A highly capable, commercially minded and people-focused Director of People and Properties is sought to support a private household and property portfolio across London, Oxford and Yorkshire.
Reporting directly to the Principals, this is a newly defined senior role with overall responsibility for the people, property and emergency matters that would otherwise fall to the Principals or already busy House Managers. The successful candidate will provide strong leadership across the household teams, line managing the London and Oxford House Managers and creating consistent processes, standards and systems across the wider operation.
The role will also provide strategic oversight of the property portfolio, including the main residences in London and Oxford, a London flat and two Yorkshire properties currently managed through a lettings agency.
This is an exceptionally varied position requiring someone who is equally comfortable managing people, resolving complex issues, overseeing recruitment and HR processes, reviewing significant property expenditure and responding calmly to unexpected situations. The successful candidate will be a practical problem-solver, a strong leader and a trusted point of contact for both the Principals and household teams.
People Leadership and Team Management
- Line manage the London and Oxford House Managers, setting clear objectives and conducting regular one-to-one meetings.
- Establish consistent standards, processes and expectations across all household staff and locations.
- Hold regular team meetings to ensure staff are informed of upcoming requirements and that resources can be allocated effectively across changing priorities.
- Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, simplify processes and strengthen the overall operation.
- Review staffing structures and determine where freelancers, contractors, temporary staff or permanent employees provide the most effective and commercially sensible solution.
- Build complementary skill sets across the team and encourage flexibility where appropriate.
- Coordinate and share resources between properties where practical, avoiding unnecessary duplication of roles.
- Provide additional leadership and support to House Managers when they are occupied with family or operational priorities.
Recruitment and Onboarding
- Lead and coordinate the full recruitment process across the household and property portfolio.
- Prepare job descriptions and work with recruitment agencies, including negotiating favourable terms where appropriate.
- Conduct initial interviews and present strong shortlists to relevant line managers or the Principals.
- Manage salary negotiations, reference checks, contracts and other pre-employment processes.
- Develop and deliver a thorough onboarding process for all new employees.
- Ensure new starters receive clear information regarding the family, reporting structures, routines, expenses, working practices, holiday, TOIL, overtime, disciplinary procedures, health and safety, security and household systems.
- Encourage new team members to identify their strengths and consider how they can best contribute to the wider operation.
- Ensure employees are properly offboarded when they leave.
- Liaise with payroll and maintain accurate and up-to-date HR records.
Performance, Review and Development
- Conduct probationary reviews after three months, followed by a further review at six months.
- Lead annual performance reviews, identifying strengths, achievements and areas for development.
- Review salaries, pay increases and bonuses alongside the Principals.
- Identify potential areas of friction or weakness within the team and address concerns before they develop into more significant issues.
- Support line managers with difficult conversations, performance concerns and decisions regarding whether an employee is the right long-term fit.
- Manage appropriate termination processes when required.
Training and Team Development
- Assess individual and team training requirements and provide guidance, development and practical training where appropriate.
- Deliver training across areas such as household service, health and safety, documentation, HR procedures, expenses and operational systems.
- Provide an additional layer of support and development alongside employees’ day-to-day line managers.
- Help House Managers and other senior team members develop their leadership and management capabilities.
- Identify opportunities for team gatherings, meetings and training sessions to encourage stronger communication and team cohesion.
Conflict, Wellbeing and Emergency Management
- Act as a trusted and approachable point of contact for household staff.
- Manage conflict and workplace friction through practical and constructive mediation.
- Respond to unexpected staff and household emergencies, including illness, maternity, sudden departures, personal issues, operational incidents and urgent property matters.
- Coordinate the response to emergencies and manage the resulting workload so that existing staff are supported and not unnecessarily overwhelmed.
- Identify and implement improvements that support staff wellbeing, communication and overall effectiveness.
- Remain calm and organised when managing multiple competing priorities or unexpected situations.
Budget, Purchasing and Contractors
- Conduct regular budget and expenditure reviews with House Managers and relevant team members.
- Support efficient purchasing and provide oversight on significant expenditure.
- Research and objectively assess major or unusual purchases and projects, presenting recommendations to the Principals where appropriate.
- Review subcontractor relationships, maintenance agreements and significant supplier costs to ensure appropriate value and service.
- Manage changes of contractors or suppliers where service standards are not being met.
- Oversee significant projects, including property improvements, landscaping works, window replacement programmes and upgrades to household systems.
Property Management
- Provide strategic oversight of the entire property portfolio.
- Oversee the London and Oxford residences while maintaining the existing day-to-day responsibility of the House Managers.
- Manage the relationship with the lettings agency responsible for the Yorkshire properties, including performance, fees and landlord compliance.
- Ensure all properties remain compliant with relevant requirements, including gas and electrical certification, insurance renewals and planned maintenance schedules.
- Oversee significant maintenance matters and ensure appropriate research, budgeting and contractor management is undertaken.
IT and Systems
- Provide oversight of family-owned and household devices, including house iPads and personal devices where required.
- Support and train household staff in the effective use of IT and operational systems.
- Keep informed of useful technology, applications and systems that could improve efficiency across the household operation.
- Ensure agreed systems and technology are implemented and consistently used by the wider team.
- Proven senior-level people management experience, including experience managing managers and established teams.
- Strong experience leading recruitment processes and working with external recruitment agencies.
- A sound understanding of HR processes, including probation, performance reviews, difficult conversations, disciplinary matters, terminations and employment contracts.
- Previous experience within a private household, estate, property portfolio or similarly demanding multi-site environment would be highly advantageous.
- Strong property management experience, with the ability to independently assess significant maintenance requirements and contractor agreements.
- Experience managing residential property and ideally working with lettings or property management agencies.
- Excellent organisational and leadership skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities across different locations.
- Commercial awareness and sound judgement when assessing costs, value and staffing structures.
- Confident IT skills, with the ability to introduce systems and train others.
- A highly practical, resourceful and solutions-focused approach.
- Discretion, integrity and absolute trustworthiness.
- Warmth and approachability, combined with the credibility and confidence to lead experienced managers and teams.
- Strong communication and mediation skills.
- The ability to remain calm, objective and effective when dealing with multiple unexpected issues simultaneously.
- Flexibility to respond to urgent household and property matters outside standard working hours when required.
- A full driving licence would be highly desirable.
London, with regular travel to Oxford and Yorkshire.
Immediate start – unable to consider those with lengthy notice periods on this occasion.
Full-time, with flexibility required to respond to urgent household, staffing and property matters outside of normal working hours when necessary.
The role will involve regular travel between London, Oxford and Yorkshire, with the working schedule adjusted accordingly to meet the needs of the Principals, household teams and wider property portfolio.
£80,000–£100,000 gross per annum, depending on experience.
