Senior Portfolio Operations Manager

Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA) Nashville, TN

MDHA serves Nashville and Davidson County. The mission of MDHA is to create quality affordable housing opportunities, support neighborhoods, strengthen communities, and help build a greater Nashville.

MDHA employs over 300 staff members, has a budget of $215 million, and houses approximately 30,000 people, primarily through nearly 8,000 Section 8 Vouchers and over 6,800 apartments, which are mainly Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) units, at 39 properties. MDHA is a housing authority, a community development agency, and a redevelopment agency.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Assistant Director of Property Management Operations, this role provides strategic oversight and operational leadership for a diverse real estate portfolio. The position leverages advanced data analytics, intelligent technology platforms, and predictive insights to optimize financial performance, streamline operations, and elevate the resident experience. Key responsibilities include assisting in maintaining compliance, efficiency, and high-quality communities through innovative technology-enabled solutions. Performs additional duties assigned to support organizational objectives.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Financial Management

• Leads data-informed annual budget development in partnership with site teams by analyzing historical performance, forecasting revenue and expense trends, and integrating real-time market intelligence; monitors performance dashboards and predictive indicators to ensure each property achieves or exceeds net operating income targets.
• Oversees monthly budget-to-actual variance analysis through performance analytics tools, identifies trends, anomalies, and risk signals early; collaborates with site leadership to implement timely corrective strategies and strengthen financial discipline.
• Directs annual portfolio-wide inventory and capital needs reviews, validating system-generated assessments, refining data inputs for accuracy, and recommending strategic adjustments to senior leadership to support sustainable asset performance.
• Applies advanced market analytics and demand forecasting models to develop dynamic marketing, leasing, and concession strategies for mixed-income communities; ensures optimized pricing strategies for market-rate units through continuous monitoring of market conditions and performance trends.
• Manages automated procure-to-pay workflows and purchasing controls, reviewing exception reports, spend analytics, and compliance indicators to strengthen internal controls, mitigate financial risk, and drive operational efficiency across the portfolio.
• Partners with the Asset Management department to evaluate long-term capital planning models, leveraging lifecycle data, asset performance metrics, and predictive maintenance insights to strategically prioritize each property's 5-year capital needs.
• Assists with strategic leadership in regulatory compliance, interpreting and operationalizing evolving Federal, State, HUD, and program-specific requirements across Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), HOME, PBRA, and mixed-income platforms to ensure consistent alignment.

• Develops a comprehensive, risk-based compliance framework for layered portfolios (PBRA, LIHTC, HOME, and Market Rate), leveraging performance metrics and internal controls to maintain regulatory integrity and audit readiness across all communities.

• In collaboration with the Senior Housing and Operations Manager, implements a data-driven Quality Assurance program, conducting targeted monthly file reviews to validate documentation accuracy, strengthen internal controls, and provide technical guidance to site teams and compliance partners.
• In collaboration with the Senior Housing and Operations Manager develop annual and unit inspection strategies in collaboration with Property Management-Operations and Property Management-Maintenance leadership to ensure physical asset standards align with regulatory requirements and long-term asset preservation goals.
• Assists in preparing and overseeing regulatory reporting deliverables to local, state, federal, and investor stakeholders, ensuring accuracy, transparency, and strategic alignment with funding requirements.
• Reviews lease enforcement practices and resident file integrity, reinforcing policy consistency, documentation standards, and fair application of program rules.
• Conducts systematic reviews of waitlist selections and screening decisions, strengthening resident selection controls and promoting equitable, compliant practices.
• Champions full compliance with Fair Housing laws, embedding equity, consistency, and regulatory awareness into operational procedures and staff training.

Leadership/Supervision

• Manages team performance through structured property reviews, operational dashboards, and performance reporting, reinforcing accountability, service standards, and portfolio-wide consistency.
• Provides strategic leadership in the interpretation and application of management and HR policies, ensuring consistent implementation of hiring, performance management, corrective action, and separation processes in coordination with Assistant Directors for Property Management and Human Resources.
• Reviews and approves timekeeping and leave requests for employees who are directly supervised, ensuring workforce coverage aligns with operational needs and productivity expectations.
• Designs and facilitates structured onboarding and continuous learning initiatives, delivering quarterly development sessions for new employees through their first year and ongoing professional development for established staff.
• Leads the performance evaluation process, preparing and delivering appraisals, coaching employees on measurable outcomes, and documenting performance discussions in accordance with established governance standards; ensuring decisions are aligned with MDHA's policies.
• Prepares and reviews performance and recommends disciplinary actions according to policy.
• Facilitates monthly staff meetings to communicate strategic priorities, reinforce accountability, and promote cross-functional collaboration.
• Continuously evaluates the effectiveness of operational policies and procedures, analyzing performance outcomes and recommending process enhancements.

Tenant/Property Management

• Partners with Property Managers to drive portfolio performance, ensuring occupancy targets, lease-up benchmarks, vacancy thresholds, and tenant receivable goals are achieved and sustained; monitors performance indicators and implements corrective strategies as needed.
• Establishes quality control standards for tenant file integrity and regulatory documentation, ensuring records are accurate, current, and audit-ready across all assigned properties.
• Leads service excellence and resident experience initiatives, overseeing maintenance response standards, complaint resolution processes, and escalation trends to ensure timely, professional, and balanced outcomes that protect resident satisfaction and organizational interests
• Conducts structured monthly site visits to evaluate physical conditions, vacancy readiness, curb appeal, and operational execution, providing strategic assessments and recommendations for operations.
• Oversees marketing and lease-up execution for new developments, ensuring units are leased efficiently and in compliance with all regulatory and tax credit requirements.
• Collaborates with onsite management and resident service partners to strengthen engagement, retention, and community stability initiatives.
• Maintains clear and strategic communication with internal departments, regulatory agencies, investors, and external stakeholders to ensure alignment, transparency, and operational continuity.
• Evaluates property-level risk indicators, including security needs and operational vulnerabilities, recommending enhancements to protect residents, staff, and physical assets.
• Strengthens workforce performance through structured oversight, bi-annual skill assessments, and targeted development recommendations, ensuring staffing capacity aligns with operational demands and long-term succession planning objectives.
• Conducts structured site evaluations to assess vacancies, physical asset conditions, lease-up execution, and regulatory compliance, providing strategic reports and improvement recommendations.
• Oversees marketing and stabilization efforts for new developments, ensuring timely lease-up and full adherence to applicable regulatory and tax credit requirements.
• Maintains clear, strategic communication with internal departments, governmental entities, investors, and external partners, ensuring alignment, transparency, and effective cross-functional collaboration.
• Evaluates property-level risk and security needs, recommending enhancements to protect residents, staff, and assets in coordination with appropriate departments and leadership.
• Assesses workforce capabilities on a recurring basis, identifying development opportunities and recommending targeted training initiatives to strengthen operational effectiveness and performance.

Data Analysis

• Leverages data-driven insights to monitor portfolio performance, track KPIs such as occupancy rates, rent collections, lease-up velocity, and maintenance response times, and identify trends that inform operational decisions.
• Conducts predictive analysis and forecasting to optimize budgeting, capital planning, and staffing allocations, ensuring resources are aligned with strategic objectives.
• Uses benchmarking and trend analysis to assess property performance against market standards and internal goals, guiding portfolio-level decision-making and strategy refinement.
• Implements performance dashboards and reporting tools to provide real-time visibility into property-level and portfolio-wide metrics, enabling proactive management and early identification of risks or opportunities.

Other Job Requirements

Travel 75% between properties, nighttime work.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required

Interpersonal Skills

• Ability to maintain required records such as tenant files, vacancy reports, etc.
• Ability to prepare clear, concise reports on property management and employee issues, and make appropriate recommendations within scope of