The village manager is the oil that keeps the village running. We always advise you to meet them before joining a village because in many ways they are the captain of the ship. This doesn’t mean you have to report to them – think of them as the base for a successful community.

As the legal representative of the owner or operator of a village, the village manager is responsible for the well-being of residents as well as running the business side of things. It’s a demanding job.

If you think about it, a village is not unlike a hotel but instead of having paying guests who come and go, their residents stay for five, 10 and even 20 years. And through that journey they are ageing with all the pleasures and challenges it presents.

You won’t be surprised to know that village managers are people people. Invariably they have a strong caring instinct, and at times need to be background support for residents dealing with trying health or emotional issues.

As mentioned they also have the same responsibilities as a hotel manager, such as managing staff and the village; coordinating maintenance from gardens to swimming pools, community halls and electrical systems.

They are also responsible for running budgets and often the sale of village homes.

A village manager needs to be trained in everything from fire safety and evacuation procedures to occupational health and safety, privacy laws, food handling, first aid and the retirement village act in their state.

On top of this, a village manager often gets involved in social activities which are usually extensive.

Many villages also have a residents committee who assist and support the village manager. Not surprisingly there is usually a wide range of people who bring a wide range of skills to help out. Even so most village managers work extended hours and are often on-call to support residents or should some kind of emergency arise.

Like we said, it's a demanding job.

When you meet the village manager you should get the feeling that they are a strong leader, one who naturally wants to help you age well.