Manager of Real Estate

About Ascend

Ascend is Brooklyn’s premier K–12 public charter network, committed to graduating high-achieving students who have access to boundless choice in their futures—not only through college acceptance, but through meaningful preparation for career readiness and thriving adult lives.

Across our schools, we pair rigorous academics with strong systems, supportive adult culture, and a deep belief in students’ brilliance and potential. Our work is grounded in the understanding that preparing students for long-term success requires excellence in instruction, intentional culture-building, and disciplined execution at every level of the organization.

At Ascend, adults are held to high standards because our students deserve nothing less. How we teach, lead, collaborate, and make decisions every day directly shapes the opportunities our students will have tomorrow.

Join us in shaping learning environments where curiosity is nurtured, excellence is the norm, and every student is prepared for a lifetime of boundless choice.

About the Role

The Real Estate Manager is responsible for the daily operational readiness, safety, compliance, and physical condition of assigned school buildings. This role ensures that facilities systems function reliably, work orders are resolved with urgency, vendors are held accountable, leases are managed effectively, and preventative maintenance is executed with discipline.

The Real Estate Manager serves as the point person for site-level real estate and facilities performance, ensuring the physical environment directly supports strong student outcomes.

Core Responsibilities

Work Order & CMMS Management

• Ensure all work orders are triaged and resolved within established SLAs.
• Monitor open tickets daily, prioritize high-impact issues, and eliminate backlog.
• Analyze recurring issues and implement root cause solutions.
• Maintain accurate documentation and reporting in the CMMS system.
• Provide regular dashboard reporting on ticket volume, aging, and trends.

Preventative Maintenance & System Management

• Partner with Facilities leadership to execute Preventative Maintenance Plans (PMP).
• Track and ensure compliance with all required inspections (FDNY, DOB, fire alarm systems, sprinklers,
• boilers, elevators).
• Maintain accurate asset registry and service records.
• Partner with Senior HVAC leadership to monitor heating, cooling, and life-safety systems to prevent
• outages.
• Lead seasonal readiness planning (winterization, summer readiness, emergency response).
• Vendor & Contractor Oversight
• Manage relationships with external vendors and service providers.
• Define scope of work clearly and ensure cost control and quality standards.
• Hold vendors accountable to timelines and service-level agreements.
• Review and approve invoices accurately and in alignment with contracts.
• Conduct vendor performance reviews and drive corrective action when needed.

Lease & Portfolio Management

• Support lease compliance and ensure adherence to landlord obligations and tenant responsibilities.
• Track critical lease dates, renewals, escalations, and notice periods.
• Partner with Finance on CAM reconciliations and occupancy cost tracking.
• Coordinate with landlords regarding capital improvements, shared space agreements, and compliance
• matters.
• Support strategic footprint planning and portfolio optimization efforts.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Serve as the operational partner to network and school leaders.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Operations, Security, Technology, and Academic teams.
• Communicate clearly and proactively regarding risks, timelines, and status updates.
• Elevate issues early with solutions, not just problems.
• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners.

Core Competencies

• Operates with urgency and accountability.
• Ensures alignment with the larger goals of the organization.
• Develops strategies to align organizational initiatives with organizational goals.
• Effectively executes multiple organizational initiatives simultaneously.
• Manages budgets and engages with external vendors & stakeholders.

Qualifications

• 5–10+ years of experience in operations, facilities management, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex, high-stakes operational systems at scale.
• Strong budget management, vendor negotiation, and project management skills.
• Proven ability to collaborate cross-functionally and support school-based leaders.

Compensation

The salary for this position begins at $70,000. Salaries are determined using an equitable compensation scale that accounts for years of experience and levels of attained education.

Location & Work Arrangement

• Based in our Brooklyn, NY office
• Hybrid work schedule requiring in-office presence at least three days per week

In-person work expectations include network office time, stakeholder meetings, school visits, special events, and other role-specific responsibilities as determined by management.