Director of Residences & Operations | Private Household Estate Manager

Overview

A warm, private, and highly respected international family is appointing its first dedicated Director of Residences & Operations. The role is newly created and based in Venice, with a multi-property remit across Italy.

Whether your background is Director of Residences, Estate Manager, Properties Manager, House Manager, or Private Household Manager, this is one of the most considered senior household appointments in Europe this year.

The Opportunity

Oplu is retained on the appointment of a Director of Residences & Operations for an international UHNW family. The mandate covers a portfolio of beautiful private residences across Italy.

The role has been designed to bring professional structure, quiet calm, and consistent excellence to the family's homes. The principals are warm, generous, and hands-on, with high standards and a real appreciation for people who deliver excellence. Their Chief of Staff manages the commercial and corporate side of the family's affairs. This role is its domestic counterpart.

The incoming Director will take ownership of household operations, staff management, contractor relationships, oversight of active renovations, and coordination of a childcare team. Systems are currently fragmented. One of the earliest priorities will be to build the operational bible from scratch.

This is a rare opportunity for an experienced multi-residence operator to come in, make the function their own, and grow with a family that genuinely values quiet excellence.

Key Responsibilities

Household & Multi-Property Management

• Full ownership of all residences across Italy: utility payments, maintenance schedules, seasonal upkeep, and property inspections.
• Day-to-day management of dedicated housekeeping staff at each residence, and rotating cleaning teams across the portfolio. Rotas, standards, and performance.
• Contractor sourcing, briefing, and management across all sites.
• Building and maintaining a centralised household manual and operational bible, codifying systems and processes from scratch.
• Acting as the single point of accountability for anything property, operations, or contractor-related across the estate.

Renovation Oversight & Special Projects

• Overseeing active renovation projects across the portfolio, acting as the family's representative on the ground.
• Liaising with architects and project managers. Translating progress into clear, confident updates for the principals.
• Coordinating furniture, art, and specialist purchases as properties are developed and refreshed.
• A flair for interiors, design, and the detail of beautifully run homes is warmly welcomed. Formal qualifications are not required.

Childcare Team Coordination

• Management and scheduling of three nannies. This is not a hands-on childcare role.
• Coordinating the team's schedules in line with the family's weekly movements and travel calendar.
• Maintaining clear, proactive communication between the childcare team and the principals.

Requirements

Must-Have

• Proven multi-property private household management experience at UHNW or equivalent level. Titles such as Properties Manager, House Manager, Multi-Estate Manager, Estate Manager, or Director of Residences. This is not a step-up role.
• Experience managing dedicated housekeeping and household staff across multiple residences. Comfortable setting standards, managing rotas, and holding teams to account across locations.
• Project management experience, ideally overseeing renovations, builds, or large-scale refurbishments. Comfortable acting as the principal's representative with architects and contractors.
• EU passport holder or existing right to live and work in Italy.
• Genuinely mobile, comfortable travelling and adapting to an evolving schedule.
• Fluent or native English and Italian.
• A 24/7 mindset. Responsive and available, without the expectation of being physically on-call around the clock.
• Discreet, self-sufficient, and solutions-focused. Brings calm and answers, not problems.

Strong Advantage

• French language.
• Experience coordinating childcare teams or indirectly managing nannies.
• Background in building operational systems or a household manual from scratch.

Preferred Background

• Private household, family office, or Royal household background at a senior level.
• Genuine flair or passion for interiors, design, and the detail of beautifully run homes.
• Experience in a newly created or standalone role. Comfortable with ambiguity and building from the ground up.

Why This Role

• A blank canvas. Build the operational systems, processes, and household manual from scratch in a newly created position.
• Principals who are warm, grounded, and genuinely appreciative of outstanding talent.
• Real scope and autonomy. No micromanagement. The opportunity to work as part of a team.
• A rare opportunity for an experienced private household professional to shape a high-trust, multi-residential operation.

About Oplu

Oplu is the executive search partner of choice for principals, family offices, and luxury brands. We place senior household and right-hand appointments with the discretion and rigour these environments demand. This search is conducted on a retained basis.

Application Process

Apply via the form on this page. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you do not hear from us within 14 days, please consider your application unsuccessful on this occasion.