Chief of Staff in Family Office

Chief of Staff in Family Office
Hybrid, with UK and international travel
Salary: c. £100,000 depending on experience.
 
One of our private clients requires an experienced Chief of Staff to lead and manage the team behind a busy private office. Reporting into the Director of Private Office, you will hold line management responsibility for a multi-disciplinary team of PAs, office staff and stylists, owning everything from hiring, rotas and performance through to complex travel logistics, budgets and operational planning. The role is full time and hybrid, with at least two days a week based in the office and frequent travel both within the UK and overseas.
This is a genuine management position rather than a support role. You will set the structure, standards and ways of working for the whole team, act as the principal's first point of escalation, and ensure the office runs as a well-led, well-resourced and properly governed operation.
 
Key Responsibilities
 
People Leadership and HR

• Line manage the full private office team, including PAs, office staff and stylists
• Own the end-to-end people cycle: workforce planning, recruitment, onboarding, probation reviews, appraisals and development plans
• Run regular one-to-ones and team meetings, setting clear objectives and expectations
• Manage performance, conduct and workload issues promptly and fairly, escalating where necessary
• Maintain confidential, accurate personnel records, job descriptions and recruitment documentation
• Design and own the team structure, reporting lines and responsibilities framework
• Partner with senior colleagues across the wider household to align HR practices, procedures and policies

• Build and manage rotas that guarantee the right level of support across office and styling functions at all times
• Approve and manage annual leave against the principal's commitments and team capacity, resolving clashes fairly
• Plan cover for absences, travel and peak periods, briefing the principal on team availability
• Balance workload and travel commitments evenly across the team
• Put robust handover and continuity processes in place whenever duties change hands

• Oversee the planning and delivery of frequent UK and international trips, ensuring staffing, logistics and budgets are aligned
• Allocate a lead PA and support team for each trip and hold them accountable for delivery
• Sign off travel within agreed limits, weighing up schedule, staffing, logistics and cost
• Anticipate operational risks, conflicts and gaps before they become problems

• Lead forward-planning meetings across the teams covering the commitments of the principal and wider family, including events, briefings, travel and styling
• Assign owners and deadlines to every agreed action and drive each one through to completion
• Oversee the flow of team communications, ensuring requests are routed correctly, actioned and closed
• Set and uphold quality standards for all output delivered to the principal

• Manage office and travel budgets, preparing clear monthly and trip-by-trip spending reports
• Refer spend beyond agreed limits with a reasoned recommendation
• Ensure approvals, controls and record keeping are consistently applied

• Lead office change initiatives, including the rollout and upkeep of a CRM and a programme introducing automation and AI tools
• Own the office manual and operating procedures, keeping them practical and up to date
• Embed ways of working that support resilience, continuity and a consistently high level of service

• Currently a Chief of Staff, Head of Private Office, Office Manager or Operations Manager within a family office, private office, UHNW household or similarly demanding environment
• Proven line management of a team, ideally including PAs or support staff, with direct responsibility for recruitment, appraisals, performance management and development
• Strong working knowledge of HR processes and best practice; a CIPD qualification or HR background would be an advantage
• Hands-on experience of rotas, leave management, cover planning and complex travel logistics
• Confident with budget management, spend reporting and approvals
• A natural leader who sets clear standards, delegates effectively and holds others to account
• Track record of introducing new systems, technology and process improvements
• Composed and decisive when priorities shift quickly
• Flexible with hours around travel, events and urgent requirements, and happy to travel regularly in the UK and abroad
• Utmost discretion and integrity