Service and Systems Oriented Estate Manager

Pocketbook Agency; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO

Paid sick leave

401(k) with employer match

Job summary

Pocketbook Agency is seeking an experienced Estate Manager to oversee operations across multiple Bay Area estates. This senior role requires a tastemaker with elevated taste, systems thinking, and a passion for seamless, high-standard living environments.

The candidate will standardize processes, manage budgets, hire staff, and coordinate with vendors while ensuring confidentiality and discretion in a fast-paced household.

Qualifications

• Proven background in estate management, household operations, or senior PA/EM roles.
• Experience managing multiple properties simultaneously.
• Strong leadership skills with ability to hire, train, and manage staff and vendors.
• Budget management experience with independent financial decision-making.
• Proficiency with project and household management tools including Asana, Savant, Lutron.
• Highly organized with systems-thinking and ability to standardize operations across properties.
• Elevated personal taste and aesthetic sensibility aligned with a preference-driven household.
• Excellent communicator in fast-paced environments.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all property operations across multiple estates, ensuring consistent standards of care and service.
• Hire, train, schedule, and manage household staff and service vendors, including evaluations.
• Build and manage operational budgets per property with authority to allocate expenses.
• Negotiate and manage vendor contracts, optimizing for cost, quality, and property goals.
• Standardize procedures for inventory management, maintenance schedules, and household systems across properties.
• Anticipate operational needs and proactively solve for efficiency and readiness.
• Partner with architects, designers, and contractors on upgrades and projects.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, insurance, and safety requirements.
• Own all operational decision-making and problem resolution across properties.
• Maintain accurate inventory systems tracking household items, clothing, and sports gear.
• Travel to additional residences as needed.

Skills

Estate management

Staff leadership

Budget management

Project management

Communication

Tools

Asana

Savant

Lutron

Job description

A Bay Area family office is seeking an Estate Manager to oversee operations across multiple estates. This is a senior-level role for experienced operators with a strong sense of service, aesthetics and estate management background. The ideal candidate is the "tastemaker of the home." They bring elevated taste, deep systems thinking, and a genuine desire to create seamless, high-standard living environments. This person thrives in a fast-paced, minimalist, preference-driven household where excellence is the baseline and every detail matters.

The role sits at the intersection of estate management and personal service, requiring someone who can build and standardize systems across properties while remaining highly attuned to the principal’s lifestyle and preferences. A background in PA work or high touch hospitality combined with estate management experience is the recipe for success.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee all property operations across multiple estates, ensuring consistent standards of care and service
• Hire, train, schedule, and manage household staff and service vendors, including performance evaluations
• Build and manage operational budgets per property with independent authority to allocate and approve expenses
• Negotiate and manage vendor contracts, optimizing for cost, quality, and property goals
• Standardize procedures for inventory management, maintenance schedules, and household systems across all properties
• Anticipate operational needs and proactively solve for efficiency and readiness
• Partner with architects, designers, and contractors on property upgrades and special projects
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory, insurance, and safety requirements
• Own all operational decision-making and problem resolution across properties
• Maintain accurate inventory systems tracking household items, clothing, and sports gear
• Travel to additional residences as needed

Qualifications

• Proven background in estate management, household operations, or senior PA/EM roles
• Experience managing multiple properties simultaneously
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to hire, train, and manage household staff and contracted vendors
• Budget management experience with confidence making independent financial decisions
• Proficiency with project and household management tools including Asana, Savant, Lutron, and similar platforms
• Highly organized with exceptional systems-thinking and ability to standardize operations across properties
• Elevated personal taste and strong aesthetic sensibility aligned with a preference-driven household
• Excellent communicator. Succinct, clear, and effective in fast-paced environments
• Discreet, professional, and deeply committed to confidentiality
• Flexible 24/7 mindset; available for on-call responsibilities as needed

Compensation:

$200,000 - $300,000 annually, DOE. Comprehensive benefits package including PTO, paid sick leave, and 401(k) with employer match.

Schedule:

Full-time. Fast-paced environment with flexibility required outside of regular hours to meet on-call needs.