Manager, Talent Management - Community

Core Spaces

Core Spaces (Core) is more than a real estate company; it’s a people company. Where building relationships is just as important as building properties. From researchers and architects to designers and operators, Core is made up of risk takers and dreamers who are on a mission to invent the future of living. Our six cultural values guide us every day and we strive to live them in everything we do: PUSH (Invent Better Places to Live), GRIT (We Got This), LIFT (Help Each Other Win), SHINE (Bring Your Full Self), UPHOLD (Never Break Trust), GROW (Always Get Better). Everything Core does stems from this culture of collaboration and innovation, and the drive to constantly improve the resident experience. This unique approach has led to creating spaces and services that are redefining the way people live.

Founded in 2010, Core is a vertically integrated real estate investment manager focused on acquiring, developing and managing across the student housing and build-to-rent (“BTR”) sectors. Its residential communities feature world-class amenities, progressive design, and hospitality-driven service. Core’s student housing portfolio includes over 48,000 beds currently owned or managed, with a pipeline of over 49,800 beds in various stages of development. Core’s BTR division has over 3,000 homes under development, now leasing or in its pipeline in high-growth metros nationwide. For more information, visit www.corespaces.com.

*Portfolio and pipeline numbers as of Q3 2025

• A culture that provides you with a sense of belonging
• Hybrid or remote work options may vary by role to support work-life balance
• Competitive pay that values your contributions
• Incentives designed to reward your achievements
• Paid unlimited PTO to disconnect or celebrate life milestones
• Paid 15 holidays, including your birthday, to disconnect and celebrate
• Paid Parental Leave that begins after 90 days
• Paid volunteer time off to give back to your community
• Monthly workshop weeks; fewer meetings & more collaboration
• Robust health plan options that begin within at least 30 days of your employment
• Monthly phone reimbursement
• Wellness allowance and perks, including a yearly subscription to a meditation app
• An environment that provides you with a voice to share your perspectives
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for access to confidential support services
• Company retirement options including 401(k) + matching & Roth account option

The Manager, Talent Management – Community plays a critical role in shaping the employee experience for Core’s field-based teams across our Student Housing (SH), Build-to-Rent (BTR), and New Here Coffee (NHC) platforms. This role leads the execution of onboarding, offboarding, and internal transitions with a sharp focus on accuracy, compliance, and consistency. By delivering a dependable and people-first experience across all employee touchpoints, this position directly contributes to team culture, retention, and the operational success of Core’s communities.

This position serves as a key People Operations partner to community leaders, delivering direct lifecycle support and ensuring consistent, compliant execution. The Manager oversees Talent Management Partner(s) supporting community onboarding and collaborates closely with Talent Acquisition, Payroll, People Relations, and TM Ops to maintain streamlined, compliant workflows.

This role blends team leadership, hands-on coordination, and front-line support, playing a vital role in upholding Core’s commitment to high-touch, high-quality employee experiences. This is a high-impact role that supports the heartbeat of Core’s communities - ensuring every employee, from leasing professionals to maintenance leaders, feels supported, prepared, and valued from Day One and beyond.

Employee Lifecycle Coordination (Community)

• Manage full-cycle onboarding and offboarding processes for community-facing hires in partnership with Talent Acquisition, Talent Management Ops, and People Operations.
• Prepare and issue offer letters, track signatures, and ensure all preboarding tasks are completed accurately and on time.
• Coordinate background checks, employment verifications, and I-9/E-Verify compliance, including tracking visa and work authorization status for community hires.
• Partner with IT to coordinate equipment and system access for site-based team members, including onsite delivery logistics and communication with property teams.
• Implement onboarding check-ins at regular intervals (beyond Day One and 90-day surveys) to ensure a supported and engaged employee transition.
• Contribute to the evolution of onboarding by supporting multi-week integration of new hires, in partnership with onsite leaders and training contacts.
• Create and maintain onboarding resources and toolkits tailored for community managers and employees, ensuring clear processes and expectations.
• Lead all Hiring Manager training efforts for community leaders focused on onboarding workflows, compliance, documentation accuracy, and employee engagement.
• Support internal transitions, including promotions, department transfers, and position changes across community roles.
• Review and process Personnel Action Forms (PAFs) for accuracy and ensure timely submission for hires, terminations, and transitions.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date employee records in Paycom and iCIMS, including digital personnel files, acknowledgments, and compensation data.
• Ensure compliance and documentation quality across all community employee lifecycle activities, conducting regular audits in collaboration with TM Ops.
• Contribute to employee survey efforts by analyzing onboarding feedback and assisting in improvement initiatives specific to community hiring and engagement.

Oversight & Team Management

• Directly manage Talent Management Partner(s) who support community talent management operations.
• Conduct weekly stand-ups and regular 1:1s to manage workload, set priorities, and coach performance.
• Set a standard for accuracy, follow-through, and high-quality service delivery.
• Review lifecycle requests in HappyFox to ensure timelines and compliance are being met.
• Identify process improvement opportunities and escalate systemic challenges proactively.

People Support & Business Partnership

• Serve as a trusted partner to all Community-facing Managers, including Regional and Community Managers, by ensuring smooth onboarding and transitions, proactively identifying process gaps, and reinforcing a consistent, high-quality employee experience across all properties.
• Act as the primary People Ops contact for field leaders, offering timely support on lifecycle processes, documentation, policy interpretation, and general HR workflows.
• Guide community hiring managers through onboarding steps, system workflows, and compliance best practices using platforms like Paycom, iCIMS, and HappyFox.
• Provide in-person support and guidance to employees and managers when working from the Chicago office; triage live requests or route to appropriate teams when needed.
• Collaborate with Payroll, Benefits, and People Relations to ensure aligned responses to employee changes, leaves of absence, and policy-related concerns.

Compliance, Reporting & Process Improvement

• Ensure all lifecycle documentation is submitted, processed, and retained accurately for all community employees.
• Execute onboarding, offboarding, and transition workflows in Paycom, iCIMS, and HappyFox with full compliance and attention to timing.
• Track critical compliance deadlines (I-9s, background checks, visa statuses, etc.) and resolve proactively.
• Audit employee records and system entries regularly to maintain accuracy, data integrity, and documentation quality.
• Maintain ownership of lifecycle SOPs, checklists, and community-facing templates, ensuring consistency and usability.
• Generate and analyze onboarding, transition, and termination reports to identify trends and inform improvements.
• Partner on process optimization efforts to streamline internal handoffs and enhance the employee experience.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Alignment

• Cross-train on corporate lifecycle programs to support aligned delivery across business units.
• Partner closely with the Manager, Talent Management – Corporate & Engagement to maintain shared standards and provide coverage during peak periods or absences.
• Collaborate on shared projects and transitions that span community and corporate teams.
• Support company-wide onboarding, engagement, or transition initiatives during acquisitions or business line rollouts.

Other Responsibilities

• Provide general administrative support to the Talent Management team.
• Ability to travel up to 10% for onboarding support, acquisitions, or special projects, if necessary.
• Perform all other duties and tasks as assigned by management.
• Must be able to complete all physical requirements of this role with or without a reasonable accommodation.

• 5+ years of experience in Human Resources, Talent Management, or HR operations, ideally in a multi-site or field-based environment.
• Experience managing HR onboarding and offboarding processes with strong attention to compliance.
• Prior experience in a people leadership role or managing HR support team members.
• Strong working knowledge of Paycom, iCIMS, or similar HRIS/ATS platforms.
• Exceptional organization and attention to detail - you double-check your work and care deeply about process accuracy.
• Confidence in working with managers and internal partners to clarify processes, troubleshoot issues, and ensure consistency.
• Ability to manage data integrity, complete audits, and maintain up-to-date employee records.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment where priorities shift.
• Clear communication skills with a service-first, problem-solving mindset.
• High level of discretion and confidentiality in handling sensitive employee information.
• Based in or willing to work from Core’s Chicago office.

You'll crush it if you have experience with

• Experience supporting field teams in real estate, hospitality, property management, or similar high-growth environments.
• Enjoy connecting with on-site leaders and understand the operational realities of the property teams and how it relates to employee experience
• Exposure to change management, compliance audits, or HR project work.
• A knack for documentation, workflow ownership, and building repeatable processes.
• A strong partnership mindset and ability to align across multiple HR functions.
• The ability to lead calmly under pressure, build trust, and keep things moving with minimal supervision.

Organizational Structure

Reports to: Vice President, Talent Management
Direct Reports: Talent Management Partner(s)

Please note that job responsibilities, reporting lines, and duties outlined in this job description are subject to change to meet the evolving needs of the organization.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Core Spaces celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an equitable and inclusive environment, which creates a sense of belonging for all employees. We do not discriminate and believe every individual should be proud of who they are and the community they represent.

The compensation range listed reflects the base salary or hourly rate that we reasonably and in good faith expect to offer for this role at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as education, experience, skills, certifications, seniority, geographic location, and business needs.

This role may be eligible for additional forms of compensation, including bonuses, commissions, stipends, or non-cash incentives, depending on position and performance. Benefits may include health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, and other role-based offerings, subject to eligibility requirements.

All compensation components are subject to change based on business needs or market conditions.