Estate Manager

Client Objective:

To hire an experienced Estate Manager (EM) as the single point of contact for the homeowner, an executive couple with children (Principal). The EM will be charged with maintaining the Principal’s overall satisfaction through daily management of support personnel, and overseeing care and maintenance of their new home, including management of existing vendors for the upkeep of surrounding property.

EM Objective:

To ensure seamless support for an active and sophisticated single-family residence with architectural significance, performative landscapes and a growing collection of significant art. The EM position shall maintain impeccable operating standards as the platform of engagement at all times, be responsible for overseeing an existing House Manager (HM), carry out employment and training of any future household personnel and direct coordination and scheduling for all maintenance of building systems, building materials and intricate landscapes of this distinguished single-family residence.

Location of property:

• Ladue, Missouri (established, first-ring suburb of Saint Louis, Missouri).

Brief description of residence:

• 15,000 square foot exclusive home designed by international architect and acclaimed interior designer.

• 2147483647. collects and shows significant artworks in the home and landscape areas, requiring extreme care.

• Separate pool, pool house and guest quarters.

• Five-car-garage with attached storage shed.

• Home is integrated into 4.8 acres of signature landscape design, hardscape motor-courts, walking paths, stone terraces with field-stone retaining walls, wooded areas, seasonal gardens and limited area of mowed lawn all surrounded by native prairie grass extending to property lines.

Brief description of family (aka, Principal):

• Executive couple with two (grade-school) children.

Existing Household Staff:

• Nanny - (Nanny reports directly to Principal, not EM)

• House Manager - (Will report directly to EM)

Responsibilities:

• Household personnel reports to the EM.

• EM will conduct performance and compensation reviews on an annual basis for all household personnel.

• EM will enforce implementation of all household standards, systems and protocols.

• Coordinate and supervise household personnel on daily tasks, for appropriate care and handling methods of specialty finishes and art collection.

• Oversee care of BUILDING maintenance: (see BUILDING sheet).

• Oversee care of LANDSCAPE maintenance: (see LANDSCAPE sheet).

• Assume full responsibility for the home, maintaining orderly operation and meticulous appearance daily.

• Some occasional interface with city and county officials may be required, as well as neighbors:

  • Any utility company access as needed.

  • Any STL County Assessor requirements.

  • Any Subdivision Association responsibilities.

  • Occasional communications with direct neighbors.

  • Communication with the Family office as required.

• Meet with Principal weekly for feedback and personal preferences.

• Serve as single point of contact for the Principal

• Serve as the contact for all required services and maintenance.

• Ensure all maintenance and service items are coordinated with Principal’s schedule for minimal impact to day-to-day activities.

• Understand the daily home operations, must have the ability to act quickly and accordingly to minimize disturbance in operation.

• Assist with planning, coordination and execution of in-home parties, or business events and dinners including coordination with deliveries, caterer, entertainment and florists.

Qualifications:

• Candidates for the estate manager position must successfully demonstrate that he/she possess the following:

• Minimum of 5-7 years relevant experience with private estate, or luxury hotel management responsibilities with a desire for long-term engagement.

• Possess motivation, integrity, honesty and professionalism.

• Utmost confidentiality and discretion with distribution of knowledge.

• Proactive attitude to anticipate potential issues and resolve them efficiently.

• Superior time management and project coordination skills.

• Superb communication and people skills, articulate with respect to:

  • Principal.

  • Household personnel.

  • Contract service providers.

  • Friends and Neighbors.

  • City or County officials.

• Flexibility to work outside the job description.

• Proficient knowledge of digital communications software (some further training may be required).

• Demonstrate experience with responsibility of maintaining & developing the following:

  • Planning maintenance budgets.

  • Annual operating budgets.

  • Project management budgets.

  • Capital budgets

• All candidates must provide verifiable references and subject to drug testing, background and credit checks.

Compensation and Terms:

• Salary commensurate with experience, full time generally Monday – Friday. Must have flexibly to work some evenings, weekends or Holidays as needed.

• Confidentiality agreement is required

• Performance review annually

• Paid holidays

• Health insurance provided

• 10 days off annually

BUILDING related maintenance:

• • Interior:

    • Daily/Weekly/Monthly cleaning routines for:

      • Floors (stone tile, hardwood, area rugs).

      • Walls (raw plaster, wood, stone tile).

      • Fixtures (appliances, plumbing, electrical, and battery operated).

      • Furniture (free standing, built-in, upholstered, operable units).

    • Cleaning all window and door glass (interior).

    • Develop and oversee schedules for cleaning bedrooms, baths, powder rooms, entertainment areas, living and kitchen spaces.

    • Special occasion cleaning routines for garage, pool house, pool area, mechanical spaces.

    • Daily/Weekly/Monthly walk-through of all mechanical spaces for performing visual inspections and routine maintenance checklists.

      • Oversee monthly test/inspections for gas generator.

    • General knowledge and understanding of Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) systems in the home. (specific training provided).

    • General knowledge and understanding of the Building Automation System (BAS) in the home. (specific training will be provided).

    • General knowledge and understanding of all household appliances, computers, phones, entertainment media, network and security systems.

• Provide supervision while service providers are on the property and ensure all service providers perform to the required standards.

  • Manage all contracted services on an annual basis for:

    • BAS.

    • HVAC.

    • Utilities services.

  • Exterior:

    • Daily/Weekly/Monthly walk-around of building spaces.

    • Perform visual inspections and routine maintenance checklists.

    • Cleaning all window and door glass (exterior)

LANDSCAPE related maintenance:

• • Manage all contracted services on an annual basis for:

    • Lawn mowing

    • Leaf removal

    • Snow removal

    • Seasonal Planting

    • Meadow stewardship program

    • Pool care (opening and closing dates).

    • Maintenance of bio-retention/rain gardens.

• • Daily/Weekly/Monthly walk of grounds to assure visual inspections conform to standards.

  • Confirm safety and security at perimeter of the estate.

  • Inspect driveways and motor courts for excessive wear or obstructing debris.

  • Visually inspect outdoor lighting for standard operation.

  • Visually confirm irrigation system is functioning and maintained at correct cycles of day and oversee annual service of system.

  • Communicate directly with Principal for any special needs, or planned events that require use of grounds or erecting tent structures in the landscape.

To apply, please send resume to: Estate Manager, PO Box 16620, St. Louis, MO 63105.