Portfolio Area Manager - Goleta, CA

The Role Every Great Portfolio Needs

At The Towbes Group, we've spent over 60 years creating communities where people thrive on the Central Coast and we need a versatile leader who can step into any property, any challenge, and make it better.

As our Portfolio Area Manager, you're not tied to one community, you're the go-to leader across the entire portfolio. One week you might be running a property as Acting Community Manager, the next you're leasing and conducting site tours, then you might be diving into a disposition project or coaching a site team through a rough patch. If you thrive on variety, love solving problems on the fly, and want a role where your fingerprints are on results across multiple communities — this is your next move.

What You'll Do

• Lead when it counts: Step in as Acting Community Manager wherever coverage is needed, taking full ownership of performance, leases, budgets, and team leadership.
• Drive results across the portfolio: Own NOI, occupancy, and retention targets when covering a property, and help every site team hit their numbers.
• Be the compliance expert: Navigate Fair Housing, DRE, LIHTC, HUD/REAC, and HOME Program requirements across a diverse set of communities — including specialized affordable housing properties.
• Mentor and elevate: Coach site teams, deliver feedback, and raise the bar on service and operations everywhere you go.
• Solve the big stuff: Support property dispositions, portfolio-wide projects, and operational initiatives alongside the Director of Residential Properties and Regional Managers.
• Work smart with AI: Use company-approved AI tools to surface efficiencies, draft reports and communications, and make faster, better-informed decisions.
• Keep the wheels turning: Manage rent payments, vendor relationships, preventive maintenance coordination, and resident escalations — wherever you're needed most.

What You Bring

• Valid CA Real Estate License
• 2+ years as a Community Manager or higher
• ARM, CAM, or CCRM certification (or active progress toward one)
• Deep knowledge of Fair Housing, DRE regulations, and local landlord-tenant ordinances (Goleta, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Santa Maria, Lompoc)
• Familiarity with subsidized housing compliance (LIHTC, HUD/REAC, HOME Program)
• Proficiency in Yardi and CRM IQ
• A clean DMV record and background check
• Flexibility to travel across the portfolio locations in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria/Lompoc and Ventura
• Adapt to shifting priorities, and be available to work occasional weekends

Why You'll Love Working Here

• Competitive salary — $75,000–$113,000/year
• Full health coverage — medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability
• 401(k) with a generous company match
• Paid vacation and sick time
• Local Coastal Housing Partnership benefits
• A high-performance culture built on Community, Integrity, and Quality

Ready to lead across an entire portfolio? Apply today and bring your leadership wherever it's needed most.

The Towbes Group is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.