Position Overview
A private household in the Cranbrook–Kimberley area is seeking an experienced, highly capable, and exceptionally hands-on Executive House Manager.
This is a working household position, not primarily a supervisory or administrative role. The successful candidate will personally complete most of the day-to-day household work, including cleaning, organizing, laundry, grocery shopping, cooking, kitchen management, garden care, household errands, guest preparation, and event setup and cleanup.
The Executive House Manager will take ownership of the home and ensure it is consistently clean, organized, well stocked, welcoming, and ready for daily life, guests, dinners, and private functions.
The ideal candidate enjoys practical work, takes pride in maintaining a beautiful home, is passionate about food and cooking, and is comfortable moving throughout the day between housekeeping, meal preparation, shopping, gardening, organizing, and entertaining.
Previous culinary experience is strongly preferred. A genuine interest in growing herbs, vegetables, fruit, or other food for use in the household would be a significant asset.
Nature of the Position
This role is best suited to someone who wants to be directly involved in the work.
The successful candidate will:
- Personally perform the majority of regular household cleaning.
- Personally prepare most household meals.
- Complete grocery shopping and household errands.
- Manage laundry, linens, guest rooms, and household organization.
- Help maintain gardens, planters, outdoor living areas, and food-growing spaces.
- Plan and execute dinners, parties, and private functions.
- Coordinate outside trades or additional help only when specialized services or larger events require it.
This is not a position focused on directing a large household staff. Outside cleaners, gardeners, caterers, servers, or trades may occasionally assist, but the Executive House Manager will remain actively involved and responsible for the final result.
Primary ResponsibilitiesHands-On Housekeeping
- Personally complete regular cleaning throughout the residence.
- Clean kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, living spaces, offices, guest areas, and entertaining spaces.
- Vacuum, mop, dust, polish, sanitize, and maintain household surfaces.
- Clean and care for quality furniture, fixtures, glass, appliances, cabinetry, stone, wood, and other finishes.
- Make beds and change linens.
- Clean and prepare guest rooms and guest bathrooms.
- Maintain towels, toiletries, household amenities, and supplies.
- Complete routine and seasonal deep cleaning.
- Clean refrigerators, freezers, ovens, pantries, storage rooms, closets, and other household areas.
- Keep entrances, mudrooms, laundry areas, patios, and frequently used spaces orderly and presentable.
- Complete household resets after meals, guests, travel, parties, and busy weekends.
- Identify items requiring repair, replacement, specialty cleaning, or professional attention.
The successful candidate should enjoy maintaining a high standard of cleanliness and should be comfortable completing housekeeping work every day.
Household Organization
- Personally organize and maintain closets, cupboards, drawers, pantries, storage rooms, refrigerators, freezers, and household supply areas.
- Develop practical systems that keep the home easy to use and maintain.
- Keep household products, linens, serving pieces, kitchen equipment, and seasonal items properly stored.
- Sort, label, rotate, donate, discard, or replace household items as appropriate.
- Monitor household inventory and replenish supplies before they run out.
- Keep guest supplies, cleaning products, paper products, toiletries, and kitchen staples stocked.
- Assist with seasonal household changes, including clothing, linens, outdoor furniture, holiday items, and storage.
- Unpack and organize groceries, deliveries, household purchases, and travel items.
- Maintain a calm, uncluttered, and well-functioning home.
Laundry and Linen Care
- Personally manage household laundry.
- Wash, dry, fold, iron, steam, and put away clothing and household linens.
- Change and launder bedding and towels.
- Coordinate dry cleaning and specialty garment care.
- Maintain organized linen closets and clothing storage.
- Monitor clothing, linens, towels, and bedding for damage or replacement needs.
- Prepare clothing, linens, and household items for travel or seasonal storage.
Cooking and Daily Meal Preparation
- Personally prepare fresh, high-quality meals for the household.
- Plan practical daily menus based on the homeowners’ schedules, preferences, health goals, and seasonal ingredients.
- Prepare breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, and make-ahead meals as required.
- Cook a range of healthy everyday meals while also being capable of elevated meals for guests and special occasions.
- Prepare meals in advance for busy workdays, travel days, or periods when the household schedule is demanding.
- Adapt meals for reasonable dietary preferences, allergies, or guest requirements.
- Maintain strong food-safety and kitchen-sanitation standards.
- Clean the kitchen, cookware, appliances, and preparation areas after cooking.
- Properly store leftovers and ingredients.
- Monitor food freshness and minimize waste.
- Maintain an organized and attractive kitchen, pantry, refrigerator, and freezer.
Previous professional cooking experience in a private home, restaurant, lodge, hotel, catering operation, or similar environment is strongly preferred.
Formal culinary training is an asset, but practical skill, good judgment, creativity, and a genuine passion for food are more important.
Grocery Shopping and Household Purchasing
- Personally complete regular grocery shopping.
- Develop shopping lists based on menu plans, household inventory, guest requirements, and upcoming functions.
- Select high-quality produce, meat, seafood, baked goods, pantry products, and specialty ingredients.
- Source products from local farms, butchers, markets, bakeries, and specialty suppliers where appropriate.
- Complete household errands and purchase cleaning supplies, toiletries, flowers, linens, kitchen items, and other household necessities.
- Pick up dry cleaning, prescriptions, packages, prepared foods, and other required items.
- Maintain receipts and basic records for household purchases.
- Receive, unpack, clean, portion, label, and properly store groceries and supplies.
Kitchen Garden and Food Growing
- Personally assist with the care of herbs, vegetables, fruit, berries, planters, and other edible gardens.
- Help plan what should be grown based on the household’s cooking preferences and the local growing season.
- Plant, water, weed, prune, harvest, and maintain kitchen-garden areas.
- Keep herbs and frequently used ingredients available for household cooking.
- Monitor plant health, watering needs, soil condition, pests, and seasonal maintenance.
- Harvest produce and incorporate it into meal planning.
- Wash, prepare, freeze, dry, pickle, preserve, or store seasonal produce where practical.
- Keep food-growing areas productive, attractive, and organized.
- Coordinate with professional gardeners or landscapers for specialized or heavy work while remaining actively involved in the edible-garden areas.
Professional horticultural experience is not required, but enthusiasm for growing food, working outdoors, and learning about local growing conditions is important.
Garden and Property Care
- Maintain planters, patios, outdoor dining areas, entrances, and household-use areas.
- Water plants and monitor gardens during dry periods.
- Perform light weeding, pruning, sweeping, tidying, planting, and seasonal cleanup.
- Keep outdoor entertaining areas clean and ready for use.
- Monitor the property for visible maintenance issues.
- Complete basic household and property tasks within the candidate’s experience and abilities.
- Arrange specialized repairs or maintenance when professional assistance is required.
- Meet trades, cleaners, delivery personnel, and service providers at the property when necessary.
- Check the residence and property while the homeowners are travelling.
- Prepare the home before the homeowners return.
This role does not require the candidate to perform major construction, mechanical, electrical, or heavy landscaping work.
Guest Preparation
- Personally prepare bedrooms, bathrooms, linens, towels, toiletries, flowers, refreshments, and other guest amenities.
- Ensure guest areas are exceptionally clean and welcoming.
- Confirm food preferences, allergies, arrival times, and other guest requirements.
- Prepare meals and snacks for overnight guests.
- Keep shared areas clean and organized during guest stays.
- Refresh guest rooms and bathrooms as needed.
- Complete laundry, cleaning, and household resets following departures.
- Help create a comfortable and thoughtful guest experience without making the home feel overly formal.
Parties, Dinners, and Private Functions
- Take a hands-on lead in planning and executing private dinners, cocktail parties, holiday gatherings, family events, and other household functions.
- Develop menus, shopping lists, preparation schedules, service plans, and event timelines.
- Personally complete much of the shopping, cooking, food preparation, setup, and cleanup.
- Prepare dining rooms, outdoor entertaining areas, bars, kitchens, guest bathrooms, and arrival spaces.
- Set tables and arrange flowers, linens, serving pieces, glassware, candles, and décor.
- Prepare appetizers, meals, desserts, snacks, and late-evening food as appropriate.
- Organize beverage service and ensure ice, glassware, mixers, garnishes, and supplies are ready.
- Assist with serving food and beverages.
- Keep kitchens, bathrooms, and entertaining areas orderly throughout the function.
- Complete or oversee post-event dishes, laundry, cleanup, storage, returns, and household reset.
- Arrange temporary servers, caterers, rental companies, florists, musicians, or additional cleaners for larger functions when required.
- Remain personally involved even when outside event support is used.
- Ensure the home is fully restored following the event.
The successful candidate should be able to take a dinner or function from initial concept through final cleanup with limited direction from the homeowners.
Household Oversight and Administration
Although this is primarily a hands-on position, some basic household administration will be required.
Responsibilities may include:
- Maintaining cleaning, maintenance, grocery, gardening, and household schedules.
- Keeping vendor and service-provider contact information organized.
- Booking routine household appointments and services.
- Tracking recurring maintenance requirements.
- Maintaining basic household inventories.
- Keeping receipts and purchase records organized.
- Communicating with the homeowners regarding household priorities, upcoming guests, events, repairs, and supply needs.
- Coordinating additional help only when required.
Administrative work should support the physical operation of the household rather than become the primary focus of the position.
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate will be:
- Highly hands-on and willing to personally complete household tasks.
- An experienced and passionate cook.
- Exceptionally clean, organized, and attentive to detail.
- Comfortable completing physical and practical work throughout the day.
- Proud of maintaining a beautiful, welcoming, and well-functioning home.
- Able to work independently without requiring constant direction.
- Proactive and able to notice what needs to be cleaned, organized, repaired, purchased, or prepared.
- Trustworthy, discreet, and respectful of household privacy.
- Warm and service-oriented without being overly formal.
- Capable of maintaining high standards while creating a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere.
- Calm and adaptable when schedules, menus, guests, or event plans change.
- Interested in gardens, local produce, seasonal ingredients, and growing food.
- Comfortable moving between routine tasks and more elevated entertaining.
- Willing to complete both enjoyable and less glamorous household tasks with equal care.
- Able to prioritize effectively and finish tasks completely.
Qualifications and Requirements
- Previous experience in private housekeeping, household management, professional cooking, catering, hospitality, lodge operations, estate care, or a comparable hands-on role.
- Demonstrated cooking ability and confidence planning and preparing meals.
- Experience cleaning and maintaining a high-quality residence.
- Experience organizing kitchens, pantries, closets, storage areas, and household supplies.
- Ability to plan and execute dinners, parties, and private functions.
- Strong practical judgment, time management, and problem-solving abilities.
- Valid driver’s licence and reliable transportation.
- Ability to complete grocery shopping, errands, and household pickups.
- Physical ability to clean, garden, carry groceries, move household supplies, and remain active throughout the workday.
- Ability to work occasional evenings, weekends, and holidays for guests or household functions.
- Ability to pass a criminal record check.
- Strong professional and personal references.
- Willingness to sign a confidentiality agreement.
- Legal authorization to work in Canada.
Preferred Qualifications
The following would be significant assets:
- Professional culinary training.
- Restaurant, catering, lodge, private-chef, or luxury-hospitality experience.
- Previous work in a private household.
- Gardening, greenhouse, orchard, kitchen-garden, or food-growing experience.
- Experience preserving, freezing, pickling, fermenting, or storing food.
- Knowledge of table settings, food service, wine service, and private entertaining.
- Knowledge of quality furnishings, fabrics, finishes, cookware, and household-care products.
- FoodSafe or similar food-safety certification.
- First-aid certification.
- Experience caring for pets.
- Familiarity with local farms, food suppliers, markets, and service providers in the East Kootenay.
Schedule
This is expected to be a full-time, primarily daytime position with a generally consistent weekly schedule.
Flexibility will be required for:
- Private dinners and parties.
- Overnight guests.
- Holiday periods.
- Occasional evenings or weekends.
- Seasonal gardening and property requirements.
- Periods when the homeowners are travelling.
The position is not intended to be permanently on call. Event schedules, guest stays, and anticipated schedule changes will be communicated with reasonable advance notice whenever possible.
Compensation and Benefits
Compensation will be competitive and based on the successful candidate’s household experience, culinary capabilities, gardening knowledge, availability, and overall fit.
The compensation package may include:
- Competitive salary or hourly compensation.
- Paid vacation.
- Extended health benefits following a qualifying period.
- Reimbursement of approved household expenses.
- Mileage reimbursement or use of a household vehicle for approved errands.
- Professional-development opportunities related to cooking, gardening, food safety, or household care.
- Opportunities for increased responsibility and compensation over time.
Application Requirements
Applicants should submit:
- A résumé outlining relevant housekeeping, cooking, hospitality, gardening, event, or private-household experience.
- A brief cover letter explaining why they enjoy hands-on household work.
- A description of the types of meals they are comfortable preparing.
- Examples of dinners, parties, or functions they have helped plan or execute.
- At least two professional references.
- Confirmation that they hold a valid driver’s licence and can complete a criminal record check.
All applications, interviews, and household information will be treated confidentially.
Pay: $18.57-$37.89 per hour
Benefits:
- Extended health care
- Flexible schedule
- Paid time off
- RRSP match
Work Location: In person
