When a team is stretched, the first instinct is often to hire another manager. Before doing that, look at which work is actually causing the pressure.
Start with the tasks that are not getting done
Separate the backlog into practical groups: document preparation, meeting administration, correspondence, contractor follow-up, portfolio decisions and matters needing senior review. Record who currently handles each group and where the delay occurs.
If managers spend a substantial part of their day chasing documents and organising routine administration, targeted support may release time for portfolio work. If nobody owns the portfolio or can make the required decisions, additional administration alone will not fill that gap.
When administrative support may help
A defined support role can assist with record organisation, document preparation and internal coordination, within the responsibilities the business has properly assigned. The brief should explain the tasks, the checking process and who gives instructions.
Avoid a general request for someone to “help with everything”. Decide which manager or team the person supports and which tasks should be referred back rather than handled independently.
When you need portfolio management experience
Leave cover, an unfilled manager position or a new portfolio may require someone experienced in managing schemes, coordinating competing priorities and communicating with committees. Explain the level of independence expected and what senior support is available.
Software experience is useful, but it should not substitute for understanding the work. Ask about the types of schemes, meetings and matters the professional has handled, not only the platforms they have used.
Check responsibilities against authorisation
A job title is not proof of what a person is authorised to do. In NSW, an assistant agent in strata management works under the applicable registration and supervision requirements. The business should check the person’s status and the responsibilities of the proposed role.
Use the NSW Government assistant agent guidance and strata managing agent licence guidance when defining the role. These NSW requirements should not be assumed to apply unchanged in the ACT.
Consider a staged response
A business might need short-term administrative help while it assesses a longer-term management vacancy. Alternatively, experienced temporary cover may allow time to recruit for a permanent role without transferring the entire gap to colleagues.
The useful distinction is the work to be done now and the position the business needs later. Write those separately. It makes it easier to choose the right level of support and explain what success looks like.
Tell us where your team needs support. We can discuss the task mix, experience and availability needed before you settle on a title.