Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Position summary: The Chief Operating Officer (COO) runs the day-to-day business so the CEO can focus on strategy, capital, and key relationships. The COO reports to the CEO and leads the department heads of Acquisitions/Dispositions, Development, Multi-Family, Retail, and Finance. This is a hands-on operating role with two core mandates. First, make the company run better. The COO maps and redesigns how work moves across departments, builds the KPIs that show what is working, fixes operational breakdowns at the root, and captures efficiencies that hold up as the company grows. Second, make the department heads stronger leaders. The COO gives them the structure, clarity, and organizational discipline to run their teams at a high level. The right candidate is a process-minded operator with deep real estate knowledge. This person earns respect through judgment, expertise, and measurable results.

Reporting structure The COO reports to the CEO. The heads of Acquisitions/Dispositions, Development, Multi-Family, Retail, and Finance report to the COO.Key responsibilities1. Workflow design and process improvement Map end-to-end workflows across the real estate lifecycle, from deal sourcing through development, lease-up, asset management, and disposition. Identify bottlenecks, redundant steps, unclear ownership, and handoff failures between departments. Redesign and document core workflows with clear owners, steps, timelines, and decision points. Establish standard operating procedures, checklists, and templates for recurring processes, such as investment decisions, due diligence, closings, budget approvals, lease approvals, and month-end reporting. Define approval and payment authorities and decision rights so routine decisions move without escalation to the CEO.Review workflows on a set cadence and refine them as the business scales.2. KPIs and performance management Build a KPI framework tied directly to the annual operating plan and budget. Build dashboards and management reporting that give the CEO and department heads a clear, current view of performance. Run a consistent operating rhythm: weekly leadership meetings, monthly business reviews, and quarterly planning. Review results against targets, diagnose variances, and drive corrective action with clear owners and deadlines. Track deal pipeline, project budgets, leasing velocity, and portfolio performance against plan.3. Operational fixes and efficiencies Diagnose operational problems quickly and resolve them at the root cause, not just the symptom. Lead targeted improvement initiatives with defined scope, owners, deadlines, and measurable outcomes. Reduce cycle times, rework, and cost across deal execution, construction, property operations, and reporting. Evaluate staffing, vendor, and property management structures for cost and performance. Evaluate and implement technology, data, and automation tools that remove manual work and improve data quality. Strengthen risk management, internal controls, and compliance, working with legal and outside advisors.4. Leadership and organizational development of department heads Serve as the direct leader, coach, and sounding board for each department head. Help department heads organize their teams by clarifying roles, responsibilities, reporting lines, and capacity. Teach planning, prioritization, delegation, and meeting discipline that department heads can apply with their own teams. Hold regular one-on-ones focused on priorities, obstacles, and professional development. Address underperformance directly and promptly, with clear expectations and follow-through. Lead hiring, performance reviews, and compensation recommendations for direct reports, and build succession for key roles. Model and reinforce a culture of ownership, candor, collaboration, ethics, and high standards.5. Executive partnership with the CEOServe as the CEO’s trusted second in command and primary point of accountability for operations. Translate company strategy into annual operating plans, budgets, and department goals. Own decisions that do not require the CEO, and escalate only the ones that do, with a clear recommendation. Brief the CEO and, as appropriate, the executive team on performance, operational risks, and progress on improvement initiatives. Represent the company with partners, lenders, and other counterparties as the CEO directs. Leadership profile The COO leads from credibility, not title. Department heads should see this person as someone who knows their work, makes their jobs easier, and expects their best. Systems thinker: Sees the business as a set of connected workflows. Fixes the system, not just the symptom. Data-driven: Manages by metrics. Sets clear targets and uses data to make decisions. Builder of leaders: Develops department heads into stronger managers and organizers. Removes roadblocks, secures resources, and gives credit. Organized and disciplined: Brings structure, cadence, and follow-through to everything. Nothing falls through the cracks. Commands respect: Has the real estate and operations depth and track record that seasoned department heads recognize. Demands accountability: Sets clear expectations, measures results, and has hard conversations early. Connector: Breaks down silos and gets departments working toward shared goals. Decisive: Makes timely calls with available information, owns the outcome, and stays steady under pressure. Trusted partner with high integrity: Exercises discretion, gives the CEO candid counsel, and holds to the highest ethical standards with investors, partners, tenants, and staff.