House Manager | London & Berkshire, UK

Overview

A dynamic and creative family with a strong commitment to sustainability are seeking an experienced hands on House Manager to manage an exceptional team for their London and countryside properties. This person would be charged with the smooth day to day running of two homes and one rental property.

As part of an evolving family office, this role will nurture a supportive and collaborative culture across the onsite teams. This person will work directly with the principals who are highly engaged in every aspect of their projects. The House Manager will be responsible for a team of approximately 8 individuals. The role will report directly into the principals.

The successful candidate will have a strong assistant to support them with the day to day running of the properties. They will partner closely with the Financial Controller on all budget and expenditure matters. They will also have support of an HR Manager.

Job duties

Responsibilities of the House Manager in London/Countryside include:

People Management

• Developing a supportive and inclusive culture that reflects the values of the family
• Recruitment, training and development of the teams in each property including household, garden, equestrian, maintenance and conservation farming
• Ensuring each member of the team has a clear job role and objectives and receives regular feedback and guidance on the execution of their responsibilities and their interaction with the wider team
• Responsibility for all HR matters including regular reviews and reward recommendation for each team member – with support from the HR Manager
• Ownership of team policies e.g. health and safety, employers handbook – with support from the HR Manager

Project Management

• Responsibility for property refurbishments working in collaboration with both principals to ensure projects are completed on time and on budget. Eg. Creating and updating milestone trackers, budget trackers
• Negotiate and agree contracts with appointed suppliers

Asset Management

• Facilitation of the purchase of any future properties, sale of existing properties and management of properties for rent
• Working alongside the Maintenance Manager to ensure all maintenance requirements are completed for each property
• Ensure the operational manuals for each property are up to date
• Working with the office team to log the whereabouts of valuables and have oversight of all inventories

Budget Management

• In partnership with the Financial Controller, to build and manage the annual operational budget for the property portfolio, including maintenance, garden supplies, team salaries and external contractors’ costs
• In partnership with the Financial Controller – preparation of both capital and operations budget trackers on a monthly basis for presentation to the family
• Work closely with the Financial Controller to manage prompt payment of suppliers following appropriate governance processes eg. Presenting project proposals, approving purchase orders, signing off team receipts

Compliance

• Ensuring compliance with health & safety codes and employment law
• Responsible for insurance and risk management for each property
• Implementation and maintenance of household security systems in line with insurance policies

Candidates must be/have:

• Experience managing or overseeing the operations of multiple residential households
• A keen interest in people, their wellbeing and growth
• A strong understanding of and interest in sustainability
• Mastery of budgeting and planning across multiple properties
• Educational background in field or equivalent experience

Character and attitude

• Natural leader and team builder with supportive coaching style, and ability to have frank and honest conversations
• Collaborative style – ability and inclination to work cross-functionally and to partner with key members of the team
• Ability and inclination to mentor and develop team members
• Exceptional organizational skills, priority management skills and attention to detail
• Must be hands on – and enjoy spending time on each site working alongside the team in an outdoor environment
• Flexibility – ability to change tack or reprioritise if required
• Ability to manage several projects and teams simultaneously and take on new challenges
• Strong problem-solving skills, thoughtful approach while being action orientated
• Must be an excellent communicator – delivering progress reports, but also developing a good flow of information to the team and principals using multiple channels
• Resilient and calm under pressure – experienced in managing and avoiding crises
• Must be discreet and have a high level of personal integrity backed by employer’s references

Key skills and requirements

• Must be competent in the use of MS Office Suite and Windows OS including Excel and PowerPoint
• Must be able to design and create reports, Gantt charts, spreadsheets, trackers and have experience using H&S systems / software
• Financial competence – budgeting ability
• Must have a valid driver’s license
• Must have a current legal working status in UK

Location

Central London based & countryside (Berkshire).

Hours

Full-time.

Salary

Up to £70,000, depending on experience.

Job ref

CP705: House Manager for multi-properties in London and Berkshire.