Head of Operations (PBSA) in Bristol

Rengen Developments is a leading South West property developer specialising in Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA), Build-to-Rent, residential, commercial and mixed-use developments.

Headquartered in Bath, the business has established an enviable reputation for delivering high-quality developments across the South West and wider UK markets.

Over the last decade, Rengen has successfully grown from a regional operator into a substantial national student accommodation platform.

The business currently owns and operates approximately 45 assets comprising more than 1,800 beds across multiple university cities, with a strong pipeline of developments and acquisitions continuing to support future growth.

Unlike many organisations within the sector, Rengen is both a developer and long-term owner of its assets.

This creates a highly entrepreneurial environment where operational excellence, customer experience and investment performance are closely aligned.

As the portfolio continues to expand, the business is seeking an experienced operational leader to help shape and professionalise the next phase of growth.

Purpose of job

This is a newly created leadership role designed to support the continued growth of the business and allow the senior leadership team to focus on strategic initiatives.

The successful candidate will take responsibility for the operational performance of Rengen’s PBSA portfolio, providing leadership across multiple sites, driving best practice, supporting new developments and ensuring the portfolio continues to deliver an exceptional student experience.

This is not a traditional site operations role.

It is a broad business leadership position requiring a balance of strategic thinking, commercial awareness and hands-on operational delivery.

Working closely with senior leadership, you will become the key operational figure within the organisation, supporting existing managers, driving consistency across the portfolio and helping create the platform for future growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Operational Leadership
• Lead the day-to-day operational performance of the PBSA portfolio.
• Provide leadership, direction and support to operational, lettings and property management teams.
• Act as the senior escalation point for operational matters across the portfolio.
• Develop and implement operational policies, systems and best practices.
• Drive consistency and efficiency across all locations.
• Portfolio Performance
• Monitor operational KPIs, occupancy, retention and customer satisfaction.
• Identify opportunities to improve resident experience and operational performance.
• Support budgeting, forecasting and cost management activities.
• Work collaboratively with senior stakeholders to maximise asset performance.
• Mobilisation & Growth
• Lead operational mobilisation of new developments and acquisitions.
• Ensure new schemes are operationally ready prior to launch.
• Implement scalable processes and systems to support business growth.
• Contribute to strategic planning around future portfolio expansion.
• Compliance & Risk
• Maintain operational oversight of compliance, health and safety and regulatory requirements.
• Work closely with the Compliance Manager to ensure best practice across the portfolio.
• Monitor building safety, resident welfare and operational governance standards.
• Promote a culture of accountability, compliance and continuous improvement.
• Stakeholder Management
• Develop strong working relationships with universities, educational institutions and external stakeholders.
• Support senior leadership with key partnership discussions.
• Manage relationships with contractors, consultants and service providers.
• Represent the business professionally within the PBSA sector.
• People Leadership
• Lead, mentor and develop operational managers across the business.
• Support succession planning and team development.
• Build a high-performance culture focused on accountability and continuous improvement.
• Identify future organisational requirements as the portfolio grows.
• Candidate Profile

We are seeking an experienced professional with a proven track record of leading multi-site operations.

Essential Experience

• Significant senior leadership experience within PBSA, student accommodation, Build-to-Rent or residential property operations.
• Experience managing geographically dispersed portfolios.
• Proven ability to lead and develop teams. • Experience mobilising new developments or large residential schemes.
• Strong understanding of operational performance, customer service and compliance.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Commercially astute with strong problem-solving capabilities. Desirable Experience
• Experience working within an owner-operator environment.
• Knowledge of landlord and tenant legislation.
• Experience managing portfolios exceeding 1,000 beds.
• Exposure to university partnerships and student housing markets.
• Professional qualifications relating to property, operations or health and safety.
• Personal Attributes

The successful candidate will be

• A credible and confident leader.
• Commercially minded and operationally driven.
• Comfortable making decisions and taking ownership.
• Pragmatic, hands-on and solutions-focused.
• An excellent communicator capable of influencing stakeholders at all levels.