Houseman/Family Assistant

Job Description

Job Description

Houseman / Family Assistant

Location: Private residence, Bedford, NY. Candidates must live within a 30-minute drive.

Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, with on-call flexibility. Compensation: $175,000 – $185,000, plus full health coverage and a 401(k).

 

About the Household

A genuinely kind and friendly family with two young children, living in a large estate home in Bedford. They are warm and easy to be around. They are also quiet and private, and they keep a calm house.

The estate carries a beautiful, bucolic stillness.

Inside and out, it is pristine. Everything has its place. That standard is never stated as a rule. It is simply how the family lives, and the person in this role is expected to hold it without being asked.

The place is magical, and it should feel effortless for the family. Things are noticed and things are appreciated.

If you take deep satisfaction in an environment that is flawless and calm because you made it that way, this could be the right fit for you.

 

About the Role

A hands-on, self-directed Houseman / Family Assistant to care for the estate and support the daily rhythm of the household.

This is a family-facing position. Your first priority is the wife and children. You will talk with the wife several times a day, work through what is needed, and keep her days running smoothly. The husband works from home two to three days a week, travels regularly, and will check in with you from time to time. You will drive the children to activities and be a steady, familiar presence for them.

The rest of the role is the property itself, and it is genuinely hands-on. You will walk the grounds, wipe down a patio, clean a boat, and break down delivery boxes, while also holding the bigger picture of what the household needs.

Success is measured by how little they have to think about. Things are handled, replaced, cleaned, fixed, and stocked

before anyone notices they weren’t.

The estate includes a main residence, three annex buildings, indoor and outdoor pools, spas, a large indoor athletic area, and lake frontage with docks and boats.

The structure of the day is largely yours to build.

 

The Home’s Day to Day

The house stays calm. This is a quiet household by preference, not by rule. That means scheduling loud vendor work deliberately, keeping equipment noise reasonable, and being mindful on the days the husband is working from home. The family does not entertain and prefers very few people on the property at any given time.

Evenings set up mornings. The family’s day begins before you arrive, and those first hours are theirs. Everything the household touches at that hour must be ready the evening before, the wellness center, vehicles, cleared paths, stocked towels.

Things must work. Wi-Fi, AV, thermostats, chargers, appliances, and security are all expected to simply function. You should be able to diagnose and resolve most issues yourself and get the rest to the Property Manager right away.

The standard is pristine. Surfaces clear, cushions set, floors spotless, nothing left out. If you see dust in a hallway or a scuff on a baseboard, you handle it.

Friendly, and discreet. You will talk with the family daily and be around the children. Be warm and easy to work with.

The Property Manager runs scheduling and vendor coordination and will communicate it to you. On the rare occasion

something genuinely requires the family’s input, be direct and bring the answer rather than the question.

 

Core Responsibilities

Family Support

• Work directly with the wife throughout the day, anticipating what she needs and handling requests as they come up

• Drive the children to school, activities, and appointments

• Keep children’s spaces tidy, organized, and reset

• Step in when housekeeping or childcare staff are unavailable

• Coordinate with the two rotating nannies

• Keep the household calendar in view so nothing is missed

• Plan time off around the family’s schedule

 

Household Upkeep (Hands-On)

This is a “see it, do it” role. You are not waiting to be assigned work. If you notice it, you handle it: a smudge on a glass door, a burned-out bulb, a crooked frame, a filter that needs changing, cobwebs in a corner, a delivery left in a hallway, a low supply of anything.

Outdoor

• Patios blown off, swept, and free of cobwebs

• Outdoor furniture maintained; cushions set out and brought in daily

• Carry canoe and kayaks to lake

• Hands-on cleaning and upkeep of docks and boats

• Outdoor shower clean and stocked with fresh products

 

Indoor

• Kitchen cleaning and reset after dinner (no cooking required)

• Steam cleaning of carpets and upholstered furniture

• Pantry, supplies, linens, paper goods, and consumables fully stocked at all times

• All interior and exterior areas clean, tidy, and organized to an exacting standard

• Railings, thermostats, filters, bulbs, batteries, and general small maintenance

 

Daily Property Walk-Through

• Inspect the main house and every building on the property, inside and out

• Verify HVAC, mechanicals, and household systems are running correctly

• Confirm Wi-Fi, AV, and connected devices are working

• Monitor the driveway alarm and manage property access

• Report all findings and anything needing attention to the Property Manager immediately

 

Wellness Areas

• Daily wipe down, towels stocked, floors clean, equipment functioning, reset each evening for the following morning

Staff Coordination

• Oversee third-party housekeeping crew (4 housekeepers, two days per week)

• Ensure work meets standard; correct or escalate as needed

 

Working with the Property Manager

The estate is supported by a third-party property management firm that handles vendors, scheduling, and maintenance. The Houseman / Family Assistant works alongside them daily.

• Stay aligned so you are never working from different information

• Confirm vendor arrivals and departures, and keep the Property Manager informed

• Flag anything you can’t resolve yourself, promptly and with detail

• Communication is key with the Property Manager

 

Errands & Logistics

• Grocery shopping and household purchasing

• Dry cleaning drop-off and pickup

• Receive deliveries, unpack, and break down boxes

• Manage vehicles: washing and detailing, fueling, registration, inspections

• Golf cart: charged and plugged in nightly, kept clean inside and out, tires and battery checked regularly, and ready to go at all times

 

About You

Temperament

• Warm, friendly, and easy to be around

• Comfortable operating with little direction; you build your own day and set your own priorities

• Reads a room instinctively; knows when to engage and when to give people space

• A keen eye for detail, and a habit of noticing what others walk past

• Emotionally intelligent and unfailingly discreet

• Steady and self-assured under pressure

• Genuinely enjoys being around children

 

Work Style

• A true self-starter; the day runs without anyone directing it

• Resourceful: you solve what you can yourself, and hand off the rest cleanly

• Hands-on, not a delegator

• Flexible; shifts gears easily and picks up where things were left off

• Exceptionally organized, with a high tolerance for detail

• Technically capable; comfortable troubleshooting Wi-Fi, AV, smart-home systems, and appliances

Requirements

• Prior experience in a private household, estate, or high-end hospitality setting

• Presentable and professional in appearance and manner

• Valid driver’s license and clean driving record; comfortable driving children

• Able to lift and carry 50 lbs

• Great physical condition; this role is active and on foot most of the day

• Must live within a 30-minute drive of the property

• Willing to sign a confidentiality agreement

• Pass a background check

 

First 90 Days

This is a newly shaped role, and part of the work early on is defining it. In the first three months you will build the daily and weekly checklists, establish the vendor calendar, document household systems and preferences, and set the rhythm the position will run on going forward. Comfort with ambiguity at the start is essential.