General Manager - Student Housing

Overview

Who are we?

At aparto, we're more than just student accommodation, we're a community that acts as a home‑away‑from‑home for students across the UK, Ireland, Italy, and Spain. We understand that university life is a significant transition for many, often marking the first time they've lived away from their families. That's why we strive to make aparto not just a place to stay, but a vibrant, supportive environment where students can make lifelong friends, discover new possibilities, and have experiences that will shape their futures.

Responsibilities

Role Profile

Based in Bologna to oversee the opening of our fifth aparto Student Housing residence, aparto Bologna San Vitale, the General Manager plays a pivotal role in ensuring the successful launch and long‑term performance of the property.

You will lead the Operations Team (Front Desk, Housekeeping and Maintenance), ensuring the building is consistently maintained to an exceptional standard. You will collaborate closely with the Facilities Team to ensure full compliance with Health & Safety and Fire Safety requirements, following all daily, weekly, and monthly procedures.

As General Manager, you will lead regular meetings and provide structured reporting across key business areas, including finance, sales, commercial performance, operations, and quality working in close collaboration with the central offices for coordination while retaining a key leadership role and ultimate accountability. You will also be responsible for completing the administrative tasks required under current Italian hospitality regulations.

You will manage and coordinate all property teams essential to delivering a first‑class resident experience — including maintenance, cleaning, front desk, and security — through a mix of directly employed staff and external contractors. Collaboration with other General Managers and cross‑functional teams across the aparto portfolio will also be a key part of your role.

• Lead day‑to‑day property operations, ensuring a clean, safe building and consistent aparto standards.
• Train and guide the Assistant General Manager; ensure team training, rota and scheduling are effective.
• Provide proactive leadership to meet operational and commercial objectives, chair regular meetings and report on finance, sales, commercial performance, operations, quality.
• Drive revenue: develop pipelines, negotiate and close B2B contracts (universities, agencies, corporates, relocation), execute local sales campaigns with the support of the Marketing team, and optimize pricing/occupancy with central teams.
• Build partnerships and community relationships to generate leads and uplift conversion; monitor competitors and demand trends to propose actionable strategies.
• Coordinate the Facilities team; ensure preventive maintenance is delivered on time and defects are promptly escalated to the Facilities Manager.
• Ensure statutory and regulatory compliance (Fire, H&S, water, audits) and complete required administrative tasks under Italian hospitality regulations.
• Manage budgets and cost control: process invoices accurately, code correctly, and operate within approved budgets.
• Oversee arrivals/departures, summer turnarounds and refurbishment programs; maintain overall building appearance and condition.
• Support debt management, review reports on debt, income and occupancy, and implement corrective actions.
• Handle HR matters professionally, escalating when needed in line with legal frameworks.
• Resolve student complaints promptly; ensure a warm, welcoming, and safe environment for students, parents and visitors.
• Collaborate with central offices for coordination while retaining a key leadership role and ultimate accountability; liaise with other General Managers across the portfolio and conduct audits at other sites when required.

Qualifications

Person Specification

• Proven experience in hospitality, hotellerie or PBSA, with strong focus on guest/resident experience.
• Solid commercial mindset, with results in sales, occupancy growth and B2B partnerships.
• Strong ability to manage multidisciplinary teams (front desk, housekeeping, maintenance, contractors).
• Confident in producing financial reports (P&L, Forecast, Budget) and presenting KPIs (occupancy, revenue, NPS, costs).
• Strong IT skills, adaptable to PMS and internal systems (e.g., StarRez/Mews) plus good Office proficiency.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills at all levels.
• Strong problem‑solving attitude and ability to work autonomously with full accountability.
• Experience with operational H&S and fire safety routines, audits and preventive maintenance processes.
• Ability to provide appropriate support to residents and recognise emerging issues.
• Professional handling of sensitive or complex issues; strong influencing skills.
• Outgoing, energetic, committed to continuous learning and team development; strong results orientation and goal‑driven mindset.
• Willingness to attend training and travel to other properties when needed.
• Ability to effectively manage the complexities, challenges and unforeseen issues typical of opening a new hospitality property, ensuring operational

We are an equal opportunity employer and support workforce diversity.