New York is Oplu's second market after London and the one where the private office is most clearly a business function. Family offices here are often staffed like small investment firms, principals move between the city and second homes on a weekly rhythm, and the household team has to work around both. Our New York searches are run with a US presence and a US phone line, and with the London team's reach into candidates who move between the two cities.

Roles we place in New York

Office roles. The New York brief is usually for an Executive Assistant or Chief of Staff who can run a principal's professional life across a family office, an operating business and a philanthropic foundation at the same time. Founder's Associate roles are more common here than anywhere else we work, because so many principals are first-generation founders. At the operating level we place Family Office Directors, CFOs and Directors of Administration.

Investment roles. New York family offices hire Chief Investment Officers, portfolio managers and Analysts from the banks and funds around them. We run these searches with a clear view of what a candidate gives up by leaving an institution and what the family can credibly offer instead.

Household roles. A Manhattan residence with a house in the Hamptons or Greenwich needs an Estate Manager or House Manager who can run two properties on two schedules, plus Housekeepers, a Private Chef, childcare and, increasingly, a Private PA separate from the office EA.

How Oplu works in New York

New York candidates expect a faster process than London, and they expect to hear a compensation range in the first call. We respect both. Searches still run confidentially, with the principal's identity held back until shortlist, but we move from brief to shortlist in three to four weeks where the role allows it.

Candidate sourcing in New York draws on three pools: people already in private service in the tri-state area, people in corporate executive support or at investment firms who want to move into a family setting, and people relocating from London or Europe. The third group is a particular strength of ours, because we meet them before they move.

Searches are led by a Managing Director. Fırat Bay leads office and investment mandates; Antonia Edwards leads household mandates. Video is the norm for first-round interviews; principals usually meet the final two or three in person.

Compensation in New York

New York pays the highest base salaries of any market we work in for office roles, and household salaries are close behind London once accommodation and benefits are counted. Health insurance, 401(k) contributions and bonus structure matter more to candidates here than in Europe and need to be settled before the offer. Ranges are in the Family Office Salary Guide and the Private Staff Salary Guide; we give a New York-specific benchmark once the brief is scoped.

Employment notes for New York

Employment in New York State is generally at will, subject to contractual and statutory protections. Senior private office and household roles are almost always offered with a written agreement covering confidentiality, notice and severance. Household workers are generally employees when the household can direct both their tasks and how they carry them out. Employee classification and W-2 reporting duties must be checked for the arrangement; misclassification is the most common legal problem we see families inherit. New York State and City have specific rules on paid sick leave, overtime for domestic workers and the Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights, and payroll is usually run through a household payroll service. Where staff work across New York, Connecticut and Florida, employment and withholding obligations in each state need to be checked at offer stage. Non-compete clauses are of limited use; non-disclosure clauses need careful drafting and remain subject to legal limits, including protections for reporting discrimination.

Working with Oplu in New York

The first conversation is confidential and usually by phone or video with a Managing Director. We scope the role, the reporting line and the compensation, and we tell you plainly if the brief needs adjusting before it goes to market.

Questions we are asked about hiring in New York

Do you have people on the ground in New York? We run New York searches from our New York presence and from London, and finalists are met in person in Manhattan. Candidate sourcing on the East Coast is done by the same team that runs the London searches, which is why relocation candidates are a strength.

How do New York timelines compare with London? Shorter. Candidates move faster and notice periods are two to four weeks rather than one to three months, so a search can go from brief to start date in eight weeks.

Will candidates relocate from London to New York? The right ones will, and we know who they are. Visa status is the first question: we present relocation candidates only if they already have the right to work in the US or the family has decided to sponsor and an eligible visa route is available.

Can you help with a household payroll set-up? We do not run payroll, but we advise on employment structure at offer stage and can introduce the household payroll and HR providers our New York clients use.