An Operations Manager at Hines—often designated internally as an Assistant Property Manager, Assistant Community Manager, or Assistant Construction Manager—serves as the critical operational engine behind some of the world’s most prestigious real estate assets. Hines is globally recognized for its uncompromising standards in property development, management, and investment. In this role, you are directly responsible for translating high-level asset strategies into daily operational excellence, ensuring that properties perform financially while delivering an exceptional experience for tenants, residents, and partners.

Your impact in this role is immediate and visible. Whether you are managing a landmark Class-A commercial high-rise, a luxury multifamily residential community, or assisting in the oversight of a major construction project, you represent the Hines brand on the ground. You will orchestrate complex workflows that involve tenant relations, vendor management, physical plant maintenance, and rigorous financial administration. By driving operational efficiency and fostering strong stakeholder relationships, you directly protect and enhance the value of the firm's real estate portfolio.

What makes this position uniquely compelling is the level of ownership and strategic exposure you receive. You are not merely executing administrative tasks; you are analyzing financial variances, negotiating service contracts, and solving unpredictable, high-stakes operational challenges. At Hines, operations is viewed as a key differentiator in the market, meaning your work is highly valued, closely watched by regional leadership, and serves as a proven launching pad for a long-term career in real estate asset management.

The interview process at Hines is designed to evaluate your practical real estate knowledge, your operational problem-solving capabilities, and your interpersonal alignment with the firm's high-touch service standards. The following questions are representative of patterns observed in real interviews for Operations Manager roles and are grouped by key competency areas to help guide your preparation.

Operational & Property Management Excellence

These questions assess your hands-on experience with property operations, vendor oversight, and the day-to-day administrative tasks required to keep an asset running smoothly.

• Walk me through your experience managing vendor contracts and how you evaluate service performance.
• How do you prioritize competing maintenance and operational demands when resources or budgets are tight?

Preparing for an interview at Hines requires a balanced approach. While you must demonstrate solid technical and financial competence, your ability to communicate clearly, project professionalism, and show genuine enthusiasm for real estate operations is equally critical.

Role-Related Knowledge – You must demonstrate a firm grasp of property operations, leasing cycles, physical building systems, and basic real estate accounting. Be ready to discuss how you monitor property performance, manage operating expenses, and utilize industry-standard management platforms.

Problem-Solving & Adaptability – Real estate assets are dynamic, and operational challenges can arise at any moment. Interviewers will evaluate how you structure your thoughts under pressure, analyze unexpected problems, and implement practical, cost-effective solutions.

Stakeholder Management – Operations managers sit at the intersection of tenants, vendors, on-site staff, and corporate leadership. You will be assessed on your empathy, negotiation skills, and your ability to maintain professional composure when dealing with cold, demanding, or unfriendly stakeholders.

Culture Fit & Professionalism – Hines has built its reputation on integrity, quality, and a high-touch service model. Your interviewers will look for candidates who project executive presence, demonstrate strong work ethic, and show a collaborative, team-oriented mindset.

The interview process for an Operations Manager at Hines is thorough, highly conversational, and deeply focused on personal chemistry and professional alignment. Because Hines operates with a decentralized regional structure, the exact steps can vary slightly by location and asset class, but the overall progression remains consistent. The company prioritizes finding candidates who not only possess the necessary operational skills but who will also represent the brand exceptionally well to tenants and partners.

The process typically begins with an initial phone or virtual screening conducted by the hiring manager or a talent acquisition partner. This conversation is designed to review your resume, gauge your interest in the specific property or portfolio, and assess your basic communication skills. Following a successful screen, you will move to more in-depth rounds, which often include a mix of virtual and in-person interviews. You will meet with multiple team members, including senior property managers, engineering leads, and ultimately, the regional manager who holds the final decision-making authority.

While the questions themselves are generally straightforward and conversational rather than highly technical, the sheer number of stakeholders you need to meet can make the timeline feel extended. The conversations are designed to feel relaxed and informative, allowing you to gain a deep understanding of the property's specific needs while demonstrating your situational fit.

The visual timeline above outlines the typical progression from your initial application to the final decision. You should expect a multi-stage journey that transitions from high-level screening to deep-dive operational discussions and peer reviews. Because regional managers play a decisive role in the final stage, ensuring consistent energy and alignment throughout the process is key to securing an offer.

To excel in your Hines interviews, you must understand the core competencies that the hiring team evaluates during your conversations. Candidates who can articulate both the "how" and the "why" behind their operational decisions will stand out.

Property & Asset Operations

This area focuses on your ability to manage the physical and financial health of a real estate asset. Interviewers want to see that you understand the mechanics of building operations and can protect the owner's investment.

Be ready to go over:

• Vendor and Contract Management – How you draft scopes of work, bid out contracts, negotiate pricing, and hold vendors accountable to service-level agreements.
• Financial Administration – Your experience with accounts payable, accounts receivable, variance reporting, and assisting in the preparation of annual operating and capital budgets.
• Physical Plant Oversight – A basic understanding of building systems (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, life safety) and how you coordinate preventative maintenance schedules.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Sustainability and energy-efficiency management (such as tracking LEED or WELL building standards) and overseeing tenant improvement (TI) construction projects.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Describe a time when a major vendor fell short of their contract obligations. How did you handle the situation without disrupting building operations?"
• "How do you approach preparing your portion of the annual operating budget, and how do you handle unexpected expense variances mid-year?"

Stakeholder Communication & Relationship Management

At Hines, operations is a relationship-driven business. This evaluation area measures your capability to deliver elite customer service, manage conflicts, and build trust across a diverse group of stakeholders.

Be ready to go over:

• Tenant Relations & Retention – Strategies for maintaining high tenant satisfaction, handling lease compliance issues, and resolving tenant complaints promptly.
• Team Collaboration – How you partner with on-site engineers, leasing agents, and corporate support teams to achieve asset goals.
• Executive Presence – Your ability to present operational updates and financial reports clearly and confidently to regional directors and institutional owners.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "You have a tenant who is consistently violating property policies but is also a major revenue generator for the asset. How do you address the issue?"
• "Describe a scenario where you had to coordinate an emergency repair that required temporary service shutdowns for multiple tenants. How would you manage the communication?"

Situational Fit & Adaptability

Because the Operations Manager role can span different asset classes (commercial, residential, or development), interviewers will evaluate your ability to adapt your skills to their specific portfolio's challenges.

Be ready to go over:

• Experience Mapping – Connecting your past achievements directly to the needs of the current property or project.
• Ambiguity & Prioritization – How you manage your time and stay organized when faced with a high volume of daily tasks and unexpected interruptions.
• Problem-Solving Frameworks – The logical steps you take to diagnose an operational issue, gather data, and execute a resolution.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Walk me through your past experience and explain how you plan to apply those lessons to managing this specific Class-A commercial asset."
• "How do you manage your daily to-do list when sudden tenant requests, vendor issues, and corporate deadlines hit your desk all at once?"

As an Operations Manager at Hines, your day-to-day responsibilities will be dynamic, requiring you to shift quickly between administrative diligence, financial analysis, and hands-on property management.

Your primary responsibility is to support the lead Property Manager or Community Manager in directing all daily operations of the asset. This includes supervising on-site staff, coordinating with the engineering team to ensure building systems are operating efficiently, and managing relationships with third-party service providers. You will routinely inspect the property to maintain the highest standards of cleanliness, safety, and aesthetic appeal, proactively identifying areas that require maintenance or capital improvement.

On the financial front, you will play a key role in the property’s fiscal health. You will oversee accounts payable and receivable, assist in collection efforts, and review monthly financial statements to identify and explain budget variances. When the annual budgeting cycle begins, you will collaborate with the management team to project operating expenses, obtain vendor bids, and plan for capital expenditures (CapEx).

Additionally, you will serve as a primary point of contact for tenants or residents. You will facilitate the onboarding of new tenants, manage lease administration, coordinate move-ins and move-outs, and lead efforts to resolve tenant issues. By fostering open communication and executing high-quality tenant relation programs, you help drive high renewal rates and preserve the community's reputation.