OPERATIONS MANAGER

WHO WE AREWe are a property management division of a fast-growing group overseeing a luxury residential portfolio in Panama, with an international ownership base and a premium clientele. We are currently at approximately 300 units under management, with a strategic plan to scale to approximately 800 units over the next years. We are seeking a hands-on, results-driven Operations Manager to lead field operations, drive cost efficiency, and build the operational foundation for that growth.POSITION SUMMARYThe Operations Manager is responsible for leading, optimizing, and continuously improving the day-to-day operational performance of a luxury residential property management portfolio, ensuring that all maintenance, cleaning, inspection, technical, and field service activities are executed efficiently, consistently, and to the standard expected by a premium residential clientele.This role serves as the key operational partner to the General Manager, translating business objectives into clear operational plans, measurable results, and disciplined execution and will play a central role in building the operational capacity, systems, and team structure needed to scale the portfolio from 300 to 800 units without compromising service quality.KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Field Operations Leadership: Directly oversee Cleaning, Inspection, and Technical teams (supervisors, inspectors, technicians, painters, handymen), ensuring clear priorities, schedules, and accountability, with constant field presence rather than desk-only management.

Preventive & Corrective Maintenance: Own the Preventive Maintenance Master Schedule, shifting the operation from reactive to proactive, and drive root-cause analysis on recurring issues. Logistics & Route Optimization: Manage and optimize the two operational route vehicles and technician scheduling to minimize idle time and transportation costs across the portfolio. Cost & Productivity Optimization: Continuously identify opportunities to reduce operational costs without compromising quality, analyzing internal labor vs. vendor utilization, negotiating with contractors, and tracking spend against budget.

This is a core, not secondary, responsibility of the role. Vendor & Contractor Management: Hold vendors accountable to contracted scope, pricing, and service levels; recommend renegotiation or replacement of underperformers. Data, Systems & KPI Management: Ensure all work orders are tracked in SAP (or equivalent CMMS); build and maintain Power BI dashboards; run a weekly operational reporting cadence with the General Manager covering KPIs such as PM completion %, work order aging, cost per work order, and vendor SLA compliance.

Strategic & Team Leadership: Build the 12–24 month operational roadmap, develop scalable SOPs ahead of portfolio growth, and lead a team culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement.PROFILE REQUIREMENTSEducation Bachelor's degree preferred in Engineering, Business Administration, Operations Management, Facilities Management, Logistics, Construction Management, or Architecture. Equivalent relevant experience will be considered.Experience 5+ years of progressive experience in Operations, Facilities Management, Property Management, Hospitality, Construction, Engineering, or Maintenance.

Proven experience leading multidisciplinary field teams, managing vendors/contractors, and running preventive and corrective maintenance programs. Experience managing operational budgets, logistics, and route/workforce optimization.Languages Fully bilingual in Spanish and English (spoken and written) required, given the portfolio's international ownership base and premium clientele.TECHNICAL SKILLS Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making; advanced Excel.

Budget and cost management; KPI management. Preventive maintenance planning and project management. Vendor management, logistics, and route optimization.

Highly desirable: SAP experience, Power BI (or similar reporting tools), Property/Facilities Management background, and experience implementing SOPs or transitioning outsourced work to internal teams.CORE COMPETENCIES Proactive rather than reactive; hands-on rather than purely administrative. Strategic thinking grounded in day-to-day operational reality. Comfortable challenging the status quo and holding people accountable.

Strong follow-through owns issues from diagnosis to resolution rather than escalating. Excellent bilingual communication and stakeholder management. Commercially minded, organized, and solution-oriented.WHAT WE OFFER The opportunity to build and shape the operational backbone of a fast-growing luxury residential portfolio, from 300 to 800 units.

A direct, high-visibility partnership with the General Manager. Competitive compensation package and professional growth within an expanding organization.