Locations: Alibag Country House & Manek, Mumbai
Potential Future Location: Mahabaleshwar
Reporting To: The Family
Employment Type: Full-Time
Travel: Frequent travel between Mumbai and Alibag; availability during events, projects and emergencies
We are seeking an experienced, highly organised and hands-on Estate & Household Manager to take complete ownership of the upkeep, presentation, maintenance, service standards, staffing and day-to-day operational readiness of the family's private residences in Alibag and Mumbai.
The successful candidate will ensure that both residences remain consistently arrival-ready, well-maintained, fully stocked, properly staffed and operationally efficient, without the family having to identify issues or follow up on routine matters.
This is a hands-on estate and household operations role, rather than a purely supervisory position. The individual should be comfortable conducting property inspections, identifying maintenance issues, testing equipment, managing vendors, supervising staff, maintaining inventories and personally following through on problems until they are resolved.
Marathi fluency is essential, along with Hindi and working English.
- Take complete responsibility for the technical and physical upkeep of the Alibag country house.
- Maintain a comprehensive asset register covering equipment, appliances, fixtures and serviceable items, including make, model, warranty, service history and vendor details.
- Manage all Annual Maintenance Contracts (AMCs), ensuring timely renewals, scheduled servicing and quality verification.
- Maintain a preventive maintenance calendar covering daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual activities.
- Conduct regular property inspections and maintain a detailed defect log, ensuring every issue is recorded, assigned and closed with proper documentation.
- Oversee maintenance of:
- AV systems, televisions, projectors, Wi-Fi and networking
- Kitchen appliances and equipment
- Electrical systems, lighting, switches and dimmers
- Plumbing, water pressure, drainage, geysers and filtration systems
- Air-conditioning, fans and dehumidifiers
- Flooring, marble, stone, doors, windows and hardware
- Pumps, borewell, water tanks and sewage systems
- Generator, inverter, batteries and electrical distribution
- Pool plant, filtration and water quality
- Outdoor lighting and property infrastructure
- Develop and execute comprehensive pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon maintenance programmes.
- Conduct pre-monsoon checks covering waterproofing, roofs, gutters, drainage, electrical earthing, woodwork and metalwork.
- Manage humidity, mould and mildew prevention during the monsoon.
- Ensure appropriate protection of wardrobes, upholstery, linen and household contents.
- Conduct a post-monsoon property audit and coordinate repairs, repainting, polishing, pest control and restoration.
- Maintain accurate inventory and par-stock levels for:
- Linen and towels
- Crockery, cutlery and glassware
- Pantry and dry goods
- Cleaning supplies and toiletries
- Candles, batteries, filters and maintenance spares
- Bar and cellar stock
- Conduct regular physical stock counts and investigate discrepancies.
- Ensure all household items meet required quality standards.
- Monitor expiry dates, storage conditions and stock rotation.
- Maintain a dedicated bar and cellar register.
- Directly manage household staff across both residences.
- Prepare duty rosters, responsibilities, reporting structures and leave plans.
- Recruit, induct, train and evaluate household employees as required.
- Develop and implement SOPs for household operations, including:
- Housekeeping
- Bed making
- Table setting
- Guest arrival and service
- Cleaning standards
- Kitchen hygiene
- House opening and closing procedures
- Conduct regular quality checks and spot inspections.
- Address performance issues, resolve staff conflicts and maintain staff morale and retention.
- Maintain employee records, contracts, police verification, statutory documentation and welfare requirements.
- Ensure smooth staff handovers between Mumbai and Alibag.
- Independently source, evaluate, negotiate with and maintain a reliable vendor network across both Alibag and Mumbai.
- Build and maintain vendors across:
- Electrical
- Plumbing
- Civil work
- Carpentry
- Upholstery and curtains
- Polishing and refinishing
- AV and networking
- Appliances and white goods
- Pest control
- Deep cleaning
- Pool maintenance
- Generator and power systems
- Borewell and water systems
- Landscaping
- Roofing and waterproofing
- Obtain comparative quotations for significant works.
- Negotiate pricing and contractual terms.
- Monitor vendor performance and ensure warranty commitments are honoured.
- Replace underperforming vendors when required.
Conduct regular property walk-throughs to identify items that are aged, damaged, faded or require replacement.
Areas may include:
- Upholstery, curtains, cushions and rugs
- Cupboards and storage affected by humidity
- Paintwork and ceiling finishes
- Hardware, railings and outdoor furniture
- Decorative items, lighting and artefacts
For larger projects, manage the complete process from requirement identification through execution and handover.
Projects may include:
- Flooring repairs or replacement
- Interior and exterior painting
- Storage and utility redesign
- Waterproofing and roofing
- Civil and structural repairs
- Pool refurbishment
- Generator installation and commissioning
- Major interior renovation
Where an interior designer or main contractor is appointed, act as the family's representative on site, ensuring:
- Programme and timelines are adhered to
- Materials match approved specifications
- Workmanship meets expected standards
- Measurements and quantities are verified
- Snagging is completed properly
- Design or technical issues are identified before execution
- Payment milestones correspond to actual work completed
Maintain the same operational standards and systems at Manek as at the Alibag residence, including asset management, preventive maintenance, inventory, staff management, SOPs, vendor management, budgeting and reporting.
Additional responsibilities specific to the Mumbai apartment include:
- Managing the building society relationship and required permissions.
- Coordinating maintenance, service charges and society-related matters.
- Managing lift, water, power backup and common-area dependencies.
- Monitoring leakage, seepage, drainage and waterproofing issues.
- Managing AC servicing, drainage and compressor access.
- Maintaining balconies, planters, glazing and external areas.
- Managing intercom, CCTV, access control and duplicate keys.
- Coordinating staff, vendors, deliveries and guests with building security.
- Ensuring fire extinguishers and smoke detectors are maintained.
- Managing parking, deliveries and household logistics.
- Maintaining strict control over limited storage space.
- Ensuring smooth movement and handover of household staff and inventory between Mumbai and Alibag.
Manage end-to-end household requirements for family events, parties and guests at both residences.
Responsibilities include:
- Coordinating caterers, bartenders, florists and decorators.
- Managing AV, entertainment, valet and security arrangements.
- Planning staffing requirements and event schedules.
- Coordinating guest transportation and Alibag travel logistics.
- Managing the event discreetly on the day.
- Supervising post-event cleaning, restoration and inventory.
- Reconciling event expenditure and documenting learnings for future events.
- Monitor CCTV, alarm systems, access controls, keys and perimeter security.
- Supervise security personnel and establish guest/vendor access protocols.
- Ensure fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and other safety equipment are serviced and operational.
- Conduct electrical, gas and pool safety checks.
- Maintain first-aid supplies and staff safety procedures.
- Establish documented emergency protocols covering:
- Power failure
- Water failure
- Flooding
- Cyclone/monsoon emergencies
- Fire
- Medical emergencies
- Security incidents
- Maintain emergency contact lists, hospital details, fuel reserves and backup water arrangements.
- Supervise garden, lawn and landscaping maintenance.
- Monitor trees, irrigation and drainage.
- Maintain driveways, pathways and outdoor lighting.
- Coordinate pest and mosquito control.
- Monitor coastal salt, humidity and wind-related deterioration.
Develop and implement formal house opening and closing checklists.
Before every family or guest arrival:
- Ensure all rooms and services are operational.
- Check lighting, AC, plumbing, appliances, Wi-Fi and entertainment systems.
- Verify linen, pantry, toiletries and other supplies.
- Ensure the residence is clean, fresh and fully prepared.
After departure:
- Complete inventory and condition checks.
- Secure the property.
- Shut down systems as required.
- Record defects or replenishment requirements.
- Coordinate household vehicles, drivers, servicing, insurance and permits.
- Manage travel logistics between Mumbai and Alibag.
- Coordinate ferry, jetty and road arrangements where required.
- Ensure vehicles are maintained and ready for family use.
- Prepare and maintain an annual household maintenance and operating budget.
- Track expenditure against approved budgets.
- Manage petty cash and monthly reconciliations.
- Negotiate vendor rates and identify cost-saving opportunities without compromising quality.
- Obtain comparative quotations for expenditure above the approved threshold.
- Present recommendations and costs to the family for approval.
Maintain a comprehensive Household Operations Manual containing:
- Asset register
- Vendor database
- AMC schedule
- Warranties
- Equipment manuals
- SOPs
- Maintenance calendars
- Floor plans
- Service drawings
- Emergency contacts
- Staff records
- Inventory records
Submit a monthly written report to the family covering:
- Completed works
- Outstanding defects
- Maintenance activities
- Expenditure against budget
- Inventory concerns
- Staff matters
- Upcoming requirements
- Recommended improvements
- Proven experience in Estate Management, Household Management, Luxury Hospitality, Facilities Management, Property Operations or high-end project supervision.
- Strong hands-on experience managing private residences, luxury properties, estates, villas, hotels or similar environments.
- Fluency in Marathi is mandatory.
- Strong Hindi and working English communication skills.
- Genuine technical understanding of electrical, plumbing, HVAC, appliances, water systems and general property maintenance.
- Ability to independently deal with electricians, plumbers, contractors, interior designers and specialist vendors.
- Proven ability to source and build vendor networks independently in both Mumbai and Alibag.
- Strong staff-management and people-management skills.
- Excellent organisational and documentation skills.
- Strong attention to detail and high standards of presentation.
- Ability to manage multiple properties and priorities simultaneously.
- Comfortable working independently with minimal supervision.
- Absolute discretion and confidentiality.
- Willingness to travel frequently between Mumbai and Alibag and respond to urgent requirements.
- Valid driving licence.
- Experience managing coastal or high-humidity properties.
- Luxury hotel, villa, private household or hospitality background.
- Knowledge of pool systems, generators, HVAC, water treatment and filtration.
- Experience managing renovation or refurbishment projects.
- Experience acting as an owner's representative during major projects.
- Familiarity with inventory, maintenance and reporting software/tools.
- Strong vendor negotiation and cost-control experience.
- Reports directly to the family.
- Design, décor and aesthetic decisions require approval from Mrs.
- Capital expenditure and major works require approval from Mr.
- Responsible for direct management of all household staff across both properties.
- Authorised to approve routine maintenance and consumable expenditure within an agreed monthly limit.
- Expenditure above the approved limit requires prior approval and comparative quotations.
Success in this role will be measured by:
- Zero surprises: issues are identified and logged before they are noticed by the family.
- 100% completion of preventive maintenance and AMC schedules on time.
- Household supplies consistently available and maintained at required quality levels.
- Consistent service standards across Mumbai and Alibag.
- Projects delivered on time, within approved budgets and to specification.
- Strong staff retention, discipline and morale.
- Accurate inventory and financial records.
- Timely and comprehensive monthly reporting.
- Residences remaining consistently clean, maintained, stocked, secure and arrival-ready.
