Estate Manager + Family Assistant with Meal Prep Support

Job Title: Estate House Manager + Family Assistant with Meal Prep Support

Location: Primarily based in Palo Alto, CA 9430, with regular work at our secondary San Francisco home approximately two Fridays per month, plus additional weekday visits as needed for vendor appointments. San Francisco workdays will be coordinated in advance.

Employment Type: Full-time, 40 hours per week

Schedule: Monday - Friday | 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM

With additional weekend support approximately 2x per month

Compensation: $50–$55 per hour / based on experience

Benefits include:

• Paid breaks during shift
• 2 weeks paid vacation
• 5 paid sick days
• Paid federal holidays

Start Date: ASAP

Requirements

• Maintain a smoke-free environment.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.
• Fragrance-free environment required.
• Valid driver's license, safe driving record, and reliable transportation; must be comfortable driving with a toddler.
• Comfortable working across both the Palo Alto and San Francisco properties.
• Ability to lift and carry a toddler throughout the day.
• Current infant and child CPR and first-aid certification, or willingness to obtain prior to start.
• Candidates are required to be up to date on recommended vaccinations in line with American Academy of Pediatrics and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines (including measles and other major recommended vaccines), subject to applicable legal accommodations.
• Confidence using email, calendars, shared task lists, online ordering and returns, and simple spreadsheets; ability to learn unfamiliar tools.

About Our Family

We are a family of three rooted in Palo Alto, with a second home in San Francisco that we are actively remodeling and spending more time in. Having lived in Manhattan for more than a decade, we have carried that appreciation for beautiful spaces, thoughtful design, structure, and a certain ease that comes from everything being well cared for and in its place. Our homes are important to us, and we take pride in creating environments that feel both highly considered and effortlessly livable.

Our household has two very distinct environments. The main level is a polished, adult-oriented space where you would hardly know a toddler lives here, while the lower level is entirely devoted to our little one — a bright, joyful world complete with its own kitchen, pantry, dining area, reading library, and dedicated play spaces. We value a home that feels calm, organized, and beautifully maintained, with each space serving its purpose while still feeling warm and lived-in.

Our days have a thoughtful rhythm, with a Montessori educator supporting our mornings and our greatest need falling in the post-nap afternoon and evening hours, when the household naturally becomes more active. This is when dinner, kitchen and household resets, errands, organization, and preparing everything for the following day come into focus. We are looking for someone who can step confidently into this window, take ownership of the details, and create a sense of calm and continuity for the entire family.

Above all, we are looking for a long-term partner who takes genuine pride in the art of running a beautiful, well-organized home. Discretion, professionalism, strong judgment, and attention to detail are incredibly important to us, as is someone who naturally anticipates what needs to happen next rather than waiting to be asked. We value clear, thoughtful communication, a collaborative spirit, and someone who enjoys becoming deeply familiar with a household over time — ultimately helping make everything feel a little more effortless for the family.

Who You Are / What We're Looking For

You are the kind of person who walks into a space and immediately notices what needs attention — and then gets to work. You take genuine pride in being helpful, keeping things running smoothly, and leaving a home better than you found it. You enjoy a good checklist, find satisfaction in a well-stocked pantry and an organized home, and take pride in returning a kitchen to a state of order after a busy day. You bring positive energy and a can-do attitude to your work, with the stamina and productive pace to keep up in a physically active household.

You are highly organized, resourceful, and proactive. Rather than waiting to be told what to do, you naturally look ahead, identify what is coming up, and take care of the details before they become problems. You are attentive to family preferences and take the time to learn how things are done so you can confidently and consistently follow through. When something needs a decision, you flag it clearly; when the path is obvious, you use good judgment and take care of it independently.

You are equally comfortable with hands-on household work and behind-the-scenes organization — whether that means resetting the kitchen, organizing a pantry, ordering supplies, coordinating vendors, managing returns, or keeping household systems running smoothly. You work with purpose and take satisfaction in seeing tasks through to completion. Reliability matters to you, and you follow through on the small details that make a big difference in a household.

You are friendly, warm, and easy to work with, while also understanding the value of a professional working relationship. You communicate clearly and directly, provide thoughtful updates, and are comfortable working independently without needing constant conversation or direction. You respect privacy and understand that being a great household professional means knowing when to engage and when to simply get on with the work.

Most importantly, you genuinely care about doing an excellent job. You are service-oriented, attentive, flexible, and take pride in being someone a family can rely on. You are looking for a stable, long-term placement where you can build trust over time, become deeply familiar with the household, and take real ownership of the systems and details that help the family’s life run more smoothly.

Key Responsibilities

Household Organization & Maintenance

• Maintain daily household resets across shared areas: kitchens, dining spaces, play areas, and high-traffic surfaces.
• Prep the home before the weekly cleaning service.
• Manage ongoing household organization systems.
• Handle packing and unpacking for trips between properties and travel.
• Maintain toddler's laundry, bedroom, bathroom, and equipment (including humidifier).
• Seasonal swaps for clothing, and Montessori toy rotation.
• Coordinate and prepare for holidays, birthdays, guests, and family events.
• Manage outdoor plant care.
• Handle practical upkeep: changing batteries, light bulbs, and smoke detectors.

Family Support & Child Assistance

• Provide attentive backup childcare and light supervision during afternoon and evening hours.
• Help with toddler wake-up from nap: diaper change, snack, and preparation for outings or the afternoon routine.
• Drive toddler to and from activities, or accompany family on nearby outings.
• Prep backpacks, clothing, and snacks for the following day; organize and tidy toddler's room, clothing, and supplies.
• Handle kid-related errands
• Provide support during bath and bedtime as a second set of hands while parent leads the routine.
• Engage the toddler in warm, screen-free, imaginative play — reading, drawing, singing, and language-rich activities.

Inventory & Errands

• Track and restock pantry, refrigerator, and household supplies.
• Manage household subscriptions and orders (Amazon, and others).
• Handle returns from initiation through drop-off, tracking, and refund confirmation.
• Manage mail and packages; break down boxes; manage trash, compost, and collection bins.
• Run local errands: pharmacy pickups, dry cleaning (primarily via Rinse), donations, consignment drop-offs, and shipping.
• Buy, wrap, and mail gifts and provide support upcoming occasions.

Meal Support

• Prepare straightforward family dinners five nights per week from recipes, meal kits, or by assembling and serving chef-prepared food.
• Wash, cut, portion, label, and store produce, snacks, and prepared food.
• Prepare the toddler's breakfast and lunch selections for the following day; organize and maintain the toddler's freezer inventory.
• Coordinate recipe ideas with the weekly chef.
• Grocery shopping.
• Full kitchen cleanup maintenance and cleaning.
• Weekly fridge refresh and cleaning.

Laundry & Linens

• Wash, fold, and organize toddler's laundry.
• Handle linen and towel rotation.
• Maintain tidy and well-stocked laundry areas at both properties.

Vehicle Upkeep

• Schedule maintenance, fueling, cleaning, and organization of family vehicles.
• Track registration and insurance for both vehicles.

Vendor & Property Oversight

• Serve as the point of contact for cleaners, contractors, and landscapers at both properties.
• Research and coordinate repairs and quotes; oversee seasonal property maintenance.
• Be physically present at the San Francisco home during vendor visits as the remodel progresses; travel to the SF property independently approximately 2–3 Fridays per month.
• Ensure readiness of both properties; oversee home systems including HVAC and security.

Administrative & Personal Assistant Support

• Maintain shared task lists, household calendars, and priority planning.
• Manage receipt tracking and flag budget trade-offs.
• Coordinate travel logistics.
• Coordinate appointments and events.

Deep Cleaning & Special Projects

• Periodic deep cleaning of appliances, baseboards, and child-related equipment.
• Refresh mudroom, entryway, and play spaces as needed.
• Clean and maintain humidifiers.
• Organizational projects for toys, gear, and closets.

How to Apply

Please submit a short intro letter, an updated resume, and 3 professional references with contact information. This role requires a background check.

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