Estate Manager

Confidential; Scottsdale (AZ); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential seeks an experienced Estate Manager to be the single point of accountability for all household, property, travel, and lifestyle operations across the family’s residence(s). This senior role prioritizes discretion, anticipates needs, and maintains high standards of care and presentation.

You will build a vendor network and oversee budgets, schedules, and security, ensuring smooth operations while remaining physically present on-site as needed.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in private service, estate management, luxury hospitality, or equivalent high-touch operations.
• Experience running a household via a vendor network, not direct staff.
• Proven vendor/contract management with sourcing, negotiating, and accountability.
• Experience owning an operating budget with expense tracking and reporting.
• Experience coordinating complex domestic and international travel for a principal or family.
• Working knowledge of residential systems (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, etc.).
• Comfort with smart home and estate tech (Lutron, Crestron, Control4, Savant, etc.).
• Impeccable professional references and successful background check.
• Valid driver’s license and passport; ability to travel on short notice.
• Demonstrated discretion in private households.

Responsibilities

• Own daily operations across all residences, including routines, inspections, cleanliness, and readiness for family and guests.
• Build and manage preventative maintenance schedules for building systems (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, pools, landscaping).
• Source, vet, negotiate, and manage all vendors, contractors, and service providers across trades.
• Maintain and reconcile household budgets, track expenses, and report to principals or family office.
• Plan and manage domestic and international travel itineraries and related logistics.
• Coordinate access, security protocols, and privacy across properties and with vendors.
• Oversee smart home and estate technology maintenance and first-line troubleshooting.
• Plan private events and oversee vendors, menus, décor, and day-of coordination.

Skills

Vendor management

Budget management

Travel planning

Discretion & confidentiality

Private service/Luxury hospitality

Operations management

Smart home tech troubleshooting

Vendor contracts & negotiations

Calendar & logistics coordination

Family office coordination

Tools

Lutron

Crestron

Control4

Savant

A/V & networked security

Job description

A private family seeks an experienced Estate Manager to serve as the single point of accountability for all household, property, travel, and lifestyle operations across the family's residence(s). This is a senior, trust-first role. The Estate Manager is the person the Principals rely on to make the home run without being asked - anticipating needs, resolving issues before they surface, and maintaining a consistently high standard of care, presentation, and discretion.

Work is accomplished either directly by the Estate Manager or through a vendor network that the Estate Manager builds, manages, and holds accountable. Vendor management is therefore the central operating skill in this role. The position blends executive-level operations with hand-on presence. You will build and maintain the systems - household manual, preventive maintenance calendar, vendor roster, inventories, budget that keep the estate running predictably, while remaining a daily physical presence on the property.

This is a family home with school-age and high-school-age children. The role does not include childcare. It does include coordinating household and travel logistics around the family's rhythms - school calendars, activities, and the pace of a household with kids in it. Confidentiality is a condition of the role. The Estate Manager will have access to the family's homes, schedules, finances, relationships, and private matters. Discretion is the foundation of the position.

About the Role

The Estate Manager is responsible for overseeing all household, property, travel, and lifestyle operations, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently.

Responsibilities

• Own daily operations across all residences: opening/closing routines, inspections, cleanliness, presentation, and readiness for family and guest use
• Conduct routine property walkthroughs; proactively identify and resolve maintenance, safety, and aesthetic issues before they become disruptions
• Build and maintain preventative maintenance schedules for all building systems (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, pool/water features, landscaping, generators, security)
• Maintain readiness of vehicles, equipment, and outbuildings, including service schedules, registrations, and detailing
• Handle hand-on upkeep directly where practical - minor repairs, resets, organization, deliveries, seasonal changeovers - rather than routing every task to a vendor
• Provide on-call response for property emergencies, coordinating trades, insurance, and remediation with minimal disruption to the family
• Source, vet, negotiate, and manage all vendors, contractors, and service providers across trades, grounds, housekeeping services, A/V and technology, pool, pest, security systems, and specialty care
• Own service contracts, scopes of work, scheduling, pricing, and quality inspections; hold vendors accountable to standards and renegotiate or replace when they slip
• Maintain current insurance certificates, licensing, and background clearance records for every vendor with property access
• Schedule and sequence vendor work to minimize disruption to the family, particularly around school schedules, travel, and events
• Escort and supervise all outside personnel on property; enforce confidentiality, access, and conduct protocols with every vendor and crew
• Build redundancy - a second option for every critical trade - so a single vendor failure never becomes a household emergency
• Manage household operating budgets; track and code expenses, reconcile statements, and report to the Principals or family office
• Review, approve, and process vendor invoices; validate work performed against scope before payment
• Identify cost savings and negotiate contracts without compromising standards
• Maintain household purchasing, inventories, and provisioning aligned to the Principals’ documented preferences
• Plan and manage domestic and international travel for the Principals and children: itineraries, private and commercial aviation, ground transportation, lodging, and documentation
• Maintain passports, visas, Global Entry, and travel records for all family members, tracking expiration dates well in advance
• Prepare residences for departure and return; coordinate advance work at destination properties or accommodations
• Manage packing, shipping, and logistics of luggage, equipment, and household items in transit
• Provide real-time support during travel - schedule changes, delays, and issues resolved remotely
• Coordinate vendor access, deliveries, and property security during periods when the family is away
• Travel with or ahead of the family as needed for property setup and on-site support
• Manage household and family calendars, appointments, and logistics, including coordination around school calendars and children's activities
• Plan and execute private events and gatherings - from family celebrations to larger functions - including menus, vendors, décor, and day-of oversight
• Provide personal assistant support: errands, purchasing, gifting, appointments, correspondence, returns, and special requests
• Ensure the home is set up appropriately for the family and their guests, coordinating property needs tied to the children's activities and schedules
• Coordinate care of pets, collections, art, and fine furnishings
• Author and maintain a comprehensive household operations manual covering procedures, preferences, vendor contacts, systems documentation, warranties, and emergency protocols
• Administer smart home and estate technology (lighting, A/V, climate, irrigation, access control, cameras, networks) and serve as first-line troubleshooting before escalating to integrators
• Maintain digital inventories and records for assets, wine, art, equipment, and household goods
• Coordinate with monitored alarm services, access control, and camera vendors; manage codes, credentials, and access lists
• Enforce access control, guest protocols, and privacy standards across all properties and with every vendor on site
• Maintain strict confidentiality regarding the family, their children, their guests, their homes, and their affairs - during and after employment
• Exercise sound judgment with sensitive matters and never discuss the Principals' business outside authorized channels

Qualifications

• 8+ years in private service, estate management, luxury hospitality, or comparable high-touch operations, including direct experience serving high-net-worth or ultra-high-net-worth principals
• Demonstrated ability to run a household through a vendor network rather than a staff of direct reports
• Proven vendor and contractor management, including sourcing, negotiating, and holding service contracts accountable
• Experience owning an operating budget with expense tracking and reporting accountability
• Experience coordinating complex domestic and international travel for a principal or family
• Working knowledge of residential systems (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, structural, landscape)
• Comfort with smart home and estate technology (e.g., Lutron, Crestron, Control4, Savant, networked security and A/V)
• Experience working in a family home with children, with sound judgment about privacy, safety, and household rhythm
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and/or Google Workspace
• Impeccable professional references, verifiable work history, and successful completion of a comprehensive background check
• Valid driver’s license with clean driving record; valid passport with ability to travel on short notice
• A demonstrated track record of discretion in private households