Community Manager Job Description Template

The Community Manager Role in Coliving

The community manager is the heart and soul of a coliving operation. They are the first face residents see at move-in, the person who creates the weekly event calendar, the one who resolves the kitchen conflict at 9pm on a Tuesday, and the professional who converts an inquiry into a long-term resident. Getting this hire right is arguably the most important decision you will make as a coliving operator.

This guide provides a complete, ready-to-use job description template plus interview questions and trial period structure to help you find and validate the right person. For salary benchmarks and compensation structures, see our HR and training guide.

Copy-Paste Job Description Template

About [Your Company Name]

[Your Company Name] is a coliving operator creating vibrant shared living communities for [target audience: remote workers, young professionals, digital nomads] in [city/region]. We believe that great housing is about more than four walls — it is about belonging, connection, and an environment where people thrive. We currently operate [X] properties with [Y] residents and are growing.

Role Summary

We are looking for a Community Manager to be the heart of our [property name/location] coliving community. You will be responsible for creating an exceptional living experience for [X] residents, managing day-to-day operations, and building a community culture that drives resident satisfaction, retention, and referrals. This is a hands-on role that blends hospitality, operations, and community building.

Key Responsibilities

1. Resident experience: Serve as the primary point of contact for all residents. Ensure every interaction — from inquiry to move-out — is warm, professional, and efficient.
2. Move-in and onboarding: Conduct property tours, manage the check-in process, deliver move-in orientations, and ensure new residents feel welcomed and integrated into the community.
3. Community programming: Plan and host 2-4 community events per week (dinners, skill-shares, city explorations, wellness activities). Build an inclusive culture where residents from diverse backgrounds feel at home.
4. Inquiry management: Respond to all booking inquiries within 2 hours during business hours. Conduct virtual and in-person tours. Convert inquiries into bookings.
5. Conflict resolution: Mediate resident disputes, enforce house rules fairly, and maintain a positive community atmosphere. Escalate serious issues to management.
6. Operational coordination: Oversee daily cleaning quality, coordinate maintenance requests, manage vendor relationships, and ensure the property is always in excellent condition.
7. Communication: Manage resident communication channels (WhatsApp groups, email, in-person). Send weekly community updates and monthly newsletters.
8. Marketing support: Create social media content (Instagram, TikTok) showcasing community life. Encourage and facilitate resident reviews on Google and other platforms.
9. Occupancy management: Monitor occupancy levels, manage room availability calendar, and flag upcoming vacancies to the marketing team or founder.
10. Financial basics: Track rent payments, follow up on late payments, manage petty cash for property expenses, and submit monthly expense reports.
11. Quality assurance: Conduct regular property inspections, ensure cleaning standards are met, and identify maintenance issues before residents report them.
12. Resident retention: Build relationships that encourage lease renewals. Conduct check-ins with residents at 2 weeks, 2 months, and before lease end.
13. Move-out management: Coordinate room turnovers, conduct exit interviews, manage deposit returns, and maintain alumni relationships.
14. Reporting: Track and report on key metrics: occupancy, NPS, event attendance, referrals, maintenance response time, and review generation.
15. Emergency response: Be available for emergency situations during designated on-call hours. Follow established protocols for medical, safety, and property emergencies.

Required Qualifications

• 1-3 years experience in hospitality, community management, property management, or a customer-facing role
• Excellent communication skills in English (additional languages are a strong plus for international communities)
• Natural people person — genuinely energized by social interaction and helping others
• Organized and detail-oriented — ability to manage multiple tasks, residents, and priorities simultaneously
• Problem-solving mindset — proactive in identifying and resolving issues before they escalate
• Comfortable with technology — property management software, social media, basic data tracking
• Flexibility — willing to work some evenings and weekends for events and on-call coverage
• Empathy and emotional intelligence — ability to navigate diverse personalities and cultural backgrounds

Nice-to-Have

• Experience living in shared housing, coliving, or hostels
• Event planning experience
• Social media content creation skills (photography, Reels/TikTok)
• Basic maintenance skills (changing light bulbs, minor fixes)
• Experience with specific PMS tools (Hostaway, Guesty, or similar)
• First aid certification

What We Offer

• Competitive salary: [range based on your market — see salary benchmarks above]
• [Optional: Free or discounted accommodation in the coliving]
• Flexible working hours with core hours of [X-Y]
• Being part of a growing company shaping the future of urban living
• Professional development budget for courses and conferences
• Performance bonuses tied to occupancy and resident satisfaction
• A vibrant, international working environment

How to Apply

Send your CV and a short note (max 300 words) explaining why you are excited about community management in coliving to [email]. Please include: one example of a community or event you have created or managed, and what your ideal coliving community event would look like. Applications without the short note will not be considered.

Where to Post the Job Description

• Coliving-specific: Everything Coliving Talent Board, coliving operator Facebook and Slack groups
• General job boards: Indeed, LinkedIn, Glassdoor
• Hospitality-focused: Hostelworld Jobs, Caterer.com (UK), HCareers
• Local: City-specific job boards, expat community forums, university career services
• Social media: Your own Instagram (reaching your target demographic), LinkedIn post

10 Interview Questions for Community Managers

1. "Tell me about a time you resolved a conflict between two people. What was the situation and what did you do?"
2. "Describe the best community event you have ever attended or organized. What made it great?"
3. "A resident messages you at 10pm saying their room is too cold and the heating is broken. What do you do?"
4. "How would you handle a resident who is consistently messy in the shared kitchen despite multiple reminders?"
5. "You notice that a usually social resident has become withdrawn and is not attending events. What is your approach?"
6. "How would you plan your first week as community manager at a new property?"
7. "What tools or systems would you use to keep track of maintenance requests, resident communication, and events?"
8. "A long-term resident tells you they are considering leaving because the community 'does not feel the same.' How do you respond?"
9. "How would you encourage residents from different cultural backgrounds to connect and form friendships?"
10. "What does a perfect move-in experience look like from the resident's perspective?"

Look for: empathy, practical problem-solving, energy for social interaction, organizational thinking, and cultural sensitivity.

Trial Period Structure

A 2-4 week paid trial is the best way to evaluate a CM candidate in the real environment:

• Week 1: Shadow the outgoing CM or founder. Learn systems, meet residents, observe daily operations. No independent responsibilities yet.
• Week 2: Take over daily tasks with supervision. Handle check-ins, respond to resident messages, manage cleaning coordination. Founder observes and provides daily feedback.
• Week 3: Run operations independently. Plan and execute one community event. Handle all inquiries and maintenance coordination.
• Week 4: Full autonomy. Formal review at end of week with resident feedback, KPI discussion, and mutual decision on permanent hire.

During the trial, pay the full agreed rate. A trial period is a two-way evaluation — the candidate is also assessing whether the role and environment are right for them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I hire a community manager before or after opening?

Hire your CM 2-4 weeks before your first resident moves in. They need time to learn the property, set up systems, create the event calendar, and prepare for move-in day. Having them involved in the final setup phase also builds their sense of ownership. If budget is tight, a 1-week overlap before opening is the absolute minimum.

What is the biggest red flag when hiring a community manager?

Someone who talks about "managing" residents rather than "serving" or "supporting" them. Coliving community management requires genuine care for people, not a control-oriented management style. Other red flags: inability to give specific examples from past experience, discomfort with flexible hours, and a preference for working alone over working with people.

Can one community manager handle multiple properties?

A single CM can manage 2 small properties (under 15 rooms each) if they are within 15 minutes of each other and the total room count is under 25. Beyond that, quality suffers — response times increase, events become harder to organize, and the personal connection with residents weakens. For properties over 15 rooms each, dedicate one CM per property.

How do I retain a great community manager?

CMs who leave typically cite three reasons: burnout (address with clear boundaries, adequate time off, and reasonable on-call expectations), lack of growth (provide professional development, title progression, and increasing responsibility), and compensation (benchmark and adjust annually). Regular 1-on-1 meetings, recognition of their work, and autonomy in their role are the most effective retention tools.