Business Systems and Automation Manager in Property Management
About Good Life:
Good Life Maintenance is a growing sister-company to Good Life Property Management, serving residential property owners across Southern California (San Diego, Orange County, Riverside).
We exist to make owning rental property easy—through quality service, professionalism, and operational excellence.
We are building a company rooted in:
- Opportunity
- Enjoyment
- Impact
Coming in from the ground floor, this is a brand-new build with meaningful scale from day one.
Our culture values people who:
- Take ownership
- Raise the Bar
- Solve Problems
- Build systems that last
The Role:
We are seeking a high-level systems thinker and operator to design, build, and optimize the operational backbone of our maintenance business.
This is a systems, automation, and workflow ownership role. This individual will see problems before they happen, translate chaos into structured workflows, and connect people, process and technology.
Job Duties
Systems Architecture & Workflow Design (Primary Accountability)
Design and optimize workflows across maintenance operations:
- Work order lifecycle
- Scheduling & dispatch
- Communication flows
- Build systems that reduce friction, errors, and manual work
- Ensure processes are scalable as the business grows
Automation & Tool Optimization
- Identify opportunities to automate repetitive tasks and reduce human dependency
- Own and optimize tools such as:
- AppFolio (or similar PMS)
- Scheduling/dispatch platforms
- Communication systems
- Implement integrations and automation where possible
Problem Solving & Continuous Improvement
- Identify operational breakdowns and root causes
- Proactively fix inefficiencies before they scale
- Continuously refine systems based on data and feedback
Data, Metrics & EOS Scorecards
- Build and maintain operational scorecards
- Define KPIs that drive behavior and accountability
- Provide visibility into performance across the organization
Cross-Functional Integration
Act as the bridge between:
- Maintenance
- Property Management
- Customer Experience
- Ensure systems align across teams and eliminate silos
Documentation & Standardization
- Create SOPs and process documentation
- Ensure processes are clear, repeatable, and trainable
- Build a system that does not rely on tribal knowledge
Operations & Systems
- Build the maintenance business infrastructure from the ground up
- Create systems for scheduling, dispatching, work order management, and communication
- Implement workflows, tools, and KPIs that drive efficiency and accountability
- Establish operating rhythms including weekly scorecards and performance reviews
- Continuously improve systems to support scalability and growth
Partnership & Growth
- Build a strong operating partnership with Good Life Property Management
- Align maintenance operations with company goals and growth strategy
- Identify opportunities to expand services and improve margins
Performs other duties as assigned.
Note: This role focuses on leadership and operations, not performing technical maintenance work.Qualifications
Required
- 4–8+ years in operations, systems, or process improvement roles
- Proven experience building or optimizing workflows in a service-based or operational business
- Strong experience with software systems (CRM, PMS, project management tools, etc.)
- Ability to analyze processes and implement scalable solutions
- Experience using data to drive decisions
Strongly Preferred
- Experience with AppFolio or property management systems
- Experience in field service, maintenance, or operations-heavy environments
- Familiarity with automation tools (Zapier, APIs, integrations, etc.)
- Experience working within EOS or similar frameworks
Success in This Role
Success in this role means building a maintenance operation that is efficient, reliable, and scalable.
Key indicators of success include:
- Achieving ~20% operational profitability
- Maintaining 80%+ billable field hours
- Average maintenance work order completion of approximately 3 days
- Strong resident and owner feedback
- A team that is aligned, proud of their work, and improving every month
- Clear processes, defined roles, and predictable operational outcomes
Who You Are
- A **builder** — you enjoy creating order out of messy systems
- Calm under pressure and steady in execution
- Clear, respectful communicator
- Organized and comfortable holding people accountable
- You care about:
- The residents we serve
- The owners we support
Important Notes
Position Details: This is a full-time salaried (exempt) position (40+ hours/week). 8:30am-5pm pst, Monday-Friday. This position is hybrid in-office and remote/field service.
Pay: The range of pay for this California-based position is $110,000-$120,000 annually.
Incentive Compensation: From $15,000-$25,000 in addition to base compensation depending on performance.
The actual compensation offer will carefully consider a wide range of factors including your skills, qualifications, experience, and location. If your experience looks a little different from what we’ve listed and you think can bring value to Good Life Residential, we would love to learn more about you and encourage you to apply.
Benefits and Perks: Good Life Residential makes available comprehensive benefits the first of the month following the date of hire. Options include Medical (50% employer contribution), dental and vision coverage, a 401k program with employer match, 11 paid holidays, 1 floating holiday of your choosing, and up to 120 hours of paid time off. Long-Term Upside: As the maintenance company scales, this role will have the opportunity to grow compensation and responsibility over time. While the Company intends to maintain these employee benefits, it reserves the absolute right to modify, amend or terminate these benefits at any time and for any reason.
Dress code: Because the dress code does vary by position and department, please consult with your hiring manager to confirm your applicable dress code at the time of hire.
Supervisory: Supervises a team of maintenance technicians.
Physical Requirements: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.
The employee frequently is required to stand; sit; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms for extended periods of time. The employee is regularly required to push, move, lift or otherwise bear 50+lbs. Ability to operate a vehicle daily and travel between multiple properties. Applications may include but are not limited to repetitive work using a computer keyboard, mouse and headphones while sitting and/or standing at an assigned work desk area.
Work Environment: The employee works primarily field-based, traveling between residential properties, job sites, and occasional office settings. Work performed both indoors and outdoors in varying weather conditions. Employee may have additional environmental hazards such as: heat, chemical, electrical, flammable, or mechanical in nature.EEO Statement:
Good Life Property Management is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We are committed to providing a workplace free from unlawful discrimination in any of our programs or activities. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.
Additionally, our organization participates in E-Verify. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit: www.dhs.gov/E-Verify.