Maintenance Specialist

Maintenance Specialist
The Role

This is a coordination-heavy, operationally focused role at a residential property management organization in New York. The Maintenance Specialist sits between field staff and property management leadership, keeping the day-to-day repair and work order pipeline moving smoothly, accurately, and with consistent follow-through.

The person in this role will own the full lifecycle of maintenance work orders, from intake and assignment through completion and tenant follow-up, while also directly supervising a Front Desk Coordinator. You will work closely with in-house handymen, porters, and external contractors, and you will be the primary point of contact for tenant-facing maintenance communication.

This is not a purely administrative role. You are making real-time judgment calls about prioritization, urgency, and when to escalate. You are also not a facilities engineer or a licensed trades professional. What matters here is operational clarity, strong communication, and the ability to keep a lot of moving parts from falling through the cracks.
What This Role Is, and Is Not

This role is:

• A coordination and oversight function responsible for the full work order process from receipt to resolution
• A supervisory role with direct responsibility for one report (Front Desk Coordinator)
• The main communication link between tenants, maintenance staff, contractors, and property management
• A compliance-aware position with responsibility for health, safety, and documentation standards
• A systems-reliant role with daily use of Yardi for logging, invoicing, and tracking

This role is NOT:

• A hands-on trades or repair role
• A senior facilities management position (you report to the Facility Manager)
• A remote or flexible-schedule position
• A purely clerical role where someone else makes the operational calls

Required Experience & Traits

• At least 2 years of experience in customer service, hospitality, property management, or a similarly fast-moving, people-facing environment
• Comfortable working in Yardi or a comparable property management platform; experience processing work orders and invoices is a plus
• Familiar with basic health and safety standards, including OSHA requirements, enough to recognize a compliance issue and act on it
• Able to manage several open tasks simultaneously without losing detail or follow-through
• A clear, professional communicator, in writing and on the phone, with residents, vendors, and internal staff
• Bilingual in English and Spanish, or English and Mandarin or Cantonese, strongly preferred given the communities served
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook at minimum)
• A high school diploma or equivalent is required; additional administrative credentials are a plus, but not required if the experience is there

Key Responsibilities
Work Order Operations

• Receive, create, and assign work orders promptly upon intake, prioritizing by urgency and matching tasks to the appropriate skill level on the handyman team
• Track open work orders through to completion in Yardi, logging updates and flagging recurring issues
• Make day-to-day calls on whether a repair goes to an in-house handyman or requires an outside contractor, escalating to the Facility Manager when needed

Tenant & Contractor Coordination

• Schedule repair appointments that work for both tenants and staff, and conduct follow-up within 24 hours of repair completion to confirm satisfaction
• Communicate maintenance-related lease violations to tenants in writing and by phone, ensuring compliance with health, safety, and fire code requirements
• Coordinate with vendors and contractors for recurring monthly services and one-off repairs, keeping schedules accurate and communication clear

Documentation & Financial Administration

• Maintain detailed records of maintenance requests, completed repairs, and preventive maintenance activity in Yardi
• Process work order invoices and purchase orders in Yardi as work is completed and invoices are received
• Support documentation for property inspections, including building systems, elevators, and fire alarm reviews

People & Internal Communication

• Supervise the Front Desk Coordinator directly, holding bi-weekly check-ins and providing timely, specific feedback and coaching
• Keep Property Managers informed on maintenance activity, highlighting urgent issues before they escalate
• Coordinate across handymen, porters, and external contractors to ensure clear communication and efficient day-to-day operations

Compliance & Standards

• Monitor preventive maintenance schedules and ensure tasks are completed on time
• Apply working knowledge of OSHA and local safety codes to identify and address compliance concerns
• Uphold the organization's standards for documentation, timecard accuracy, and required training completion

Compensation

• Base salary: $60,000 to $65,000, depending on experience