General Manager Student Accommodation
Pubblicato il 19-09-2026 - Bravo Students in Italia
Bravo Students SL, a leading student accommodation group in Spain, currently operating more than 3,000 beds across Spain, is looking for an experienced Residence Director to lead the operations of Bravo! Bologna, our new student residence located in the heart of Bologna, Italy.
A key leadership position within the Group, as Bravo! Bologna will be our first residence in Italy. The successful candidate will be responsible for the overall management and performance of the residence, ensuring an outstanding student experience while delivering strong operational and commercial results.
Key ResponsibilitiesPre-Opening & Launch
- Work closely with the developer, construction company and project partners to ensure the residence is delivered on time, to the required standards and ready for opening.
- Support the pre-opening strategy and implementation, including operational procedures, staffing, suppliers, systems and processes.
- Help establish and implement Bravo Students' operational standards and culture in the Italian market.
- Coordinate the transition from construction to full operational management.
Commercial Management
- Lead and manage the commercial activity of the residence, including enquiries, bookings, viewings, follow-ups and resident communication, with the objective of achieving high occupancy and maximising revenue.
- Monitor occupancy, pricing, cancellations and commercial performance, identifying opportunities for improvement.
- Develop strong relationships with students, parents, universities, agents and other relevant local partners.
- Contribute to the implementation of the Group's sales and marketing strategy in Bologna.
Operations & Financial Management
- Take overall responsibility for the day-to-day management of the residence, ensuring efficient, high-quality operations.
- Oversee housekeeping, front desk/reception, maintenance, security, facilities and the overall condition of rooms and communal areas.
- Manage operational incidents and ensure that issues are resolved quickly and effectively.
- Oversee budgets, P&L;, cost control, invoices,
contracts and operational expenditure.
- Monitor key operational and financial KPIs and implement corrective actions when required.
- Ensure compliance with all applicable health & safety, legal, operational and regulatory requirements.
- Participate in the recruitment and selection of the residence team.
- Lead the onboarding and training process and establish clear responsibilities, objectives and performance expectations.
- Build, motivate and develop a strong, professional and service-oriented team.
- Conduct regular performance reviews and manage disciplinary matters when required.
- Promote a positive team culture based on accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
Student Experience
- Ensure a warm, welcoming and safe environment for students, parents and visitors.
- Take ownership of resident satisfaction and service quality.
- Respond to and resolve resident and parent enquiries, complaints and incidents in a professional and timely manner.
- Organise and support community-building activities and initiatives that enhance the student experience and strengthen resident engagement.
- Ensure that the residence consistently delivers a high-quality customer experience aligned with Bravo Students' brand standards.
Stakeholder Management
- Act as the main point of contact for key external and internal stakeholders at residence level.
- Build strong relationships with suppliers, contractors, universities, local partners and other relevant stakeholders.
- Work closely with the central Bravo Students team to ensure alignment with Group strategy, processes and objectives.
- Represent Bravo Students professionally within the Bologna market.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Tourism, Hospitality Management, Business Administration or a related field.
- Minimum 3-5 years of relevant management experience in student accommodation, hospitality, serviced apartments, property management or a similar operational environment.
- Proven experience managing large-scale operations and teams.
- Previous experience in a pre-opening or opening project will be highly valued.
- Strong understanding of the student accommodation and/or hospitality sector.
- Solid knowledge of P&L; management, budgeting, revenue and cost control.
- Fluent English (C1 level minimum); knowledge of Italian and/or another language will be considered an advantage.
- Excellent command of Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
- Strong leadership and people management skills.
- Excellent interpersonal, communication and organisational skills.
- Strong commercial mindset and customer focus.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced operational environment.
- Proactive, hands-on and solution-oriented approach.
- Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
- High level of autonomy and ability to work with minimum supervision.
- Ability to analyse operational and financial information and translate it into action.
- Strong attention to detail combined with a strategic and business-oriented mindset.
- Team player with the ability to coach, support and develop others.
- High level of professionalism, accountability and commitment to service excellence.
The Opportunity
This is an exciting opportunity to join a fast-growing student accommodation group and play a key role in establishing Bravo Students' presence in Italy.
The Residence Director will have the opportunity to lead the opening and operation of a landmark residence of almost 600 beds in central Bologna, while helping shape the Group's operational standards and future growth in the Italian market.
General Manager Student Accommodation Emilia-Romagna, Italy
#J-18808-Ljbffr