Job Description
THE POSITION
A private family is seeking an experienced, proactive, and highly professional Estate Manager to oversee
the day-to-day operations, care, and presentation of two private residences, with the primary focus on
the family’s main and guest properties. The ideal candidate will bring a proactive, solutions-oriented
mindset, exceptional project management skills, strong leadership abilities, and a refined understanding
of private service environments. This person should take tremendous pride in maintaining a well-run
home and be comfortable independently managing a wide range of household responsibilities,
overseeing household staff, and supporting the family’s ongoing needs with professionalism and
discretion.
This is an all-hands-on-deck household, and the family is looking for someone who is genuinely flexible
and willing to step in wherever needed. While this is an Estate Manager position, no task should be
considered too big or too small. This will include throwing in a load of laundry if a housekeeper is away
or stepping in wherever necessary to ensure the residence continues to operate seamlessly.
The ideal candidate will be high-energy, passionate, upbeat, and genuinely excited about their work and
their role within the household. The family is looking for someone who brings positive energy to the
home, takes initiative, and enjoys being hands-on while also understanding the importance of discretion
and being mindful of the principal’s space and privacy.
KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Oversee the full operation, maintenance, care, and presentation of the main home and guest homes.
- Manage two full-time housekeepers, including schedules, daily activities and checklists, performance, training, and communication.
- Conduct regular house checks and assist when needed with cleaning, laundry, ironing, vehicle-related tasks, and other hands-on household responsibilities.
- Coordinate and oversee routine and preventative maintenance across the property.
- Serve as the first responder to household system issues, including HVAC, AV, and other property systems, helping to diagnose and triage issues, correcting them when possible, and coordinating with vendors when necessary.
- Maintain detailed records of household systems, service schedules, warranties, inventories, and other property information.
- Ensure the estate is consistently guest-ready and maintained to a high aesthetic standard.
- Monitor budgets, track expenses, and help ensure cost-effective estate operations.
- Coordinate with household staff and provide hands-on support wherever needed.
- Handle seasonal transitions and ensure the properties remain fully prepared and operational year-round.
MAIN ACTIVITIES
- Establish and manage interior and exterior cleaning and maintenance checklists and schedules, including daily, weekly, monthly, opening, closing, and off-season procedures.
- Hire seasonal chefs when requested.
- Create bi-monthly reports for the residence, including analysis of budget variances.
- Suggest residence improvement opportunities.
- Manage and stock household provisions.
- Manage and maintain inventories of cleaning supplies, linens, lightbulbs, spare parts, and other household necessities.
- Manage activities related to seasonal relocations.
- Manage special events, which primarily consist of entertaining at the residence, and coordinate with an event planner for larger events.
- Complete weekly AV checks.
- Participate in weekly review and planning meetings.
- Communicate directly and professionally with the principals regarding schedules, household matters, issues, and other relevant updates.
- Remain highly flexible and willing to assist with additional household, property, or personal needs as they arise.
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
The ideal candidate is an experienced private-service professional who understands that successful
estate management requires both strong leadership and a willingness to be hands-on. They should be
proactive, organized, solution-oriented, and able to anticipate needs before they become problems.
This person should have high energy, a positive, upbeat personality, and be passionate and excited
about their career in private service. The family is looking for someone who truly enjoys their role, takes
ownership of the estate, and brings enthusiasm and professionalism to their work each day.
At the same time, the candidate must have a strong understanding of boundaries within a private
residence. They should be naturally discreet, emotionally intelligent, and mindful of the principal’s
personal space and privacy, understanding when their presence is needed and when to step back
quietly.
Candidates must be comfortable operating in an all-hands-on-deck environment and willing to assist
wherever needed without hesitation. Flexibility, discretion, initiative, excellent judgment, and a team-oriented
mentality are essential.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Minimum of five years of prior Estate Manager, Household Manager, Director of Residences, or comparable private-service experience within a high-end private residence.
- Strong leadership experience with the ability to successfully manage, train, and communicate with household staff.
- Exceptional project management, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- Coordinate preventative maintenance, household systems, and property improvement projects.
- Demonstrated proficiency in written and spoken English is required.
- Strong understanding of the standards and discretion required within a private-service environment.
- Experience with household budgets, expense tracking, vendor quotes and invoices, inventories, and reporting.
- Comfortable troubleshooting household systems and coordinating with appropriate service providers.
- Hands-on mentality with the willingness to assist with housekeeping, laundry, vehicles, errands, and other household needs when necessary.
- High-energy, upbeat, passionate, and genuinely enthusiastic about working in private service.
- Professional, polished, discreet, and highly respectful of the principal’s privacy and personal space.
- Must be extremely flexible and able to adapt quickly to changing priorities and household needs.
- Requires working weekend and holiday shifts as needed.
- Must have a valid driver’s license with a clean driving record.
- Must be willing to complete a comprehensive background screening.
ESSENTIAL PHYSICAL DEMANDS
- Ability to work at a physically demanding pace.
- Ability to lift thirty (30) pounds.
- Ability to remain standing for lengthy periods of time; climb steps and stairs; stoop, bend, and kneel.
- Ability to stand on a small step stool or ladder to accomplish cleaning tasks.
- Ability to push/pull a vacuum cleaner and operate household maintenance equipment forlengthy periods of time.
Job Tags
Full time, Seasonal work, Relocation, Flexible hours, Shift work, Weekend work