Abingdon, Oxfordshire – Full-Time Family Housekeeper – Live-In Preferred – £40,000–£50,000 Neg

Family description and location

A busy family of five living in a substantial country home in a village just outside Abingdon, Oxfordshire, is looking for an experienced, highly organised and proactive Full-Time Family Housekeeper to take day-to-day ownership of the smooth running of their home.

The family has three school-aged children, including one who attends boarding school. This is primarily a housekeeping and household-management position and is not a nanny role. The parents retain responsibility for parenting and school matters, although the Housekeeper will provide practical support around school uniforms, sports kit, meals and occasional transport.

The property is arranged over three floors with two wings and six bedrooms, although normally only three or four bedrooms are in regular use.

The family currently employs part-time cleaners, who assist with heavier and deeper cleaning, including bathrooms, floors and mopping. The Housekeeper will work alongside this support while retaining overall responsibility for ensuring that the home remains beautifully presented, organised and running efficiently between cleaning visits.

There is also a gardener, and the Housekeeper may occasionally liaise with tradespeople or other household support where required.

There are two friendly Labradors who have free run of the house and garden. The principal normally walks the dogs, so pet care is not a major part of the role, although candidates must be comfortable around dogs.

Job description

This is an excellent position for a Housekeeper who enjoys taking genuine ownership of a household and creating strong systems and organisation.

The family is particularly looking for a self-starter who will not simply complete individual tasks, but will notice what needs attention, improve organisation and help uplift standards throughout the home.

Duties will include:

• Full day-to-day housekeeping
• Maintaining consistently high standards throughout the home
• Working alongside the family's part-time cleaners and ensuring standards are maintained between their visits
• Laundry, ironing and wardrobe management
• Changing beds and managing household linen and towels
• Organising wardrobes, cupboards and household storage
• Managing children's school uniforms, sports clothing and kit
• Ensuring clothing and practical requirements for the following school day are prepared in advance
• Preparing clothing and equipment for boarding-school returns, trips, sports fixtures and activities when required
• Preparing fresh, healthy family meals and children's evening meals
• Meal planning and grocery shopping
• Keeping the fridge, freezer and food cupboards clean, organised and properly stocked
• Monitoring use-by dates and reducing unnecessary food waste
• Monitoring household supplies and arranging replenishment
• Online grocery and household shopping
• Receiving deliveries and coordinating straightforward household appointments
• Liaising with cleaners, gardener and tradespeople when required
• Identifying maintenance issues and bringing them to the family's attention
• Maintaining household task lists and agreed calendar entries
• Occasional local errands, collections and returns
• Occasional school runs and transport to children's activities
• Helping ensure the household is prepared for visitors, family travel and changes to the normal routine
• Creating and maintaining efficient household systems and organisation

Cooking is an important element of the position, although the family does not require a professionally trained chef. The successful candidate should be a confident home cook capable of preparing fresh, straightforward and nutritious family food using good-quality ingredients.

The family enjoys healthy everyday meals such as meat or fish with vegetables, salads, rice, pasta, baked potatoes and similar simple family dishes.

There is a shellfish allergy within the household, so appropriate care must be taken around food preparation and cross-contamination.

The house combines modern and traditional interiors, so candidates should have good knowledge of the correct care and cleaning of quality fabrics, fixtures and finishes, including wood, stone and marble.

Candidate requirements

The family is looking for someone who is:

• An experienced private Housekeeper or Family Housekeeper
• Highly organised and methodical
• Proactive and naturally able to anticipate what needs doing
• A genuine self-starter
• Able to introduce and maintain good household systems
• Keen to improve organisation and uplift household standards
• Calm, dependable and discreet
• Comfortable working autonomously without constant instruction
• Confident managing laundry and family wardrobes
• A capable and enthusiastic family cook
• Experienced around school-aged children
• Comfortable with smartphones, shared calendars and household task lists
• Dog-friendly
• A confident and careful driver with a full driving licence
• Able to communicate clearly and professionally
• Experienced in the correct care of fabrics, wood, stone, marble and quality furnishings
• Someone who takes genuine pride in creating an exceptionally well-run home

Formal childcare qualifications are not required, as this is not a nanny position.

Days of work and salary

• Monday to Friday
• Approximately 40 hours per week
• Permanent position
• Start date by agreement
• £40,000–£50,000 gross per annum, negotiable depending on experience, working pattern and whether live-in or live-out
• Live-in preferred, although excellent live-out candidates will also be considered
• Driving licence essential

The exact working hours are still to be agreed with the family.

A suggested straight working pattern could be:

• 8.00am–5.00pm, Monday to Friday, with a one-hour break

Alternatively, if the family requires greater morning and evening coverage around school and family meals, a split-day arrangement could be considered, for example:

• 7.30am–12.30pm and 4.00pm–7.00pm, Monday to Friday

Any split-day arrangement would be discussed carefully with candidates, as the longer span of the working day may affect salary expectations despite remaining within an approximately 40-hour working week.

For a live-in candidate, excellent accommodation is provided in a separate Coach House.

The accommodation comprises a very large and well-appointed studio-style living space with:

• Open-plan kitchen and dining area
• Bedroom area
• Separate private bathroom

The accommodation is suitable for one person only and cannot accommodate partners, children, dependants or pets.

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