Family Cook & Household Support Coordinator
Full-Time | Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
Central/Southwest Calgary
$25/hour during 6-month probation → $30/hour after successful probation
40 guaranteed paid hours per week
We are a busy Calgary family with four boys, ages 9, 12, 14 and 16, looking for an exceptional person to become a long-term part of our household.
This is not a traditional nanny position. Our children are independent and do not require full-time childcare.
Instead, we are looking for someone who can help make our household run smoothly — with excellent home cooking, housekeeping, laundry, groceries, organization and family support at the centre of the role.
Cooking is the #1 priority
We are looking for a genuinely strong and experienced home cook.
Professional culinary experience is not required. We care much more about whether you know how to prepare excellent family meals using fresh ingredients.
Our family enjoys Mexican, Italian, meat-and-potatoes-style meals, fresh produce and healthy, hearty food prepared primarily from scratch.
Responsibilities include:
- Grocery shopping, often daily, with an emphasis on fresh ingredients
- Preparing dinner Monday–Friday, generally ready at 5:00 PM
- Cooking for 6 people regularly and sometimes 8–10 when friends or family are visiting
- Preparing school lunches the day before
- Preparing easy breakfast options, fresh fruit, vegetables and healthy snacks
- Introducing new meals and learning the different tastes of four growing boys
- Maintaining a clean, well-stocked refrigerator and pantry
- Minimizing food waste
- Planning ahead for your own vacation/absence
- Cleaning as you cook and leaving the kitchen tidy
- Baking is a strong asset
Housekeeping & Laundry
This is a full-housekeeping role.
You will be responsible for general daily cleaning plus rotating deeper-cleaning tasks throughout the week.
Responsibilities include kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, finished basement, floors, vacuuming, mopping, dusting, general tidying, weekly bedding changes, towels and household linens.
Laundry includes washing, drying, folding and putting away household laundry, bedding, towels and the boys’ clothing.
Delicate clothing will be introduced gradually as trust is established and specific garment-care instructions are learned.
Household Organization & Errands
We want someone who notices what the household needs before we have to ask.
This includes keeping household staples and supplies stocked, maintaining organized closets/pantry/fridge areas, monitoring kids’ clothing and shoe sizes, organizing seasonal clothing, keeping sports gear and soccer bags under control, and handling normal household errands.
Typical errands may include grocery stores, Costco, pharmacy pickups, returns, package drop-offs, household purchases and occasional school pickups.
You will use your own reliable, properly insured vehicle. Work-related fuel and approved purchases will be covered by the family.
Receipts are required for household purchases, but formal expense reports are not.
Kids & Pets
Our boys are independent and this is not a traditional childcare role.
You may occasionally help with school pickup, transportation or basic logistics.
You are not expected to discipline the children. If recurring behaviour or responsibility issues arise, bring them to Mom and Dad and we will handle the parenting side.
We have two dogs and a cat.
Light regular pet responsibilities may include litter-box cleaning, food/water as appropriate and backyard cleanup. Dog walking is generally handled by the family unless we are travelling.
Personality & Fit
This may be the most important part of the position.
Our household is busy, loud and sometimes chaotic.
We are looking for someone who is:
- Reliable and punctual
- Hardworking
- Warm and outgoing
- Organized
- Proactive
- Flexible
- Trustworthy
- Comfortable working independently
- Comfortable in a busy household with teenagers
- Able to take feedback
- Able to change plans when family life changes unexpectedly
- Physically capable of completing the role independently
- Comfortable with stairs, groceries, laundry baskets and active cleaning
- A strong communicator
- A genuinely excellent home cook
- Equipped with a good sense of humour
We value initiative, but also communication.
Our preferred working style is essentially “I intend to…”
If you notice a worthwhile task outside the normal routine, tell us what you intend to do. We may say yes immediately or shift it to another day depending on family priorities.
We also expect good situational awareness. Sometimes the best support is being present. Other times, it may make more sense to run errands or work elsewhere so the family has some space.
Schedule & Compensation
Normal hours are Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM.
All eight hours are paid, including normal breaks.
You are guaranteed 40 paid hours per week, even during lighter weeks.
First 6 months: $25/hour
After successful 6-month probation: $30/hour
Additional employment benefits after successful probation include:
- 4 weeks of paid vacation annually
- Vacation accrues from the start date
- Approximately 2 weeks will have accrued after 6 months
- Vacation generally cannot be taken November 1–March 31
- Unused vacation does not carry forward
- 1 additional paid vacation day for every completed year of employment, with no cap
- Benefits package after probation, with final coverage based on long-term fit
- Annual compensation review
- 5 paid sick/personal days annually beginning from day one
- Statutory holidays off
- Overtime paid at 1.5× after 40 hours worked in a week under our employment policy
- Potential discretionary year-end bonus
Weekends are normally off.
When you are not working, you are not expected to remain available.
Occasional Live-In Support
There may occasionally be periods when both parents are travelling.
During those periods, you may be asked to stay in the home for several days or longer.
You will have a private bedroom and bathroom.
Normal hourly wages will continue for working hours, with an additional daily live-in payment agreed upon separately.
During these periods, you are the responsible adult in the home — handling meals, pets, transportation and normal household logistics — but you are not expected to replace the parents except where an immediate safety issue requires action.
Requirements
Fluent English — including strong spoken, written and comprehension skills — is required.
You must also have a valid driver’s licence, reliable insured personal vehicle, satisfactory driving abstract, confidence driving in Calgary winter conditions, and the ability to pass a criminal record check before permanent employment.
You must be a non-smoker and non-vaper.
Comfort with shared calendars, grocery lists and simple task apps is expected.
First Aid/CPR is an asset but not required.
Spanish is an asset but not required.
A valid passport and willingness to occasionally travel with the family is an asset but not required.
Legal authorization to work in Canada is preferred. Sponsorship may be considered for an exceptional candidate.
Paid Trial
Serious candidates will be required to complete a 2–5 day paid trial period at $25/hour before a permanent offer is made.
The family will cover approved grocery, fuel and household expenses during the trial.
The trial gives both sides an opportunity to assess fit, work style, cooking ability and household chemistry before making a long-term commitment.
Long-Term Opportunity
We are not looking for a temporary employee.
For the right person, we hope this becomes a long-term position of potentially 10 years or more as our children grow through high school and university.
Mature, experienced applicants and candidates with significant life experience are encouraged to apply.
Formal nanny experience is not required.
Professional cooking experience is not required.
Personality, work ethic, reliability and fit matter more to us than a perfect résumé.
Start date is flexible for the right candidate, with the goal of filling the position before the end of 2026.
To apply, please submit your résumé.
Pay: $25.00-$30.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Dental care
- On-site parking
Licence/Certification:
- Driving Licence (required)
Work Location: In person
