House Manager / Family Assistant

Job Title: House Manager / Family Assistant

Location: Palo Alto, CA 94301

Employment Type: Part-time | 20 hours per week

Schedule: Flexible Monday–Friday schedule, approximately 20 hours per week, with flexibility to create a consistent schedule that works well for both the family and candidate

Compensation: Target rate of $45/hour, commensurate with relevant experience and qualifications

Start Date: ASAP

Requirements

• Maintain a smoke-free environment
• Must be authorized to work in the United States
• Reliable personal transportation required; mileage reimbursement provided for work-related driving
• Comfortable using technology and learning digital systems to manage household information, calendars, projects, and logistics
• Ability to work collaboratively and respectfully alongside established household support
• Strong alignment with a health- and wellness-focused household

About Our Family:

• We are a warm, positive, and active family with elementary-aged children whose days are filled with activities, playdates, creative interests, and learning. Both parents are dedicated to their professional careers, with one working from home and the other commuting to the office. We are early risers, so mornings are active and a great opportunity to get the household organized and set up for a successful day.

• We already have wonderful long-term household support in place, including childcare, cleaning, and laundry assistance. What we’re looking for now is the household’s operational connective tissue: someone who can manage everything that falls between the nanny and cleaners, keep an eye on the bigger picture, and make sure the details of family life stay organized and moving forward.

• Health and wellness, community, learning, and time with friends and family are all important to us. We are a driven, thoughtful family with high standards who value kindness, efficiency, and intentionality. Trust is especially important to us. We hope to find someone who will take the time to learn our household, build that trust, and gradually take greater ownership of the systems and responsibilities that keep things running smoothly. Ultimately, we want this to grow into a long-term partnership with someone we can rely on and who can grow alongside our family.

Who You Are / What We’re Looking For:

• You are a strategic, proactive thinker who naturally looks several steps ahead. You can see the big picture, identify what needs attention, determine what is urgent versus what can wait, and thoughtfully sequence priorities without needing constant direction. You’re comfortable asking questions and seeking feedback while learning the household, with the goal of building trust and increasingly taking ownership.

• You are highly organized, tech-savvy, and resourceful, with experience creating and maintaining systems that make a household more efficient. You enjoy managing family calendars, tracking systems, chore charts, spreadsheets, and other tools that keep information organized and easy to use. You’re comfortable with technology and creative tools like Canva and enjoy making systems both functional and engaging.

• Collaboration is important. You’ll work alongside an established and highly valued nanny, so you should communicate thoughtfully, respect existing roles, and enjoy working as part of a team.

• Health and wellness should genuinely resonate with you. The family values nutrition, movement, learning, community, and creating ease in everyday life, and wants someone who can thoughtfully reflect those values in their work.

• Above all, you’re looking for a long-term partnership where trust can grow and you can become a dependable, integral part of the household.

Key Responsibilities

• Family Support

• Back-up occasional support with pick-ups/drop-offs

• Back-up childcare

• Prep backpacks/clothing/snacks, including washing backpacks every two weeks

• Kid-related errands

• Managing playdates and activities

• Create and maintain physical chore charts and family challenge boards to help the kids stay engaged with chores, habits, and monthly family challenges.

• Household Management & Organization

• Create and/or maintain household organization systems

• Daily resets and prep home for cleaners

• Light tidying (dishes, surfaces, vacuum high-traffic areas)

• Seasonal sizing/swaps (clothing, décor, bedding)

• Prepare and coordinate donation drop-offs

• Event/holiday/guest prep

• Packing/unpacking for travel

• Indoor plant care

• Change batteries, light bulbs, smoke detectors, etc.

• Deep Cleaning & Special Projects

• Occasional deep cleans (fridge, oven, baseboards), including periodic washing of household textiles and covers

• Refresh garage/mudroom/entry

• Clean humidifiers/air purifiers

• Organizational projects (toys, gear)

• Inventory & Errands

• Restock pantry/fridge/household supplies

• Manage running household supply lists, maintaining thoughtful inventory systems to help prevent both shortages and unnecessary over-ordering

• Manage household orders and subscriptions (Amazon/Costco/Target)

• Returns, dry cleaning, gift shopping

• Mail and package handling

• Breakdown boxes

• Meal Planning & Prep

• Prep healthy meals/snacks, with an emphasis on healthy, high-protein, nutrient-dense foods and ingredients

• Prep school lunches

• Grocery shopping/deliveries, including managing grocery deliveries and/or pickups

• Follow dietary needs/preferences

• Kitchen clean-up and maintenance

• Laundry & Linen Care

• Organize and put away family laundry in coordination with the family's existing laundry service

• Identify stained, damaged, or outgrown items and coordinate with the laundry service for appropriate care or treatment, or arrange for donation when needed

• Maintain tidy and well-stocked laundry areas

• Vehicle Management

• Schedule maintenance

• Fueling/cleaning/organizing family vehicles

• Track registration/insurance

• Vendor & Property Oversight

• Oversee cleaners/contractors/landscapers

• Research/coordinate repairs and quotes

• Seasonal property maintenance

• Manage outdoor spaces

• Administrative & Personal Assistant Support

• Travel planning and logistics

• Calendar management (including household schedules)

• Receipt/budget tracking

• Event and appointment coordination