Regional Operations Manager Portugal
As one of Europe’s fastest-growing PBSA platforms, Rockfield combines investment, development, and property management under one roof. Now entering Portugal with a portfolio of five student residences, the company is looking for a Regional Operations Manager to oversee its student residences in Portugal.
Rockfield
Rockfield is a fully vertically integrated real estate platform headquartered in Amsterdam, specializing in the investment, development, and management of sustainable rental housing across Europe. The company manages a portfolio of approximately eight thousand residential units valued at over two billion euros, with a target of three billion euros within the next two years. Rockfield’s focus is on student housing and living concepts for young professionals, operating across the Netherlands, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, and Portugal. Institutional investors from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Switzerland provide long-term capital; the organization remains independent, maintaining full strategic autonomy.
In 2024, Rockfield announced a strategic partnership with Ardian and CBRE Investment Management, with an initial capital commitment of 500 million euros to build a diversified, high-quality portfolio of student accommodation in high-demand European markets. Portugal is one of the primary target markets in this strategy. A further signal of that institutional confidence: a 350-million-euro joint investment with ABP, the largest pension fund in the Netherlands, targeting student and starter housing. Rockfield’s team of approximately 45 professionals operates from main offices in Amsterdam and Madrid, combining an entrepreneurial mindset with the scale and backing of leading institutional investors.
Requirements*
- From 5 years of experience in PBSA operations
- Background as Community Manager or Residence Manager
- Experience coordinating or supervising multiple residences
- Based in Portugal; fluent in Portuguese and English. Spanish a plus
- Structured, hands-on, and capable of building from the ground up
Research shows that while male candidates feel confident enough to apply when they meet about 60% of the requirements, female candidates only apply when they tick every box. So if this role has your name on it, but you’re not sure about the criteria, we still want to hear from you.
Regional Operations Manager Portugal
Rockfield is acquiring a portfolio of five student residences in Lisbon and Porto, operated by a third-party operator. The Regional Operations Manager is the company’s eyes and ears on the ground: supervising the operator, monitoring performance across the five assets, and ensuring the residences meet Rockfield’s standards for quality and resident experience. The role requires someone who can hold an operator accountable, spot issues before they escalate, and maintain close contact with both the local teams and the Rockfield organization.
The broader challenge is setting up Rockfield’s platform in Portugal. That means establishing the local infrastructure: engaging legal and accounting partners, aligning processes with Rockfield’s systems, and building the foundations that allow the company to operate effectively in a new market. Portugal is new territory for Rockfield, and the Regional Operations Manager plays a central role in shaping how the company lands here.
Joining Rockfield in Portugal means being the person who defines how the company operates in this market. The five residences are the starting point of a broader Portuguese ambition, backed by a 500-million-euro commitment from Ardian and CBRE Investment Management and a platform growing toward three billion euros in assets under management. For a professional ready to move from operating a single residence to owning a country, this is a rare combination: the autonomy of a first-in-market role, the support of an institutionally backed platform, and a direct line into a company that is scaling fast across Europe.
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