A fabulous opportunity has arisen for an experienced Guardian/Domestic Couple to undertake a permanent role on a large private estate in beautiful Provence, France. Set on 10 hectares that include landscaped gardens, an olive grove, a vegetable garden and a lake, the 7-bedroom main house has recently been refurbished to a high specification and require a Couple with a good eye for detail and exacting standards to run the property year-round.

The principals will be in residence for 3-4 months of the year, so there will be a mix of quieter periods when the house and gardens will need to be maintained, interspersed with very busy weeks and longer hours when the principals are in residence, when the focus will shift to providing an exceptional level of service to them and their guests. Ideally one of the Couple will be a chef or confident cook, excelling in vegetarian food. The principals follow a mostly vegetarian, Mediterranean style diet with the emphasis on organic, fresh produce sourced from the garden or local markets, but the Chef/Cook must be able to cater to omnivores as well.

There is also a swimming pool, pool house, tennis court and gym on the estate, so the successful couple will have excellent time management skills and a high level of energy, enabling them to manage a variety of tasks. Working collaboratively with a local part-time property manager to ensure the property is maintained year-round, the Couple must be confident in directing and supervising temporary contract staff that will be hired when the house is occupied. The Couple will build strong relationships with local suppliers, contractors and neighbours and take responsibility for the security of the property, having a thorough understanding of CCTV, alarm and entertainment systems.

The Couple will ensure that the property is kept in a state of guest-readiness at all times (a minimum of 48 hours will usually be given) and will be responsible for the cleanliness and upkeep of all interior areas, as well as laundry care, so excellent knowledge and experience of cleaning products and fine fabrics and furnishings are imperative for this role. Exterior duties will include cleaning and maintaining windows and shutters, exterior furniture, floors and terraces, pool house and gym, as well as the yoga terrace, swimming pool and tennis court. There are also two cars at the property that will need to be maintained and fueled ahead of family visits.

Gardening contractors are in place to manage general weeding, the olive grove, and plants, but the role will require a daily tour of the garden to spot any early issues with maintenance of plants, gates and fences and water features - any issues should then be reported to the relevant contractor and property manager. Other duties will include the upkeep of the vegetable gardens, mowing the lawn, maintaining the garden equipment (including the small tractor) and keeping the garden sheds and greenhouses clean and well ordered.

Working 5 shorter days per week when the family are not in residence, the Couple will be required to work longer days when the house is occupied. Accommodation is provided in a lovely 2-bedroom cottage on the grounds. Due to the location of the property, at least one of the couple should be a confident driver.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:
• Previous experience in a Couples role in a HNW private household or superyacht
• Very high attention to detail and exacting standards
• Excellent housekeeping, laundry, and service skills
• Confident cook or chef with the ability to provide high quality meals, especially vegetarian
• Good gardening knowledge
• Tech-savvy and able to manage modern entertainment, alarm, and CCTV systems
• Team players with flexible, can-do attitudes
• Excellent communication and management skills
• Good standard of written and spoken English
• Able to prioritise and multitask effectively
• Discreet, reliable, and trustworthy
• Full, clean driving license(s)
• Right to live and work in France
• Excellent checkable references