Cluster Operations Manager in Southampton

Lead with heart. Drive operations. Create communities where students thrive.

Location: Southampton & Bournemouth

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: Competitive + bonus + benefits

As a Cluster Operations Manager, you will oversee the day-to-day operations of a group of properties within your cluster, leading teams to deliver strong operational and commercial performance. You will take ownership of multiple sites, ensuring they operate safely, efficiently, and deliver a consistently high-quality resident experience. With responsibility for both operational delivery and day-to-day financial performance, you will play a key role in driving results, maintaining standards, and building thriving student communities. Working closely with the Area Operations Manager and support teams, you will combine hands-on leadership with a proactive, performance-driven approach. This is more than just running buildings – you’ll create environments where students feel supported, connected, and at home.

Your impact

• Lead operational performance across your cluster, overseeing multiple properties and ensuring consistent, high standards.
• Take ownership of day-to-day financial performance, supporting occupancy, revenue, cost control, and overall cluster results.
• Lead, develop and support teams across your cluster, creating a high-performing, engaged and collaborative environment.
• Ensure properties are safe, compliant and well-maintained, maintaining strong health, safety and operational standards.
• Deliver an excellent resident experience, resolving issues quickly and creating welcoming, inclusive communities.
• Work closely with maintenance and operational teams to ensure buildings are presented to a high standard and issues are resolved efficiently.
• Build strong relationships with university partners, suppliers and contractors to support operational success.
• Act as a key escalation point for operational issues and participate in the Duty Manager rota where required.
• Use data, feedback and insight to identify opportunities to improve performance, efficiency and resident satisfaction.

Your background

You don’t need to fit a box or follow a traditional path – what matters most is your mindset. We are looking for curiosity, openness to learning, and the drive to make a difference. Whether you’re solving problems, leading teams, or supporting residents day-to-day, it’s your attitude and approach that will help shape something bigger.

To be successful in this role, you will:

• Bring experience in operational leadership within property, hospitality, facilities management, or another customer-focused environment.
• Have experience managing teams and multi-site operations.
• Be confident managing operational performance and service delivery standards.
• Be an excellent communicator, comfortable building relationships with colleagues, suppliers and external partners.
• Be organised, solutions-focused and able to manage priorities in a fast-paced operational environment.
• Experience within property, hospitality or PBSA would be advantageous, but is not essential.

Benefits

• A performance-related bonus paid twice a year.
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to buy up to 5 extra days.
• A generous pension scheme where contributions range between 4% and 11% depending on how much you save.
• Life assurance worth 4 times your salary.
• Share save scheme giving you access to purchase Unite Students shares at a discounted rate.
• Enhanced Family Leave policies.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
• One free volunteering day each year.
• Retail and hospitality discounts.

Alongside these benefits, you’ll also have access to learning and development programmes designed to support your growth and career progression.