Estate Manager
Estate Manager
The Estate Manager oversees and synchronizes day-to-day residential activities for a prominent family based in Westchester NY. S/he is responsible for coordination and scheduling, resourcing and execution of activities required to maintain the residence and grounds, service standards, events coordination, and overall family experience within the home. S/he is responsible for ensuring other properties are maintained throughout the year and operated at the same service level as the primary residence when the family is present. S/he also assists the family with personal needs.
The Estate Manager possesses a broad range of skills, including operational know-how, strong hospitality skills and staff supervision. S/he has demonstrated experience in effectively running a high-functioning household and creating an exemplary residential environment and experience.
This position reports to the Head of Family Office and works closely with Family Office staff, including the systems and technology team. S/he will manage all members of the household staff, providing day-to-day supervision of the family chef, housekeepers, groundskeepers, a part-time house manager at the secondary residence, and numerous third party vendors. In addition, the Estate Manager coordinates with the principal’s executive assistant and aircraft team. Periodic travel to other properties is required.
Property & Experience Management
● Provide day-to-day oversight to ensure the home and its condition is cared for, maintained and protected from damage
● Set and maintain high quality standards and aesthetics throughout the home
● Develop, compile and periodically update documentation for all household procedures, processes and policies
● Ensure successful daily execution of household processes through effective training and supervision of the staff (see below) and performing spot checks throughout the day; multiple times a day walk the property (inside and out) to ensure proper condition
● Supply management
○ Determine and maintain required inventories of all household supplies
○ Manage acquisition of supplies and materials necessary for effective functionality
● Maintenance, care and repairs
○ Proactively identify needed repairs and maintenance
○ Supervise maintenance and repair work to ensure work is performed in high quality manner and additional damage is avoided
○ Problem solve any issues that arise; act as first responder for any alarms or emergencies
● Vendor Management
○ Identify and schedule vendor work to be completed ensuring minimal disruption to the family
○ Maintain vendor logs
○ Supervise vendors while on-site (constant supervision for work inside the home); ensure work is completed according to job order and damage is avoided
○ Review vendor bills for accuracy
● Vehicle Management & Experience
○ Coordinate weekly interior and exterior cleaning and refueling
○ Thoughtfully schedule repairs / maintenance to ensure vehicle availability for the family members
● Event Coordination
○ Conduct planning and setup for events on property
○ Greet and direct guests
○ Periodically execute meal service at dinner parties
● Maintain a high service experience for the family
○ Purchase flowers, arrange and care for interior floral arrangements and plants
○ Plan and oversee meals and dinner parties in partnership with the chef
○ Ensure pool and cabana are set up and ready for use during the season
○ Identify opportunities to enhance the experience for the family
○ Arrive in advance of family at other properties to ensure readiness
Residential Staff Supervision
● Conduct effective training on the operations of the residence, protocols and policies for working with family, and how to perform responsibilities successfully
● Oversee household staff by conducting meticulous daily reviews and spot checks of work completed; provide timely feedback to the staff on improvement areas; monitor their performance
● Coordinate travel required by household staff to other properties
● Provide coverage for staff, when necessary; remain flexible to perform any household role at any time
● Ensure the staff operates with an appropriate level of discretion
● Partner with part-time staff at other properties to ensure property is prepared to receive the family and service standards are maintained for the duration of their stay
● Review weekly payroll for accuracy
● Regularly review PTO for accuracy and work with staff team on all PTO planning and related coverage needs
Family / Personal Assistance
● Drive the children on an as needed basis for activities and appointments
● Coordinate clothing needs (purchasing, tailoring, etc.) for the family
● Complete errands (e.g., household supplies, dry cleaning)
● Provide packing assistance for travel (packing and unpacking)
● Organize closets according to family standards and preferences
● Overlap with principal on a regular basis to ensure proper communication and coordination of all family needs
Qualifications
● 7-10 years of experience managing a large, complex residence for a HNW family
● Impeccable attention to detail
● Independent worker with a take charge attitude and strong work ethic
● Strong problem solving skills (e.g., not taking everything at face value when dealing with vendors, trades, suppliers, and other service providers; ability to research new issues)
● Highly proactive and able to troubleshoot and resolve potential issues before they become apparent to the family
● Exceptional project and team supervisory skills, with the ability to multi-task effectively and re-prioritize initiatives throughout the day/week
● Strong communication skills: ability to develop relationships quickly with the family and various team members, family office team, vendors, etc.; ability to communicate effectively and succinctly, knowing when to dive into more details
● Understanding of the fundamentals of home maintenance and systems
● Exceptional grasp of hospitality and service standards
● Unwavering discretion and protective of the family’s interests at all times
Westchester County, NY