Household Manager and Family Assistant (with Meal Prep Support)

Job Title

Household Manager and Family Assistant (with Meal Prep Support)

Location

Oak Park, IL

Employment Type

Part-Time | 10–15 hours per week (10 hours guaranteed)

Schedule

• Wednesday: 2:00–7:00 PM
• Thursday: 2:00–5:00 PM
• Friday: 2:00–5:00 PM
• Monday (preferred): 7:00–8:00 AM

The schedule may shift slightly based on the school calendar, activity schedules, and the family's needs, including occasional evening babysitting.

Compensation

$30–$35 per hour

Start Date

ASAP

Requirements

• Ability to maintain a smoke-free environment.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
• Reliable personal transportation, valid driver's license, and clean driving record; mileage reimbursement is provided for work-related errands and transportation.
• Candidates are required to be up to date on recommended vaccinations in accordance with American Academy of Pediatrics and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, including COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations, subject to applicable legal accommodations.
• Current CPR and First Aid certification preferred, or willingness to obtain certification.

About Our Family

We are an active, close-knit household with two school-age children and a small, friendly Boston Terrier. Our home is energetic and busy, with sports, extracurricular activities, school projects, and a full weekly schedule.

We value healthy, thoughtfully-prepared meals and take pride in maintaining an organized and well-functioning home. As our family's schedule continues to evolve, we are looking for a reliable professional who can provide consistent support, help keep the children on track, and contribute to the smooth operation of the household.

The parent works from home several days each week and is transitioning toward a more structured return-to-office schedule. This role will provide valuable support in managing the family's day-to-day rhythm and ensuring the household remains organized and functional, even during particularly busy weeks. We value honesty, discretion, reliability, and sound judgment. Our home is warm and welcoming, and we are looking for someone who brings a similarly professional, positive, and respectful presence to the household.

Who You Are / What We're Looking For

You are a proactive, detail-oriented, and highly dependable professional who takes pride in keeping a busy household organized and running smoothly. You are naturally attentive to the details of daily life and comfortable taking initiative without needing constant direction. You are warm and nurturing with children while maintaining appropriate boundaries and expectations. You are calm under pressure, communicate clearly, and are equally comfortable managing household tasks, supporting children, preparing meals, running errands, and keeping shared spaces orderly. You take ownership of your responsibilities and follow through from start to finish.

We are looking for someone with strong household management instincts and the ability to anticipate the family's needs. The right candidate will be organized, resourceful, and comfortable working independently in a fast-paced home environment. Discretion, sound judgment, and respect for the family's privacy are essential. We are seeking someone who is a confident and responsible driver, comfortable enforcing established routines and screen time expectations, and committed to providing consistent, professional support. Above all, we are looking for someone the family can trust to be reliable, thoughtful, and proactive in helping the household function smoothly.

This role centers on keeping the household running smoothly, with a few core priorities that anchor the work. Other responsibilities support the overall flow of the home and are handled as time allows or as needs arise. The goal is to focus on what matters most—not simply check every box.

Daily Must-Haves

• Provide after-school care Wednesday through Friday, including safe transportation to extracurriculars and occasional weather-related school pickups, while supporting afternoon routines, organization, snacks, school-day preparation, and established household expectations.
• Manage children's laundry and household linens, including washing and maintaining children's clothing and bedding, household bedding every other week, towels weekly, and kitchen and powder room linens as needed.
• Prepare or batch-cook approximately three family meals per week, including washing, chopping, and preparing fruits and vegetables as groceries are received, maintaining grocery lists, and supporting grocery delivery drop-offs and organization.
• Complete daily resets of shared spaces, including the kitchen, living room, dining room, parlor, and porches; operate and monitor the robot vacuum/mop; and manage routine indoor plant care.

These core responsibilities come first. Once they are handled, additional support can shift based on the time available, household priorities, and needs that week, including:

Family Support & Child Assistance

• Provide consistent structure and reinforcement of household expectations, including screen time limits and established routines.
• Provide occasional evening coverage if additional hours are desired.

Meal Support

• Prepare healthy, higher-protein meals with an emphasis on organic produce and dairy when possible.
• Monitor refrigerator and pantry inventory and incorporate existing ingredients into meal preparation to help minimize food waste.
• Prepare occasional school lunches as needed.
• Complete a thorough kitchen reset at the end of each day, ensuring the space is clean, organized, and ready for the next day.

Household Organization & Maintenance

• Encourage the children to maintain their bedrooms and assist with age-appropriate tidying and organization.
• Prepare the home for professional cleaning visits every 3–4 weeks by ensuring floors, children's rooms, and other areas are accessible and appropriately organized.
• Assist with seasonal clothing organization, including sorting, storing, and coordinating donation drop-offs.
• Assist with seasonal and holiday décor changes.
• Assist with packing for family travel using provided packing lists.
• Manage seasonal porch watering.
• Coordinate occasional outdoor household maintenance, including scheduling services such as gutter cleaning; lawn and snow maintenance are managed by outside vendors.
• Assist with longer-term household organization projects, including the basement, pantry overflow, children's toys, seasonal décor, garage, bicycles, and outdoor equipment.
• Replace household batteries and light bulbs and change smoke detector batteries as needed.

Laundry & Linens

• Wash dog bedding as needed.
• Provide occasional ironing or steaming of garments, including dresses and dress shirts.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and well-stocked laundry area.

Inventory & Errands

• Maintain running lists of household supplies, groceries, and pantry needs.
• Complete household returns, package breakdown, dry cleaning coordination, and recycling.
• Manage Amazon, Costco, Target, and other household orders as needed.
• Manage household mail and package organization.
• Assist with school-related errands and projects, including purchasing supplies, project materials, and items needed for school activities.

Deep Cleaning & Special Projects

• Complete occasional detailed cleaning projects, including refrigerator cleanouts, coffee maker descaling, and similar household maintenance tasks.
• Clean and maintain household humidifiers and air purifiers.
• Refresh and organize the mudroom, entryway, garage, and other high-traffic areas as needed.
• Assist with occasional household projects and organizational initiatives as they arise.

Vendor & Property Oversight

• Research and coordinate contractors and service providers for household repairs, maintenance, and seasonal projects.
• Schedule and coordinate services such as gutter cleaning, door re-staining, and other home maintenance projects.
• Prepare the home for professional cleaning visits and communicate household priorities or special requests to the cleaning team.
• Follow up on household maintenance projects and communicate updates or outstanding needs to the family.

How to Apply

To be considered for this role, please submit the following to Sage Haus:

• A short intro letter telling us a little about yourself and why this role is a great fit
• An updated resume
• Three professional references with contact information (name, relationship, and phone or email)

Please note: this role requires a background check.

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