SQL queries.
• Advanced Excel skills, including array functions, efficient formatting, analysis, and storytelling with data.

Who Thrives in This Role

The Implementation Orchestrator. You are not purely a project manager, analyst, product owner, or change manager—you bring the best of all four. You create value by helping complex, fast-moving initiatives land successfully with operators, business teams, and leadership. You are detail-oriented, organized, and able to translate business priorities into execution across technology, reporting, process, product, and stakeholder groups. You keep initiatives moving, surface risks early, align cross-functional partners, and help ensure launches are implemented without disrupting operational continuity.

If you enjoy creating clarity, building operating rhythm, connecting the right people, and turning strategy into measurable execution, this role offers the opportunity to make a visible impact across product, technology, operations, and revenue management.

AIR offers attractive total compensation packages designed to recognize and reward performance at the individual, team and company levels. We start with a competitive base salary and add bonus opportunities and benefit choices topped off with:

• Expected pay rate of $135,000 - $155,000 plus annual bonus. You will be provided a pay rate that is in line with your skills and experience as they relate to the requirements of the job.
• 25% Discounted Rent at AIR communities (certain exclusions apply, and an application is required).
• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance options available. HSA with company sponsored contributions, FSA (traditional and dependent care FSA).
• Short and long-term disability paid by the company.
• 401(K) plus up to 6% company match contributions.
• Paid Vacation, 14 Paid Holidays, and Paid Sick Time.
• Tuition Assistance Program.
• Commuter Benefits and Pet-Insurance.
• Up to 100% Reimbursement on Professional Certification/Licensing for Job Related Curriculums.
• Paid parental leave of up to 16 weeks, following the birth or adoption of a child.
• Consumer discounts from various products and services including travel planning, wireless phones, health and fitness, home appliances, and more.
• 15 hours of paid time annually to give-back to your community.
• Opportunities for professional development and career growth including realistic job previews, in person and virtual leadership training, and performance improvement courses.

Application Deadline: The initial deadline for applications is 7/26/2026. Applications submitted after this date may still be considered on a rolling basis until the position/program is filled. We encourage all interested candidates to apply as early as possible. If a final decision has not been made by the initial deadline, subsequent applications will be reviewed as they are received.