Director of People & Properties
A senior position supporting a private household and property portfolio across London, Oxford and Yorkshire. Reporting to the Principals, the Director of People and Properties will lead the household teams, line-manage the London and Oxford House Managers, and take strategic oversight of the wider property portfolio, including the two main residences, a London flat, and two Yorkshire properties managed via a lettings agency.
This is a varied, hands-on opportunity for someone equally comfortable with people leadership, HR, property oversight and crisis management. Immediate start required.
Expectations
- Line-manage the London and Oxford House Managers; set standards and consistent processes across all locations and staff
- Lead end-to-end recruitment: job descriptions, agency liaison, interviews, shortlisting, offers and onboarding
- Run probation and annual performance reviews, salary discussions, and manage difficult conversations or terminations where needed
- Identify training needs and support House Managers’ leadership development
- Act as a trusted point of contact for staff; mediate conflict and manage emergencies (illness, sudden departures, urgent property issues)
- Review budgets, major expenditure, contractor and supplier relationships
- Oversee property compliance (gas, electrical, insurance, maintenance) and manage the Yorkshire lettings agency relationship
- Provide oversight of household IT/devices and drive adoption of useful systems
Requirements
- Proven senior people-management experience, including managing managers
- Strong recruitment and HR background (probation, performance, disciplinary, contracts)
- Property/estate management experience, ideally multi-site, with lettings agency exposure
- Commercially sound judgement on cost, value and staffing
- Confident, practical, discreet, and calm under pressure
- Strong communication and mediation skills
- Flexible for out-of-hours matters;
- Private household or similarly demanding multi-site experience highly advantageous
- Full driving licence (desirable)
Location
London, with regular travel to Oxford and Yorkshire.
Salary
£80,000 – £100,000, depending on experience.
Job ref
EP28: Director of People & Properties in London / Oxford / Yorkshire.
