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Overview
We prize House / Estate Managers who have extensive experience. The position demands grace under pressure and consummate professionalism. Courtesy is of paramount importance.
The House Manager / Estate Manager will oversee tradespeople and the general running of the property, capable of servicing the many facets and unique aspect of your household. They are flexible as well as highly skilled, and come with extensive experience managing large properties and staff for high-profile individuals and companies.
Duties and Responsibilities
House or Estate Manager, or House & Estate Manager?
The terms Estate Manager and Household Manager are commonly used interchangeably, but they’re actually two different roles that have some (or many) overlapping responsibilities and skills. In order to retain the right person for each job and ensure that your home and property run smoothly and to your house/estate’s particular specifications, it’s helpful to understand the difference between these two two roles. It might make sense to combine the roles, or to hire two specific people for unique roles. The decision is yours.
Today’s modern Estate Manager is yesterday’s Majordomo. Majordomo refers to the highest (major) person of a household (domūs or domicile) staff, the chief of staff who acts on behalf of the owner of a large or significant residence. Sometimes referred to as the ‘head butler’, maître d’hôtel, or steward, it’s important to recognize the overall true meaning of what a modern Estate Manager does on a daily basis.
Estate Manager Functions
Typically, the Estate Manager holds the #1 position in the household and implements the management of your property and will be flexible, organized, and supremely competent to deal with multiple properties if several exist. Many will have experience in managing multiple residences, often abroad, giving them valuable international experience. In a large estate that consists of several thousands of acres, where the owners live away and visit on occasion, the estate manager will often reside on the estate and will have overall responsibility for it in every aspect.
Estate Managers are responsible for hiring and training staff and usually oversee ongoing personnel management. Some Estate Managers have a more ‘hands-on’ role, depending on your needs, but their primary roles involve the management and supervision of other household staff.
Estate Manager Key Duties
Estate Manager Qualifications
The most successful and competent Estate Managers are well-rounded individuals who possess a certain depth of knowledge and, of course, prior experience.
At Irving Scott, we seek the following qualifications when interviewing Estate Managers:
Household Manager Functions
While the duties of an Estate Manager and Household Manager appear similar, Household Managers are typically more ‘hands-on’ and perform service tasks themselves rather than delegating them to other staff. For a single family home or a smaller estate/residence, the Household Manager functions as a self-contained version of the Estate Manager. They train, oversee, manage, and assist your household staff. They’re friendly and always available, and yet respect privacy and confidentiality and can maintain a comfortable level of professionalism.
Household Manager Key Duties
Household Manager Qualifications
The qualifications for a Household Manager are similar to those of an Estate Manager: both require a variety, scope, and range of skills. The best Household Manager for you is someone you feel comfortable and confident with. Experience in restaurant or office management and/or formal schooling and specialised degrees can vary to the degree necessary to do the job.
At Irving Scott, we typically seek the following qualifications when interviewing Household Managers:
FAQ's
Candidates who have extensive experience and longevity in their previous roles. The ability to deal well with pressure, often juggling multiple duties whilst remaining professional at all times.
They oversee tradespeople and the ongoing running of the household. They should be experienced at working for large properties and high-profile families. Responsibilities can differ depending on the formality of the household. They are typically the most senior staff member unless the family own multiple residences in which case the House Manager would report to the Estate Manager. The role of House Manager can often be combined with Butler duties, thus experience with silver service is a big benefit when applying for roles.
- Management of the other staff within the household
- Developing and updating the Household Manual
- Liaising with the Chef on menus
- Coordinating dinner parties and social events at the residence
- Organising maintenance and household contractors
- Keeping inventories and writing reports e.g, stock in the wine cellars
- Flower arranging
- Training other staff members
- Booking appointments
- Recruiting and interviewing staff
- Being in charge of budgets
- House sitting and pet care
- Ad-hoc duties
Typically a 5 or 6-day working week, 8 am to 6 pm with some weekend work expected. Flexibility is key in this role whilst the family is in residence.
Starting salaries of around £60k per annum, rising to over £100k, depending on skills and experience.