Professional Household Manager

Sage Haus•Winnetka, IL

3d•Onsite

About The Position

We are a busy, entrepreneurial household with two young children (ages 3.5 and 1.5) and our own business that keeps us traveling between Chicago and New York. Our home is warm, active, and full of life, but we value systems, organization, and a calm, steady foundation beneath the energy. As project managers at heart, we appreciate follow-through, proactive thinking, and someone who can anticipate what’s needed without constant direction. Our current team includes a full-time nanny and a weekly cleaner, and now we’re looking for a seasoned house manager to elevate the household with a higher level of oversight and systems. We want someone who takes pride in creating order, managing behind-the-scenes details, and ensuring everything runs seamlessly — allowing us to focus on our family, our business, and enjoying our time at home. This is an ownership-based role, not simply an errand-running or task-completion role. The right candidate will be expected to notice gaps, create systems, maintain standards, and proactively communicate what needs attention.

Requirements

Able to maintain a smoke-free environment
Reliable transportation
Up-to-date vaccinations (general, COVID, flu)
Comfortable with travel planning and logistics
Prior experience managing high-end households
Must be authorized to work in the United States
Polished, highly organized professional with a project management mindset and experience managing large, upscale homes.
Strong communication skills, excellent follow-through, and the ability to manage vendors, systems, and schedules with ease.
Adaptable and resourceful, maintain a calm, capable presence in a busy household.

Nice To Haves

May come from a high-end hospitality background or have built a career as a house manager.
Proactive, detail-oriented, and Type A in the best way.
Someone who can create and maintain systems, not someone who needs a daily checklist from us.
Proactive household operator who notices what needs to be done, tracks open items through completion, communicates clearly, and helps the home run smoothly behind the scenes.
Thrive on making life easier for the families you support and take pride in doing it exceptionally well.

Responsibilities

Establish, refine and maintain household organization systems throughout the home
Manage seasonal swaps (clothing, holiday décor, bedding)
Light tidying and home resets (dishes, surfaces, vacuuming high-traffic areas)
Prepare home for cleaners and coordinate post-cleaning tasks
Change batteries, light bulbs, and maintain smoke detectors
Prepare home for events, holidays, dinner parties, and guests
Maintain a weekly household priorities list so tasks can be delegated back to the family or the nanny when the house manager is not on duty
Maintain a high level of discretion, confidentiality, and professionalism regarding the family, home, children, business, travel, and personal matters.
Comfortable using email, task lists, calendar invites, and other tools to track and communication clearly
Maintain running household supply lists
Restock pantry, refrigerator, and household essentials
Grocery shopping based on weekly meal plans
Open, sort, and process mail and packages
Manage returns and coordinate donation drop-offs
Coordinate weekly meal planning sessions with family
Create grocery lists and ensure ingredients are available for planned meals
Support meal prep logistics (shopping, organizing kitchen)
Oversee and delegate regular laundry tasks in partnership with nanny
Provide special garment care (hand-washing, ironing, steaming)
Organize clothing and linen closets
Maintain tidy and well-stocked laundry areas
Schedule maintenance for family vehicles
Coordinate cleaning and organizing of vehicles
Track registration, insurance, and vehicle tags
Source and coordinate vendors (landscapers, handyman services, contractors)
Oversee cleaners and manage occasional deep cleans (refrigerator, oven, baseboards)
Research and coordinate repairs and quotes
Manage seasonal property maintenance
Book activities, camps, and programs for children
Coordinate household schedules and calendars
Support travel planning and logistics as needed
Assist with ad hoc administrative tasks and personal assistant duties
Refresh high-traffic areas and oversee larger organization projects (garage, front closet, mudroom, entryway)
Coordinate deep cleaning projects with cleaning service