Executive Personal Assistant | House Manager
Dm Estate Staffing, Palo Alto, California, United States, 94301
Executive Personal Assistant/House Manager
A Principal in Palo Alto seeks an exceptional Executive Personal Assistant/House Manager to serve as her trusted right hand across all personal, administrative, and lifestyle matters. This position replaces a long-tenured professional who is retiring and is intended to be a long-term, high-trust engagement. This role requires a master-level scheduler
someone who can confidently manage a busy, ever-changing calendar filled with appointments, commitments, and shifting priorities. The ability to stay several steps ahead, anticipate conflicts before they arise, and adjust seamlessly in real time is essential. This is a PA-first role in both scope and expectation. The successful candidate will demonstrate elite-level executive support skills: the ability to listen closely, absorb verbal direction, translate it into written plans, prioritize intelligently, and execute independently without reminders. Anticipation, judgment, and discretion are critical. Household operations are overseen in service of the principal, not as a traditional house manager role. The focus is on ensuring the principal's time, environment, and personal life function seamlessly and without friction. Schedule: Monday-Friday; 9am-6pm (flexible on what works best for the candidate, too) Primary Responsibilities Executive & Personal Assistant Support Act as the principal's primary personal and executive assistant, managing daily logistics with polish, precision, and discretion. Receive verbal directives and real-time instructions, accurately document action items, timelines, and priorities, and execute autonomously. Proactively anticipate needs by identifying upcoming requirements, dependencies, risks, and opportunities well in advance. Manage personal scheduling, appointments, and travel logistics in close coordination with the principal's professional scheduler to ensure full alignment. Maintain real-time clarity across calendars, priorities, household demands, and external commitments. Handle personal errands, shopping, correspondence, and bespoke requests with efficiency and confidentiality. Serve as a strategic communication conduit between the principal and household staff, ensuring clarity, follow-through, and discretion at all times. Uphold absolute confidentiality; execution of a California-compliant NDA is required. Estate & Household Oversight (In Support of the PA Function) Oversee household operations to ensure the residence fully supports the principal's lifestyle and professional demands. Collaborate with a long-standing, multi-role domestic team (chef, domestic couple, part-time housekeeper). Translate the principal's verbal priorities into clear, actionable guidance for staff and vendors. Manage vendors, service providers, maintenance schedules, and preventative care with minimal disruption to the principal. Ensure guest readiness and hospitality standards are consistently maintained without requiring principal involvement. Support event coordination and staffing needs as required, acting as the central point of control. Oversee household payroll Events & Lifestyle Support Coordinate logistics for weekly intimate gatherings and occasional larger events (2030 guests). Work closely with the household chef on menu planning, specialty sourcing, and dietary preferences. Ensure visiting family and guests experience discreet, thoughtful, and seamless hospitality. Working Style & Expectations MondayFriday, full-time (approximately 40 hours per week). No routine weekend coverage required; occasional flexibility may be requested. The principal frequently works from home and expects a highly present, detail-oriented PA who operates independently and anticipates needs without prompting. Ideal Candidate Profile 57+ years of experience supporting a UHNW principal as a Personal Assistant, Executive Assistant, or equivalent right-hand role. Demonstrated excellence in verbal intake, written organization, prioritization, and autonomous execution. Exceptionally anticipatory, detail-driven, and operationally disciplined. Calm, polished, emotionally intelligent, and confident in high-expectation environments. Strong written and verbal communication skills; adept at handling sensitive information. Technologically fluent; comfortable managing complex calendars, systems, and workflows. Valid California driver's license with clean driving record; estate vehicle provided for work-related use. Comfortable with pets in the home (dog, birds, reptile); note cat allergy within the household. Experience supporting personal event preparation (e.g., hair/makeup coordination) is a plus. Must be local to the Bay Area and legally authorized to work in the US. Household Culture The estate observes a weekly rest period from Friday evening through Saturday evening. Staff longevity is a defining value; current team members have tenures ranging from 6 to 35 years. Cultural fit, discretion, and collaborative leadership with existing staff are essential. Compensation and Benefits $150,000-$175,000 base salary $500 per month healthcare stipend 15 days of paid vacation Paid holidays Paid sick days 401k with up to 3% match
A Principal in Palo Alto seeks an exceptional Executive Personal Assistant/House Manager to serve as her trusted right hand across all personal, administrative, and lifestyle matters. This position replaces a long-tenured professional who is retiring and is intended to be a long-term, high-trust engagement. This role requires a master-level scheduler
someone who can confidently manage a busy, ever-changing calendar filled with appointments, commitments, and shifting priorities. The ability to stay several steps ahead, anticipate conflicts before they arise, and adjust seamlessly in real time is essential. This is a PA-first role in both scope and expectation. The successful candidate will demonstrate elite-level executive support skills: the ability to listen closely, absorb verbal direction, translate it into written plans, prioritize intelligently, and execute independently without reminders. Anticipation, judgment, and discretion are critical. Household operations are overseen in service of the principal, not as a traditional house manager role. The focus is on ensuring the principal's time, environment, and personal life function seamlessly and without friction. Schedule: Monday-Friday; 9am-6pm (flexible on what works best for the candidate, too) Primary Responsibilities Executive & Personal Assistant Support Act as the principal's primary personal and executive assistant, managing daily logistics with polish, precision, and discretion. Receive verbal directives and real-time instructions, accurately document action items, timelines, and priorities, and execute autonomously. Proactively anticipate needs by identifying upcoming requirements, dependencies, risks, and opportunities well in advance. Manage personal scheduling, appointments, and travel logistics in close coordination with the principal's professional scheduler to ensure full alignment. Maintain real-time clarity across calendars, priorities, household demands, and external commitments. Handle personal errands, shopping, correspondence, and bespoke requests with efficiency and confidentiality. Serve as a strategic communication conduit between the principal and household staff, ensuring clarity, follow-through, and discretion at all times. Uphold absolute confidentiality; execution of a California-compliant NDA is required. Estate & Household Oversight (In Support of the PA Function) Oversee household operations to ensure the residence fully supports the principal's lifestyle and professional demands. Collaborate with a long-standing, multi-role domestic team (chef, domestic couple, part-time housekeeper). Translate the principal's verbal priorities into clear, actionable guidance for staff and vendors. Manage vendors, service providers, maintenance schedules, and preventative care with minimal disruption to the principal. Ensure guest readiness and hospitality standards are consistently maintained without requiring principal involvement. Support event coordination and staffing needs as required, acting as the central point of control. Oversee household payroll Events & Lifestyle Support Coordinate logistics for weekly intimate gatherings and occasional larger events (2030 guests). Work closely with the household chef on menu planning, specialty sourcing, and dietary preferences. Ensure visiting family and guests experience discreet, thoughtful, and seamless hospitality. Working Style & Expectations MondayFriday, full-time (approximately 40 hours per week). No routine weekend coverage required; occasional flexibility may be requested. The principal frequently works from home and expects a highly present, detail-oriented PA who operates independently and anticipates needs without prompting. Ideal Candidate Profile 57+ years of experience supporting a UHNW principal as a Personal Assistant, Executive Assistant, or equivalent right-hand role. Demonstrated excellence in verbal intake, written organization, prioritization, and autonomous execution. Exceptionally anticipatory, detail-driven, and operationally disciplined. Calm, polished, emotionally intelligent, and confident in high-expectation environments. Strong written and verbal communication skills; adept at handling sensitive information. Technologically fluent; comfortable managing complex calendars, systems, and workflows. Valid California driver's license with clean driving record; estate vehicle provided for work-related use. Comfortable with pets in the home (dog, birds, reptile); note cat allergy within the household. Experience supporting personal event preparation (e.g., hair/makeup coordination) is a plus. Must be local to the Bay Area and legally authorized to work in the US. Household Culture The estate observes a weekly rest period from Friday evening through Saturday evening. Staff longevity is a defining value; current team members have tenures ranging from 6 to 35 years. Cultural fit, discretion, and collaborative leadership with existing staff are essential. Compensation and Benefits $150,000-$175,000 base salary $500 per month healthcare stipend 15 days of paid vacation Paid holidays Paid sick days 401k with up to 3% match