Our client’s residence in England is an historic house situated in spacious grounds in open countryside 5 miles North of Newbury in West Berkshire. Built between 1654 and 1702 it has been owned by the same family and has never been sold. It is the centre of a 3000 acre agricultural estate and as such the house needs to contribute to the estate income by being host to occasional film shoots, weddings and other events that produce an income. The job of House Manager includes an obligation to assist the employers when these occur.
Salary: Depends on experience and talents and in line with current trends in the profession. The job includes an obligation to reside in the Old Laundry Flat (containing sitting room, kitchen, bathroom, small office area and 2 bedrooms) which is in a separate building adjacent to the main house with its own private entrance and private garden. All costs associated with residing there apart from personal food and normal household items will be met in addition to monetary remuneration. Therefore all heating, lighting, telephone and Council Tax will be covered, as will repair and maintenance of the building and carpets and curtains apart from any of the latter two items that are brought in by the employee.
There are no fixed hours but as a minimum it is expected that the employee be available 8 hours per day, 5 days a week. However one of the main reasons for the employment is to be responsible for the security of the house and grounds when the employer is away, either for a lengthy period or just out for the evening. On these occasions the employee must be vigilant throughout all waking hours. If working or on watch for lengthy periods the employers will do their best to ensure that sufficient time off is given thereafter.
Listed below are some of the duties involved:
Cleaning, valeting, checking and driving cars, and chauffeuring when required. On occasions this may involve a large part of the day.
Checking the gutters and downpipes on the main house and outbuildings, checking and renewing light bulbs, minor repair jobs in the house, cleaning the inside of all windows and the outside of ground floor windows, cleaning silver and brasses including the brass stair rods.
Butler and wine waiter at parties, laying of the table, and general preparation. Maintaining silver and brass around the house.
Valet, polishing boots etc. and ironing employer’s shirts etc. checking with his diary what specialist clothes may be required.
Helping to look after various animals: 3 dogs, a cat and chickens when required and in particular walking the dogs during the employer’s absence or at busy times.
Maintenance of the swimming pool, chiefly checking on chemical levels.
Checking the oil levels in 4 tanks and reporting to the office when it becomes necessary to order more oil.
Many other jobs consistent with being part of an historic house and estate, as and when they arise as part of the team.
The holiday entitlement is 4 weeks’ holiday per annum plus a further 8 days on a pro rata basis if it has been necessary to work on any of the statutory Bank Holidays.
There will be a 6 month trial period. At the end of this time either party may terminate this employment giving one months’ notice.
We are looking for someone who wants to roll up their sleeves and become part of our happy team. A sense of humour and a sense of duty, responsibility, mutual respect and high standards. There are many facets to our lives and the right candidate can become fully involved in all that happens on the Estate.
Full training will be given where necessary and opportunities to learn/acquire new skills will be encouraged.
Busy days require everyone to get stuck in, then when it is quieter it is an opportunity to catch up on the regular mundane jobs – being able to prioritise.
Interested candidates who meet (or exceed) the needs of this wonderful opportunity should email Sebastian Hirsch with full work history, along with verifiable references and a professional quality, up to date photo to: info@butlerforyou.com
