Job Description

Estate Manager
Manhattan Properties · Locust Valley Estate, Long Island

POSITION OVERVIEW
Role Title: New York Estate Manager Reporting To: Principal / Family Office Portfolio: Mid-town Manhattan (Family Residence & Staff Apartment) & Locust Valley, Long Island (Weekend Retreat/Estate) Employment Type: Full-time, live-out Package Headlines: $175K-200K Annually, commensurate with experience, negotiable for the right candidate. 20 days annual leave & 8 Federal Holidays; health insurance contribution; employee- contributing 401(k)

ABOUT THE FAMILY

Children:   Four (4) children – 9-year-old (G), 10-year-old (G) (turning 11 in April), and 13-year-old twins (G,B)

Pets:   Four (4) friendly and affectionate dogs (three Bernedoodles and one micro-Goldendoodle). The ideal candidate must   truly enjoy dogs and feel comfortable around them .

THE CONTEXT & ROLE
This is a ‘dual-property’ role supporting a UHNW private family across two distinct New York locations.

The Locust Valley Estate; an 8-acre Long Island property with a principal house, pool, gym, and full MEP and security infrastructure, is the family’s primary leisure base, used at weekends and during school holidays. The Estate Manager’s mandate here is total: property and land management, full household service delivery, and a standard of presentation and hospitality that mirrors a five-star private hotel throughout every visit.

Working Days/Hours:  

• School Year: working days will be Thursday-Monday, with Tuesdays and Wednesdays off. Hours: Thursday/Friday/Monday: roughly 8:00 am to 5:00 pm; Saturday/Sunday: roughly 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, with flexibility to work later hours if there is an event or specific need of the family.
• School Holidays: Working days can be more flexible, subject to the requirements of the Estate (i.e. any 5 days within the 7 day week); Hours: Roughly 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, depending on needs. 

The Manhattan Properties ; a principal family residence and an adjacent staff apartment, are a modern, urban base, used during term time and the working week. These properties carry a lighter operational footprint but require housekeeping oversight, proactive maintenance coordination, and reliable readiness management. 

Working Days/Hours:  

• Responsibilities to the Manhattan properties will fall within the same hours/days as above, noting that the Estate Manager will have an able Property Engineer/team so coverage should not be an issue. The hours/days for Manhattan will be dictated but the Property's/Estate's needs.

The Estate Manager is the single point of accountability across both properties, leading a team comprising a Property Engineer, a Caretaker and two Housekeepers at Locust Valley, and two Housekeepers in Manhattan. The role operates at a strategic level, directing, coordinating, and holding standards, rather than routinely delivering works personally.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Household & Guest Service
Locust Valley is the primary service environment. The family should arrive to a property that anticipates every need and operates invisibly throughout their stay.

• Direct and manage the Housekeeping teams across both properties; set and maintain five-star standards of cleanliness, presentation, and order at all times;
• Pre-arrival preparation: rooms opened, deep-cleaned, stocked, and presented before each visit; family preferences, dietary requirements, and guest arrangements fully briefed to staff;
• Oversee food and beverage provisioning, catering coordination, and the set-up and management of formal and informal dining and entertaining;
• Manage all household inventory — linen, tableware, silverware, consumables — anticipating and
  replenishing proactively;
• Coordinate staff rotas and property close-down at Locust Valley to align with family visit schedules; manage readiness and pre-arrival preparation at the Manhattan residence.

Property, Facilities & Land
The Property Engineer carries day-to-day technical responsibility for MEP, appliances, equipment and property maintenance delivery across both locations whilst the Estate Manager provides strategic oversight.

• Set maintenance priorities and approve works programmes; manage contractor and vendor relationships, insurance compliance, and keep the Family Office informed of material issues and planned works;
• Oversee the pool (water quality, seasonal operation, safety compliance), gym readiness, and all estate vehicles and plant;
• Direct the Caretaker in the upkeep of the 8-acre Locust Valley grounds — lawns, planting, terraces,
  pathways, drainage, and irrigation — across all seasons;
• Coordinate building liaison, maintenance, and access management for the Manhattan Properties in
  conjunction with building management.

Financial & Procuremen t

• Manage operating budgets across both properties in conjunction with the Family Office Accounts team; approve and track procurement spend with accurate records and reporting;
• Negotiate and manage vendor, contractor, and supplier agreements; maintain a comprehensive asset and inventory register.

Compliance, Insurance & Legislation

• Ensure both properties meet all applicable federal, state, and local regulatory requirements; manage insurance coverage across buildings, contents, vehicles, liability, and employer obligations;
• Condominium, municipal, and governmental compliance at both locations; health and safety oversight for all staff and contractors across both properties.
• Vet, contract, and supervise all contractors and suppliers

People & Cross-Property Coordination

• Line manage the full related Estate teams; Property Engineer, Assistant Property Engineer, Caretaker, and Housekeeping staff at both properties. Set standards, manage performance, and adminster the team;
• Liaise with the Family Office to integrate with the master schedule of movements, estate operations, vendor visits, logistics and maintenance programmes across both properties;
• Produce clear, timely reporting on property status, condition, maintenance, budget, and staffing for the Principals and Family Office.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• Substantial experience in estate and household management within a super-prime private residential or luxury hospitality environment; preferably for UHNW families 
• Proven track record in household service delivery; able to create and sustain a warm, anticipatory, hotel-quality service environment;
• Strong property management background with sufficient technical literacy to direct a Property Engineer and specialist contractors effectively; able to interrogate works programmes, review proposals, and hold the function to account;
• Confident people manager; able to lead a mixed household and technical team currently consisting of Housekeepers, Caretaker and Property Engineers, with authority, warmth, and clarity;
• Financially competent; comfortable with budget management, procurement, and reporting; familiarity with commercial contracts and contractor insurance;
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• High personal standards of discretion, integrity, and confidentiality;  willing to commit fully to the role and the family’s schedule;
• P hysically capable of working (and commuting) to the two properties in all seasons.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

•  Significant Estate Management experience in private households, preferably for UHNW clients
• Excellent verifiable references
• Legal authorization 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

Job Tags

Full time, Contract work, For contractors, Term time, Seasonal work, Live out, Work at office, Local area, Flexible hours, Rotating shift, Weekend work

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