Newbury, Berkshire – Domestic Couple – Up to £80,000 Gross per Annum – Live-In

Family Description and Location

A fantastic opportunity for an experienced and highly capable Domestic Couple to join a large, semi-formal country estate near Newbury, Berkshire.

The property is a substantial 14-bedroom permanent family residence and forms part of a busy rural estate. The household is fully staffed, with an established team including an Estate Office, Chef, housekeeping staff, gardeners and maintenance personnel.

The family entertain regularly, including house guests, family events and shooting parties, so both members of the couple must be comfortable working within a busy country household and providing a high standard of service.

This is a very hands-on position for a couple who enjoy working as part of a wider team while taking considerable responsibility for the day-to-day presentation, maintenance and smooth running of the house and estate.

Job Description

The first member of the couple will principally take responsibility for the housekeeping operation and will ideally be an experienced Head Housekeeper or Senior Housekeeper.

Duties will include:

• Taking responsibility for the overall housekeeping standards and presentation of the property
• Working hands-on alongside the existing housekeeping team
• Leading, supporting and supervising housekeeping staff
• Creating and maintaining daily, weekly and deep-cleaning schedules
• Preparing the house for family and guest arrivals
• Guest bedroom and bathroom preparation
• Morning opening-up and evening closing-down of the house
• Turndown service
• Laundry, ironing and wardrobe care
• Basic sewing repairs
• Care of antiques, fine finishes, delicate surfaces and woodwork
• Maintaining household inventories and the House Bible
• Stock control and ordering household supplies
• Training and mentoring housekeeping staff
• Assisting with staff rotas
• Formal and informal table service
• Front-of-house duties
• Assisting with entertaining, events and shooting parties
• Cellar organisation and upkeep
• Liaising with the Chef, Estate Office, Maintenance and Garden teams
• Preparing simple family meals when required
• House sitting and pet sitting when the family are away
• Assisting with the care of the family's animals

The second member of the couple will undertake a highly practical and hands-on Houseman / Estate Maintenance role and should be comfortable with physical work, technical systems and general estate duties.

Responsibilities will include:

• Acting as a lead keyholder with responsibility for security and fire safety
• Overseeing the day-to-day operation of technical systems including biomass heating, ground-source heat pumps, air conditioning, generator, AV, lighting and internet systems
• Daily estate cleaning and general maintenance
• Waste management and recycling
• Working closely with the Estate Office, household staff and gardening team
• Carrying out general building maintenance within their capabilities, including clearing gutters, window cleaning and painting
• Assisting the gardening team with general duties
• Jet washing and keeping paths and outside areas clean and tidy
• Setting out and storing outdoor furniture, games and equipment
• Assisting with ad hoc tasks within the house
• Cleaning and laying fires and replenishing wood
• Moving furniture and assisting with access equipment for cleaning and maintenance
• Maintaining the swimming pool, tennis court and hot tub
• Keeping the energy centre and log stores clean, tidy and organised
• Care, cleaning and refuelling of household cars and utility vehicles
• Replacing light bulbs and batteries
• Carrying out AV, Crestron and internet checks
• Pest control
• Weekend watering of greenhouse plants when required
• Feeding and assisting with the care of ponies, goats, chickens and dogs
• Driving family members to appointments and undertaking school runs
• Airport and railway station collections for family members and guests
• Running errands and delivering or collecting items between family properties
• Overseeing tradespeople and contractors
• Undertaking emergency DIY and minor repairs

A shotgun certificate would be advantageous but is not essential.

Both members of the couple will jointly assist with:

• The personal care and welfare of the principals, their family and guests
• Liaising with the Estate Office and wider estate team regarding entertaining and events
• Ensuring the house is presented to an exceptional standard for family and guest arrivals
• Formal and informal table service
• Butler and concierge-style assistance when required
• Shooting parties and other family events
• Maintaining the cleanliness and general presentation of the house, gardens and estate properties
• Acting as keyholders and responding to intruder and fire alarms, including first response where required
• Managing access for deliveries, tradespeople, contractors and maintenance visits
• Monitoring household supplies and reporting when stock requires replenishment
• Caring for pets and animals when the family are away
• Carrying out basic checks of household and estate machinery and equipment
• Assisting with flowers and produce for the house
• Managing bins, compostable waste and recycling
• Reporting damaged or faulty equipment and appliances
• Reporting accidental breakages promptly

Candidate Requirements

The ideal couple will have previous experience working together within a substantial private household or country estate.

The Head Housekeeper should have:

• Strong private household housekeeping experience
• Previous experience as a Head Housekeeper or Senior Housekeeper
• Excellent knowledge of formal and informal housekeeping
• Strong laundry, ironing and wardrobe-care skills
• Experience caring for antiques, fine finishes and delicate surfaces
• The ability to lead and motivate a small housekeeping team
• Excellent attention to detail
• Formal table-service experience
• A genuinely hands-on approach

The Houseman / Estate Maintenance candidate should have:

• Previous experience in a similar private estate, houseman, maintenance or caretaker position
• Good practical maintenance and DIY skills
• Confidence dealing with household and estate technical systems
• The physical fitness and willingness to undertake hands-on outdoor and maintenance work
• Experience overseeing contractors and tradespeople
• Confidence driving and undertaking family chauffeur duties
• A practical, calm and problem-solving approach

Both candidates should be discreet, reliable, flexible and professional, with a genuine willingness to work as part of an established team.

Both should be comfortable around animals and within a rural country estate environment.

A full driving licence is essential, and at least one member of the couple must have their own car due to the rural location. Estate vehicles are available for work-related duties.

Days of Work, Accommodation and Salary

The positions are based on a 40-hour working week, with flexibility required according to the needs of the household and estate.

Weekend working will form part of the normal rota, with two consecutive days off during the week. When the family are travelling or out of the country, weekends may occasionally be given off on a rota basis.

Some staggered or split shifts may be required around family entertaining, evening service, events and shooting weekends.

The combined salary is up to £80,000 gross per annum, depending on the experience of the couple.

Live-in accommodation is provided in the form of a self-contained one-bedroom cottage on the Estate.

Well-behaved dogs would be considered. The accommodation is suitable for a couple but is not suitable for dependants.

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