An estate manager looks after a private home, or more often several homes, for wealthy families. They manage budgets, lead household staff, handle contractors, and keep each property ready for the principal. It’s the most senior role in a private household.
This page gives you a full example job description to use as a template when hiring. For everything else, see our hiring an estate manager page. It covers everything you need to know about recruiting an estate manager.
Example of an estate manager job description
Here’s a real example job description for a permanent estate manager position in Geneva, Switzerland. The duties are typical for most markets. Work permits and driver’s licence rules change country to country.
Job duties and responsibilities
- Recruit, train, and supervise domestic staff across each property
- Oversee all maintenance and repairs across the property’s grounds and buildings
- Manage the property budget
- Make sure all utilities are in good working order
- Travel between properties to check in with staff and keep things on track
- Be the main point of contact for staff and outside service providers
- Be the first call in an emergency
- Inspect the property before the owner arrives
- Provide ongoing support to the principal and the family office
Profile requirements
- At least 7 years of experience in a similar position
- Discreet, with a strong sense of confidentiality
- Comfortable working independently and as part of a team
- Strong negotiation and conflict resolution skills
- Able to work well under pressure with strong time management
- Advanced computer skills and quick to respond to emails and messages
- Full, clean driver’s licence
- Valid Swiss work permit
Job conditions
- Full-time, with flexibility on evenings and weekends
- Live-out
- Salary based on experience
What this brief looks like in different households
A typical estate manager brief comes from a family with two or three properties and a clear chain of command. The estate manager runs the staff teams across each home and reports to a family office or directly to the principal.
But not every brief looks like this. Households where the is a lot of construction work can be different. When a property is being renovated, the estate manager will run the project with the architect, project manager, and contractors, and that takes a different kind of candidate.
Households spread across more than three time zones are different again. Morgan Richez co-founder at Morgan & Mallet has seen that families with homes in the Middle East often move on a similar pattern in different seasons. Dubai to London in July, then to the South of France for August. The estate manager has to make sure every property is ready before the family lands.
It’s worth being specific in the brief about which version of the role you’re hiring for. The candidate market for a construction orientated estate manager is much smaller than for an estate manager that looks after properties that aren’t being changed.
Using this job description
If you’re using this as a starting point for your own hire, the duties list and profile section are where to make changes. Think about how many properties the estate manager will cover, whether it’s live-in or live-out, how much travel is involved, and how many staff they’ll be supervising. Those are the details that shape the brief most.
Looking for a position as an estate manager?
Browse current vacancies on the Morgan & Mallet job board. We place estate managers in New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Geneva, Dubai, and beyond.
Hire an Estate Manager
If you’re looking to hire an estate manager for your household or family office, get in touch with us.
This job description was reviewed by Morgan Richez, co-founder of Morgan & Mallet.