Executive Personal Assistant/House Manager job (M/F) in Palo Alto, California, US
Job description
A UHNW principal in Palo Alto seeks an exceptional Executive Personal Assistant/House Manager to serve as her trusted right hand across all personal, administrative, and lifestyle matters. This position replaces a long-tenured professional who is retiring and is intended to be a long-term, high-trust engagement.
This is a PA-first role in both scope and expectation. The successful candidate will demonstrate elite-level executive support skills: the ability to listen closely, absorb verbal direction, translate it into written plans, prioritize intelligently, and execute independently without reminders. Anticipation, judgment, and discretion are critical.
Household operations are overseen in service of the principal, not as a traditional house manager role. The focus is on ensuring the principal’s time, environment, and personal life function seamlessly and without friction.
Responsibilities
Executive & Personal Assistant Support
- Act as the principal’s primary personal and executive assistant, managing daily logistics with discretion, precision, and professionalism.
- Receive verbal and real-time instructions, accurately document action items, timelines, and priorities, and execute independently.
- Anticipate needs proactively by identifying upcoming requirements, dependencies, risks, and opportunities well in advance.
- Manage personal scheduling, appointments, and travel logistics in close coordination with the principal’s professional scheduler.
- Maintain real-time oversight of calendars, priorities, household needs, and external commitments.
- Handle personal errands, shopping, correspondence, and bespoke requests with efficiency and strict confidentiality.
- Serve as the main communication link between the principal and household staff, ensuring clarity, follow-through, and discretion.
- Uphold absolute confidentiality; execution of a California-compliant NDA is required.
Estate & Household Oversight
(In Support of the PA Function)
- Oversee household operations to ensure the residence fully supports the principal’s personal and professional lifestyle.
- Work collaboratively with a long-standing domestic team, including a chef, domestic couple, and part-time housekeeper.
- Translate the principal’s verbal priorities into clear, actionable instructions for staff and vendors.
- Manage vendors, service providers, maintenance schedules, and preventative care with minimal disruption.
- Ensure the home is consistently guest-ready and hospitality standards are upheld without principal involvement.
- Support event coordination and staffing needs as required, acting as the central point of control.
- Oversee household payroll.
Events & Lifestyle Support
- Coordinate logistics for weekly intimate gatherings and occasional larger events (20–30 guests).
- Collaborate closely with the household chef on menu planning, specialty sourcing, and dietary preferences.
- Ensure visiting family members and guests receive discreet, seamless, and thoughtful hospitality.
Working Style & Expectations
- Full-time, Monday–Friday schedule (approximately 40 hours per week).
- No routine weekend coverage; occasional flexibility may be requested.
- Principal frequently works from home and expects a highly present, detail-oriented PA who operates independently and anticipates needs without prompting.
Requirements
- 5–7+ years of experience supporting a UHNW principal as a Personal Assistant, Executive Assistant, or equivalent right-hand role.
- Demonstrated excellence in verbal intake, written organization, prioritization, and autonomous execution.
- Exceptionally anticipatory, detail-driven, and operationally disciplined.
- Calm, polished, emotionally intelligent, and confident in high-expectation environments.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; adept at handling sensitive information.
- Technologically fluent; comfortable managing complex calendars, systems, and workflows.
- Valid California driver’s license with clean driving record; estate vehicle provided for work-related use.
- Comfortable with pets in the home (dog, birds, reptile); note cat allergy within the household.
- Experience supporting personal event preparation (e.g., hair/makeup coordination) is a plus.
Household Culture
- The estate observes a weekly rest period from Friday evening through Saturday evening.
- Staff longevity is a defining value; current team members have tenures ranging from 6 to 35 years.
- Cultural fit, discretion, and collaborative leadership with existing staff are essential.
Work conditions
- $400/month health allowance
- Domestic staffing 401(k)
- Estate vehicle for work-related use
- Optional live-in arrangement with private suite and separate entrance.
Salary
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