House Manager with Meal Prep Support

House Manager with Meal Prep Support

Job Title: House Manager with Meal Prep Support

Location: Ballard | Seattle, WA | 98117

Employment Type: Part-Time | 20–25 hours per week

Schedule: Monday–Thursday, approximately 12:00–6:30 PM. Some flexibility for occasional additional coverage for evenings and weekends is a plus.

Compensation: $37–$42/hour, based on experience

Start Date: ASAP

Requirements

• Reliable personal transportation required for household errands
• Maintain a smoke-free environment
• CPR and First Aid certification preferred
• COVID and flu vaccinations preferred
• Comfortable working in a multi-level home and around a friendly dog

About Our Family

We are a warm, active family of four living in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood with two school-age children, ages 6 and 10, and a French Bulldog. Our kids recently transitioned from homeschooling into school, and as our family's rhythm continues to evolve, we're ready to bring in thoughtful household support that helps our home feel calmer, more organized, and easier to manage.

One parent works primarily from home with concentrated afternoon work hours and travels internationally for one to two weeks every couple of months. The other parent balances family life with a part-time business and is looking to reclaim some of the time and mental energy currently spent keeping all the household details moving.

Our family values kindness, independence, clear communication, and respectful relationships. We practice a peaceful parenting approach centered around strong but gentle boundaries rather than rewards, bribes, or punishments. We're intentional about teaching our children how to care for themselves, their belongings, and their home, so we're looking for someone who will support those skills rather than simply doing everything for them.

We have professional cleaners every Friday, along with regular landscaping and dog-walking support, so this isn't a housekeeping or nanny position. We're looking for a true House Manager who can fill the gaps between those supports — cooking, laundry, household resets, organization, errands, and keeping the home moving forward throughout the week.

Who You Are / What We're Looking For

You bring a calm, capable presence and a strong work ethic to a busy home. You're organized, observant, and naturally proactive — able to walk in, assess what needs attention, prioritize, and get moving without needing constant direction. You understand that supporting a household with ADHD means creating helpful structure, staying flexible, and keeping things moving forward without adding more noise or overwhelm.

You have high emotional intelligence and know how to read the room. You're warm, kind, and supportive, but also comfortable working independently and giving the family space. With the children, you bring quiet confidence: patient and encouraging while holding clear, consistent boundaries and helping them build greater independence.

You're equally comfortable tackling laundry and household organization, running errands, or getting a fresh family dinner on the table. This is a high-work-ethic, low-ego role for someone who takes pride in being dependable, useful, and one step ahead.

Key Qualities We're Looking For

• Quietly confident, calm, kind, and grounded
• Highly organized with strong follow-through and accountability
• Proactive, self-directed, and able to prioritize without micromanagement
• High EQ with a natural ability to read the room
• Patient and supportive in an ADHD/neurodiverse household
• Comfortable creating structure without being rigid
• Warm with children while maintaining clear, healthy boundaries
• Aligned with peaceful parenting and fostering age-appropriate independence
• High work ethic, low ego, and willing to jump in where needed
• Confident preparing fresh, family-friendly meals
• Clear, thoughtful communicator
• Spanish-speaking is a welcome bonus, but not required

Key Responsibilities

Family Support

• Provide light, supportive family assistance while keeping household management as the primary focus of the role
• Help coach the children through age-appropriate self-care, organization, and household responsibilities
• Support backpack, clothing, snack, and school-day preparation
• Encourage children to participate in caring for their own spaces and belongings
• Provide weekly school or activity pick up/drop off (Thursdays)
• Offer flexible backup support when family schedules require an extra set of hands
• Maintain consistency with the parents' peaceful parenting philosophy and household boundaries

Household Organization & Maintenance

• Maintain household organization systems and help create new systems where useful
• Complete daily resets of main living spaces, kitchen, entryway, and other high-use areas
• Prepare the home each Thursday ahead of the family's Friday cleaning service
• Keep dishes, counters, surfaces, and high-traffic areas tidy between professional cleanings
• Support seasonal clothing and bedding swaps
• Organize closets, pantry spaces, toys, gear, entryway, and other household areas as needed
• Coordinate donation drop-offs as the family continues decluttering
• Assist with indoor and outdoor household resets
• Support monthly special projects such as refrigerator cleanouts, mudroom refreshes, and organizational projects
• Assist with simple household upkeep such as changing batteries or light bulbs as needed
• Help the children remember routine care of the family's indoor avocado tree

Inventory & Errands

• Create and maintain practical systems for household inventory and restocking
• Grocery shop and restock pantry, refrigerator, toiletries, and household essentials
• Maintain running household supply lists
• Assist with household orders and recurring purchases
• Handle occasional returns and coordinate dry cleaning
• Manage incoming mail and packages and break down boxes
• Complete donation drop-offs and other local household errands
• Take the family vehicle for a weekly car wash/reset as needed

Meal Planning & Prep

• Align with family food preferences and meal plan and prepare complete, family-friendly dinners during the busy afternoon and early-evening window
• Prepare healthy snacks and occasional lunches as needed
• Grocery shop for meals and maintain appropriate staples
• Accommodate both vegetarian and non-vegetarian preferences within the household
• Prepare simple, approachable meals based on family preferences, including Italian-inspired meals, tacos, and other kid-friendly options
• Maintain a clean and organized kitchen throughout meal preparation
• Help keep the refrigerator organized and food inventory moving efficiently

Laundry & Linen Care

• Wash, fold, and organize family laundry
• Support delicates and special garments as directed
• Keep laundry moving consistently throughout the week
• Assist with ironing or steaming on an as-needed basis
• Support bedding and towel rotation in coordination with the family's cleaners
• Maintain an organized, well-stocked laundry area
• Assist with seasonal clothing transitions and closet organization

Administrative & Household Support

• Assist with appointment scheduling by making calls and coordinating logistics at the family's direction
• Support household calendar details and family logistics as needed
• Help prepare checklists, laundry, and household details ahead of family vacations
• Maintain clear communication around completed tasks, priorities, and items needing family input
• Participate in a structured weekly check-in to stay aligned on household priorities

How to Apply

Please submit a brief introduction telling us about yourself and why this opportunity feels like a great fit, along with your updated resume and three professional references with current contact information.

Please note that finalists will be required to complete a background check as part of the