An extremely experienced Butler with high level experience is required for a large house on an exceptional sporting estate in Northumberland. The family consists of husband and wife, 2 boys, 1 girl and 1 dog. The family live in London during term time but spend the majority of all school holidays in Northumberland. The house is in full swing during the months of August through to October and again during December and January. The family will always be in residence over Christmas or New Year, alternating each year.
The ideal candidate is energetic and friendly – a real ‘do-er’. A person with serious efficiency and common sense, willing to roll up their sleeves and work as a team player but also run the household impeccably and manage a team – strong leadership is key. When the family are in residence, the role is almost 24/7 but there is plenty of downtime during term time, when they are in London. Weekends and school holidays make up the majority of the time required for this role; therefore days off in lieu are common.
The Butler role comes with a cottage adjacent to the house; it is a full-time role alongside and overseeing, a housekeeper and additional support staff when the house is full. During the shooting season, it’s not uncommon for all 16 bedrooms to be occupied and life is extremely busy for the team on board.
During term time, life is considerably quieter and will allow for downtime. The family themselves are wonderful to work for and have a superb reputation. Weekends at the house are full of activity and fun, centred around field sports, their children, their friends, excellent food and the height of comfort – no one day is the same! As such, they require a pro, willing to leap into this role with enthusiasm; for the right candidate, this is a fantastic opportunity.
THE BUTLER WILL:
• Oversee all operations, maintenance and staff within the house, ensuring smooth daily management.
• Manage household staff, schedules and general operations to maintain a well run home.
• Handle the upkeep & security of the house
• Coordinate the day-to-day running of the household, including services, budgets, laundry and
inventory management
• Supervise and engage in high-level household operations, managing teams and complex
schedules for the family and their guests
RESPONSIBILITIES / ACCOUNTABILTY DAY TO DAY:
• Oversee contractors and household / garden maintenance, assisting with access and
coordination
• Sort clothing and dry cleaning where required
• Oversee and responsible for all electricity, plumbing and biomass
• Organise repairs/replacements of household appliances when needed, this to extend to the golf buggy and children’s motorbikes/bicycles
• Ensuring all preventative maintenance is carried out: chimney sweeping, duct cleaning, drain unblocking, fire alarm testing, etc
• Maintain and tidy the house entrances
• Whilst the day-to-day laundry falls under the responsibility of the Housekeeper, the whole system needs an overhaul
• Be responsible for laundry budget
• Receive wine deliveries and maintain a cellar inventory
• Ensure pantry and refrigerator are stocked with fresh and staple ingredients when the family are in residence
• Ensuring full stock of the bar in the house at all times
• Conduct online food shopping and purchase fresh produce as required
• Oversee the household and conduct deep cleaning during downtime when the family are not in residence
• Laying fires and all fireplace maintenance from cleaning to ensuring log supply
• Feed and care for the family dog, including vet visits and flea treatments if required
• Order pet supplies and arrange necessary treatments.
SHOOT WEEKEND / LARGE HOUSE PARTY RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Ensure the Housekeeping team have the rooms ready for guests’ arrival, as per above, managing the Housekeeper and any additional staff
• Liaise with chef to ensure all in order and prepared for each mealtime, including children’s mealtimes when different
• Hire additional staff to cover the days required
• Managing a larger team of help required to meet the household requirements when the house is full
• Deliver and setup elevenses and lunches on the moors during a shoot weekend (45 mins drive away) as well as serve and clear away.
• Deliver and setup bar and lunches / dinners in different areas of the Estate as required (eg the woodland campsite)
• Setup afternoon tea back at the house
• Lay all tables, including silverware as directed
• Serve all mealtimes, including cocktails and wine service
• Setup, serve and clear away external dining on moors or in woodlands as required
• Butler service during the evening
• Assist guests with any taxi bookings required
• Clear all mealtimes alongside Housekeeper and additional support staff
• Ensure the house is closed up at the end of the evening and breakfast setup for the next day
REQUIREMENTS FOR BUTLER:
• Prior experience, at a high level, as a Butler within a large private household
• Fluency in English
• Strong Management skills – you are managing a team and the buck will stop with you
• Strong organisational skills
• Exceedingly good work ethic
• Trustworthy, versatile, proactive and able to work independently
• Pet-friendly and comfortable managing pet care responsibilities
• Flexibility to adjust hours, as required
• A hands-on approach with a proactive, team-oriented attitude and exceptional attention to detail
• Be able to adapt to change requests at short notice; multi-tasking is key
• Commitment to maintaining the highest standards in all aspects of housekeeping and service
• Availability to work weekends, holidays and beyond standard duties when required
• Must have the legal right to work in the UK
• Ensuring constant and smooth communication amongst the wider team and Employers as required
TERMS:
• Holiday Entitlement: 33 days annual leave, inclusive of UK Bank and Public Holidays.
• Pension: Estate Auto Enrolment Scheme, minimum employers contribution of 3%.
• Start Date: As soon as possible.
• Contract Type: Full-Time Permanent.
• Salary: £42,000 gross per annum, payroll plus a 4-bedroom home, with Council Tax, Heating and Electricity bills paid by the Employer
Please apply with CVs, covering letters & references