Summary
EXPERIENCED LIVE-OUT HEAD HOUSEKEEPER FOR LARGE PRIVATE ESSEX ESTATE
Location: Near Braintree, Essex
Salary: £50,000 per annum, negotiable
Contract: Full-Time, Permanent
Status: Live-out
We have a fantastic opportunity for an experienced, hardworking, and talented Head Housekeeper to support a HNW family in their large country estate in Essex. The family are looking to appoint an energetic, friendly team player with exceptional organisational and communication skills to oversee all aspects of household operations across multiple residences, ensuring a seamless, high-standard service is delivered to the family and their guests.
As Head Housekeeper, you will be responsible for the overall cleanliness, organisation, and smooth operation of the household across multiple residences. This includes managing all housekeeping staff, ensuring they are well-trained, professional, and working to the highest standards of service and presentation. You will be expected to lead recruitment, training, rota creation, and performance management, fostering a collaborative and discreet team environment while also providing hands-on support when required.
You will oversee all housekeeping operations, ensuring interiors are maintained immaculately, from daily cleaning routines to the care of specialist finishes, fine furnishings, and high-value items. Laundry management, wardrobe organisation, and seasonal care of garments will also fall under your remit. You’ll develop and enforce clear housekeeping protocols, quality standards, and checklists tailored to each property, ensuring seamless preparation for the family and guests.
The Head Housekeeper will manage procurement and inventory across residences, maintaining appropriate stock levels of cleaning supplies and household goods while liaising with trusted vendors and contractors. You’ll also be responsible for managing budgets for housekeeping and related services, tracking expenditure, and ensuring financial accountability in collaboration with estate or household management. Being tech and admin savvy is a requirement for this role in order to support the family assistant with duties such as managing errands, coordinating diaries, or supporting the family with day-to-day tasks.
Usual working hours are Monday to Friday from 8am-5pm or 9am-6pm, but a high degree of discretion, flexibility, and commitment is expected, including availability during evenings and weekends to support the family’s needs as they arise. The family do have pets, so being pet friendly is a must, as well as being a confident driver with a full UK driving license.
DUTIES TO INCLUDE:
• General housekeeping to a very high standard alongside the team and ensuring the smooth running of the household
• Handling specific employer requests in regard to cleaning, maintenance, and organisation
• Organising daily tasks, timetables, and rotas for house personnel
• Managing stock and supply operations regarding the cleaning and maintenance of the home, such as liaising and negotiating with suppliers, taking receipt of deliveries
• Overseeing household budgets and expenditure (with the support of various teams)
• Household administration and supporting the Family Assistant as needed
• Inventory management of artworks, furniture pieces etc.
• Laundry and ironing of clothing, fine fabrics, linens etc.
• Wardrobe management and packing/unpacking for the principals
• Service and assistance at events, flower arranging
• Deal quickly and responsibly with any issues that arise
ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:
• Previous experience in a similar role, ideally onboard a super yacht or HNW household
• Flexibility in terms of duties and changes of schedules
• Tech-savvy and computer literate
• Team player with a positive, can-do attitude
• Excellent communication skills
• Very high attention to detail
• Good standard of written and spoken English
• Trustworthy and able to handle confidential information appropriately
• Able to prioritise and multitask effectively
• Right to work within the UK
• Excellent checkable references
