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 & Procurement

• 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;
• Physically 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