If you are looking for an Executive Housekeeper for your private residence, Leeward Staffing has the best staff options available. We understand that the role of an Executive Housekeeper is an important one that requires a high level of discretion, care, and extensive experience in management and domestic services. When you are ready to add an Executive Housekeeper to your staff, we are here to help with our standards of excellence that help make your life easier. We know our clients are looking for staff that fit perfectly into their estate and our staff are looking for job security, so the right placement the first time is in the best interest of everyone involved.

What does an Executive Housekeeper do?

An Executive Housekeeper is responsible for managing the care of luxury homes. Depending on the estate, that may include overseeing other domestic staff members as they perform cleaning and other domestic tasks, it may include performing those tasks themselves, or it could be both. In households where the Executive Housekeeper is ultimately responsible for overseeing the work of the other housekeepers on staff, the Executive Housekeeper maintains the role of coordinator and manager. Although they will still be generally hands-on with the daily tasks as well to ensure that everything is completed as it should be and when it should be.

Typical Executive Housekeeper duties include:

• Coordinate and oversee housekeeping staff & schedules. Work closely with Estate Manager.
• Update and manage any housekeeping-related fixes/small repairs. Report anything requiring immediate attention.
• Create daily, weekly, and monthly housekeeping checklists that keep the estate operating in an orderly condition.
• Ensure all cleaning equipment & housekeeping tools are maintained in good working order and are being properly cared for.
• Update, track, and schedule maintenance for any cleaning-related services or equipment.
• Manage and inspect outdoor facilities’ cleanliness. e.g., porches, patios, and pool furniture.
• Inspect linens and towels regularly making notes and reporting when items need to be replaced.
• Inspect the cleanliness of residences from top to bottom, inspect all furniture, carpets, upholstery, floors, blinds, windows, curtains, etc. and report any damage or concerns/issues to the Estate Manager.
• Assist as needed with changing and making the bedding, adhering to time schedules.
• Maintain a professional appearance and uniform standards for themselves and the housekeeping staff.
• Train and manage housekeeping staff.
• Manage housekeeping team work schedules.
• Coordinate with the maintenance department regularly.
• Perform some maintenance tasks.
• Ensure all schedules are upheld and executed in an orderly fashion
• Implementing disciplinary actions for housekeeping staff when necessary

Of course, this list is not all-inclusive, and not all Executive Housekeeping positions will require all of these duties either. A housekeeping executive who is part of the management team in the household will have special duties beyond their regular duties. They act as a general manager of sorts for the domestic staff. Because of this, leadership skills, management skills, and exemplary organizational skills are vital for this role.

Working hours of an Executive Housekeeper

The schedule for each Executive Housekeeper will vary. If they are live-in staff they may have less structured work times on a regular basis since they could be called on more easily. Staff who live outside of the estate will likely have a more traditional 9-5 type schedule with only occasional evening hours. Many factors will contribute to an Executive Housekeeper’s schedule such as:

• Cleaning schedules
• Other housekeeping employees and their schedules
• Holidays
• Guests
• Job training for new employees
• Actual day-to-day duties

Required qualities of an Executive Housekeeper

As with any domestic help role, a certain set of personal qualities is required to carry out the work of an Executive Housekeeper. The candidate will display impeccable character with integrity, ethical actions, and trustworthiness. Executive Housekeeper should also be:

• Proactive
• Discrete
• Responsible
• Self-motivated
• A great leader
• Independent
• Pride in their work

Required skillset of an Executive Housekeeper

The skills required to do this job well will differ from estate to estate. Some skills that will always be required are:

• In-depth knowledge of cleaning
• Knowledge of safety standards
• Quality control awareness
• Technology proficiency (working knowledge of Mac/PC operating systems and smart home systems)
• Physical stamina and mobility
• Communication
• Time management
• Customer service
• Listening
• Organization
• Above-average people skills

Required Education for Executive Housekeepers

The most common college degree for executive housekeepers is a bachelor’s degree, but it isn’t always required. Many principals simply require a high school diploma, while some also require an associate’s degree. The level of education required for the position with varies with each staffing placement.

Some principals may seek out a certified Executive Housekeeper in lieu of a college education or even in addition to it. In some cases, work experience may be enough for a skilled candidate to obtain the job of an executive housekeeper.

What kind of experience should Executive Housekeepers have?

Many principals require at least 5 to 10 years of experience working in a high-level private home or hotel in a similar role in a related field in the hospitality industry. That experience should be full-time, recent, and consistent work. Vast knowledge of the hospitality industry is a must-have for this position. A background in these positions (or combined experience in several of these) may qualify staff for a successful Executive Housekeeper position:

• Hotel management
• Housekeeping manager
• Janitor supervisors
• Human resources
• Dry cleaning
• Housekeeping job in a commercial environment
• Director of housekeeping

Average salary for an Executive Housekeeper

Again, like many other factors regarding being an Executive Housekeeper, salary will also vary from placement to placement. In the United States, the annual salary range for the role of Executive Housekeeper tends to be $72,000 to $130,000 per year. Some contributing factors to the determination of salary are:

• Location
• Size of estate
• Live-in or out status
• Specific job duties
• The candidate’s experience and the amount of training they will require
• How many staff the candidate will manage
• How many other management staff work for the estate
• The scope of the overall operation of the housekeeping department for the estate

A base salary may be offered up front with the agreement of advancement in salary as the candidate proves that they will bring hard work and dedication to the position if given the chance. In this case, there should be clear communication and an agreement about the process for obtaining incremental raises over time.

A live-in Executive Housekeeper may receive alternate compensation such as the use of estate facilities, free room and board, free food and utilities, and other perks of living on the estate. A principal may prefer or even require their Executive Housekeeper to live on the estate grounds for both convenience and closer observation of the housekeeping services.

A live-out Executive Housekeeper may make a higher salary since those amenities will not be offered. They may still be required to be on call and work differing hours during holidays or when guest rooms need to be prepared for visitors. Both live-in and live-out Executive Housekeepers should expect to work on many public holidays as those are typical times for entertaining guests, but this may not always be the case.

Additional benefits for an Executive Housekeeper

Many estate principals will offer additional compensation such as benefits to their full-time staff or management staff such as:

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Paid time off
• Sick days
• Transportation
• Bonus pay