House Manager (Property Manager)

Summary

A private family in Dorado, Puerto Rico is hiring one person to run their home. This is a house-first role. The priority is a candidate who personally understands how a modern high-end residence in a tropical, coastal, hurricane-exposed environment actually works — who can walk a property and see what is about to fail, who has real relationships with the trades who will answer the phone, and who closes a problem out rather than passing it along. Personal assistance to the principals is the second half of the seat and is described below.

This is a proactive role, not a reactive one. The person who succeeds here anticipates the problem before it surfaces, resolves it before it reaches the principals, and reports back with the conclusion rather than the escalation.

Property and estate operations — the core of the role

— Walk the property on a set cycle, weekly at minimum, and know the condition of every system before anyone has to ask.

— Identify maintenance issues early and resolve them before they become larger ones. Leaks, damp, corrosion and drainage in particular.

— Own the preventive-maintenance calendar — what is serviced, by whom, on what interval, and when it was last touched.

— Build and maintain a working house manual: photographs, model and serial numbers, warranty information and service history, written so the principals can read it and a successor could run the house from it.

— Diagnose before calling. Know what can be handled on the spot, and know exactly where a licensed trade has to take over.

— Coordinate emergency and after-hours repairs, including access, scheduling and follow-through.

— Prepare the residence for arrivals, departures, guests, events and extended absences.

— Supervise household staff — priorities, schedules, standards and completion of assigned work.

— Track household expenses, service costs and project budgets, and review invoices for accuracy.

Reliable vendor relationships in Dorado — a central requirement

Much of the value of this role is the network behind it. On this island, the difference between a problem solved on Saturday and a problem solved in three weeks is whether the person calling is known, respected and answered. We are looking for someone who already has that, or who plainly knows how to build it.

— An existing bench of licensed and insured contractors in the Dorado area — generator service, water treatment, pool, electrical, plumbing, air conditioning, roofing and sealing, networking and low voltage, landscaping, pest control, glass and doors.

— Working relationships rather than a contact list. Vendors who know the caller and reschedule other work when it matters.

— Multiple estimates as standard practice, even with a trusted provider, and the judgment to negotiate against a budget.

— Telephone confirmation and persistent follow-up. Knowing that island scheduling requires it, and doing it without complaint.

— Supervision of unfamiliar vendors on the property, verification that completed work was actually completed, and a re-check afterwards.

— Record discipline — estimates, invoices and service history kept so that billing can be validated.

— Familiarity with local government and administrative processes where they touch the house: permits, utilities, and import and export of household goods and vehicles.

Systems in scope

Not every property carries all of the following, but demonstrated hands-on familiarity across the range is expected, and candidates should be able to speak concretely about these systems from direct experience.

Power and backup — Standby generators, transfer switches, load management, fuel supply and levels. Solar and battery storage. UPS for sensitive equipment.

Water — Filtration and reverse osmosis, softening, cisterns and wells, pumps and pressure, water-quality testing.

Climate and air — Multi-zone, variable-refrigerant and mini-split systems. Whole-house dehumidification, filtration and air quality. Salt-air corrosion protection.

Pool and waterfront — Automated chemistry, pumps, heaters and salt systems. Docks and boat lifts.

Building envelope — Roofing and sealing, windows and doors, damp and water intrusion, drainage.

Security and access — Access control, video surveillance, monitored alarms, gates and intercom.

Smart home and AV — Automation platforms, lighting control, motorized shades, distributed audio, media rooms.

Networking and IT — Enterprise Wi-Fi, structured cabling, firewalls and VPN, IoT and guest-network management.

Grounds — Irrigation, landscape lighting, automated gates, palm care and pest control.

Kitchen, wine and vehicles — Luxury appliance service, wine storage, beverage systems. EV charging and garage systems.

Hurricane season

This is Dorado, and storm readiness is part of the job rather than an exception to it.

— A written storm protocol maintained in advance.

— Fuel, cistern levels, generator readiness and supplies secured early, before island demand makes them unavailable.

— Any shutters and impact hardware, outdoor furniture and equipment, pool drawdown, drains cleared.

— Honest advice to the principals about whether to travel, and a realistic plan for staff who have their own homes to protect.

— Post-storm assessment, documentation for insurance, salt rinse-down and return to service.

Personal assistance — the second half of the role

— Calendar and schedule management, including coordination with the principals’ business office and outside advisors.

— Travel booking and itineraries, including private aviation coordination, ground logistics, accommodation and reservations.

— Correspondence and gatekeeping — inbound requests, invitations and follow-through, in both languages.

— Personal appointments, errands, procurement, deliveries and personal shopping.

— Guest and event coordination, including pre-arrival and departure protocols.

— Vehicle logistics and service scheduling.

— Confidential administrative work — filing, expense tracking, records maintenance.

Who we’re looking for

— Minimum five years in high-end residential house or estate management, or a comparable hands-on operational role.

— Demonstrable direct experience with the systems above — commissioning, troubleshooting, and directing the specialist vendors for each.

— An established vendor network in Puerto Rico, or a clear and credible account of how you would build one.

— Bilingual English and Spanish, professional fluency in both.

— Verifiable references from prior principals, estate managers or family offices.

— Discreet, composed and appropriate in every setting. Discretion is the first requirement of the role.

— Comfortable with modern productivity and property-management tools — calendar and task systems, expense platforms, vendor records.

— Valid driver’s license, US work authorization, valid passport.