Area Operations Manager

Company Overview

Southern Sands Property Management Group is a fast-growing short-term rental company managing 150+ homes across Galveston and Crystal Beach. Known for delivering exceptional experiences, we maintain a 4.9+ guest rating backed by thousands of five-star reviews.

We combine local expertise, strong systems, and a hospitality-first approach to create seamless stays for guests while maximizing performance for homeowners. As we continue to grow, we’re focused on building a high-performing team that takes pride in quality, accountability, and delivering results.

This is an opportunity to join a company where growth is real, standards are high, and your work makes a direct impact.

The Area Operations Manager is responsible for overseeing all day-to-day operations for our Galveston portfolio.

This position serves as the primary support and escalation point for our Virtual Assistant Guest Services Team, who manage guest communications around the clock. While VAs handle most guest interactions, they rely heavily on the Area Operations Manager to make decisions, solve problems, answer operational questions, and provide direction throughout the day.

You will coordinate and lead communication between guest services, maintenance, inspectors, cleaners, vendors, and homeowners to ensure smooth operations and exceptional guest experiences.

While much of our guest communication is handled by our Virtual Assistant team, the Area Operations Manager must be comfortable stepping in when situations require a personal touch. This includes taking phone calls from guests, returning calls promptly, de-escalating concerns, resolving complaints, and providing reassurance during challenging situations. The ideal candidate genuinely enjoys helping people and understands that exceptional guest experiences often come from direct human interaction during critical moments.

This role is ideal for a strong leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment, enjoys solving problems, takes ownership of outcomes, and is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure guests and homeowners have an exceptional experience.

• Oversee all daily operations across the Galveston market.

• Ensure every property is guest-ready and operating at company standards.

• Monitor operational performance and identify areas for improvement.

• Create and improve systems, procedures, and workflows.

• Drive accountability across all operational departments.

• Serve as the operational leader for the Galveston market.

• Make decisions quickly and confidently to keep operations running smoothly.

• Act as the primary escalation point for all Virtual Assistant team members.

• Provide guidance and support when VAs encounter situations requiring judgment or decision-making.

• Assist with guest issues, complaints, service recovery, and operational challenges.

• Train and coach VAs on company procedures and best practices.

• Review recurring escalations and implement solutions to reduce future issues.

• Ensure response-time standards and guest communication standards are maintained.

• Be available throughout the day to answer questions and support the team.

• Ensure guests receive exceptional service from booking through checkout.

• Personally contact guests when escalated situations require direct intervention.

• Handle phone calls with guests regarding concerns, complaints, maintenance issues, and service recovery situations.

• Return guest calls promptly and professionally.

• De-escalate challenging guest interactions with empathy and confidence.

• Make decisions regarding refunds, compensation, relocation, and service recovery.

• Monitor guest feedback and review trends.

• Identify opportunities to improve the overall guest experience.

• Serve as the final point of escalation for significant guest concerns.

• Oversee maintenance requests and vendor performance.

• Prioritize repairs and operational issues.

• Coordinate emergency maintenance situations.

• Ensure work is completed accurately and on schedule.

• Identify recurring property issues and recommend long-term solutions.

• Work closely with maintenance…