Job Description

House Manager New York — Locust Valley Estate

POSITION OVERVIEW
Role Title: House Manager
Reporting To: Principal / Family Office
Employment Type: Full-time, live-out. Five days in seven (approx. 40–50 hours per
week); specific days driven by the family residence schedule.
During school term, routine is Thursday–Monday (primarily at Locust Valley), with Tuesday and Wednesday off. During school holidays, the five working days are more flexible and shaped by family
requirements. Occasional evening extensions for events will be required. No routine overnight or live-in requirement.
Package Headlines: $125 to $175k;  Salary by negotiation and commensurate with experience, 20 days annual leave and 8 Federal Holidays; health insurance contribution; employee-contributing
401(k).

THE CONTEXT & ROLE
This is a senior, service-focused position at the heart of a HNW British family’s Locust Valley Estate; an
8-acre Long Island property with principal house, pool, and gym. The residence serves as the family’s
primary leisure base for weekends and during school holidays.

The House Manager’s remit is primarily hospitality and service. Every family stay at Locust Valley
should be delivered as if it was a bespoke five-star private break — anticipated, curated, and flawlessly
executed. The role is about presentation, atmosphere, and the invisible choreography that makes a
complex private residence feel effortless to the principals and their guests. A strong and experienced
Property Engineer carries full accountability for MEP, maintenance, repair and construction across both
properties, operating largely independently. This deliberately frees the House Manager to concentrate
fully on the guest experience, the look and feel of the house, and the quality-of-service delivery.

The House Manager leads the service team at Locust Valley — two Housekeepers and the Caretaker
— and coordinates with the Property Maintenance team. The role is hands-on as well as leadership:
setting standards by personal example, working alongside the team in preparation for and through
family visits, and taking direct ownership of the outcome.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Five-Star Guest Experience
The family should arrive to a property that anticipates every need and operates invisibly throughout
their stay.

• Choreograph each family arrival and stay to a bespoke five-star standard — from the moment the
car turns into the drive through to final close-down after departure.
• Own the end-to-end presentation of the house on every visit: floral arrangements, lighting,
scenting, music, fires laid, bedrooms turned down, bathrooms freshly set, welcome refreshments
prepared and appropriately placed.
• Know the Principals’ and each child’s preferences intimately — food, drink, textiles, scents,
routines, comforts — and ensure these are present and anticipated on arrival, without needing to
be asked for.
• Deliver warm, attentive personal service during family stays; overseeing refreshment, coordinating
meal service, and supporting in-house entertainment as required.
• Brief all staff ahead of each visit on family movements, guest arrangements, dietary requirements,
timings, and any special requests; debrief after each visit and capture learnings.

Housekeeping & Presentation
• Directly lead and work alongside the Housekeeping team at Locust Valley; set and maintain five-
star standards of cleanliness, order, and presentation at all times.
• Oversee laundry, linen, wardrobing, and textile care to couture-level standards; manage specialist
cleaning of fine fabrics, rugs, and soft furnishings.
• Maintain complete household inventories — linen, tableware, silverware, glassware, candles,
consumables, guest amenities — replenishing proactively so nothing is ever short, worn, or tired.
• Protect the care and rotation of the art, objects, and interiors; liaising with specialist cleaners,
framers, and conservators as required.

Food, Beverage & Entertaining
• Oversee all household food and beverage provisioning, pantry, wine cellar, and bar management;
ensure seasonal, preference-led stocking.
• Plan and execute formal and informal dining, hosting, and entertaining — from intimate family
meals to multi-course guest dinners, drinks receptions, and occasional larger events.
• Brief and manage relationships with private chefs, caterers, florists, and event specialists;
ensuring each understands and delivers to the family’s standard and taste.
• Set and dress tables, manage service flow, and take personal ownership of the dining experience
from first canapé to final course.

Team Leadership
• Line manage the Housekeeping team and Caretaker at Locust Valley; oversee and if need be
manage the Maintenance team if required.
• Set service standards through daily personal example and lead from the front during every family
visit.
• Liaise with the Family Office and plan rotas around the family calendar; ensure the right coverage
for each visit, event, and closed period — and genuine rest days for the team in between.

• Recruit, induct, train, and develop housekeeping and service staff; foster a culture of quiet
excellence, warmth, and absolute discretion.

Property Readiness (Light-Touch)
• The Property Engineer holds full accountability for MEP, equipment, fabric, grounds infrastructure,
and construction across both properties. The House Manager’s engagement with the technical
function is deliberately lighter touch and front-of-house focused.
• Walk the house ahead of each visit with the Property Engineer to confirm all systems, finishes,
and presentation elements are visit-ready; flag anything affecting the guest experience.
• Coordinate with the Caretaker on exterior presentation where it is visible to the family and guests
— terraces, pathways, planting at the house elevations, and the pool surround.
• Flag material issues to the Family Office promptly and clearly; otherwise the technical and
maintenance function runs independently and does not require active House Manager oversight.

Coordination with the Family Office
• Integrate closely with the Family Office and Senior EA function to anticipate family movements,
guest lists, travel timings, and special occasions well in advance.
• Produce concise pre-visit briefings and post-visit summaries — what was planned, what went
well, observations, and actions arising as well as wider property reporting.
• Manage day-to-day household operating spend at Locust Valley; approve and track routine
procurements and co-ordinate wider spend and accounts with to the Family Office.
• Maintain clean records of service spend, inventory, supplier contacts, and visit notes to support
continuity and reporting.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• Substantial experience as a Yacht Chief Steward, House Manager, Head of Household, or
Director of Residences within a super-prime private household; alternatively, an equivalent senior
role in five-star private hospitality (ultra-luxury hotels, private members’ clubs, private villas or
yachts) with a clear transition into private service.

• Demonstrable track record of creating and sustaining a warm, anticipatory, hotel-quality service
environment — not merely managing one that already exists.

• Deeply service-minded, with natural hospitality instincts, impeccable personal presentation, and
the emotional intelligence to read a room and adjust.

• Exceptional eye for detail across interiors, housekeeping, table settings, floristry, lighting, and
atmosphere; able to hold the bar high for oneself and for others.

• Confident people leader; able to lead a small, mixed team with warmth, clarity, and quiet authority;
comfortable working alongside team members rather than only directing them.

• Experienced in formal and informal entertaining at a high standard; confident briefing chefs,
sommeliers, caterers, and event specialists.

• Financially competent; able to manage an operating budget, track procurement, and keep clean
records and reports.

• Excellent written and verbal communication; high personal standards of discretion, integrity, and
confidentiality; willing to commit fully to the family’s schedule — in practice, weekends and school
holidays will be the busiest periods.

• Physically capable of commuting to Locust Valley in all seasons.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

• Significant service-oriented experience in private households, preferably for UHNW clients

• Excellent verifiable references

• Legally authorized to work in the United States

• Valid driver’s license with a clean driving record

• Current, valid U.S. passport and ability to travel internationally

• Comfortable working in a fully staffed household environment

• Must love dogs and feel comfortable around multiple pets

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