Napa Ranch Caretaker/ Estate Manager

partrick near browns valley, Napa CA

Description

Overview: We are looking for a hardworking and hands-on caretaker for our 70-acre family ranch in the mountains above Napa, California. The ideal person (or couple) will be an organized, self starter with an abiding interest in farm and ranch work as well as gardening and livestock. Applicants do not need to have previous ranch caretaking experience but knowledge of sought skills is preferable. (This is an ideal situation for a couple.) The property is a well-loved private and secluded ranch that is a ten-minute drive from downtown Napa and is shared by the two families who have owned it for the past sixty years. The ranch has three houses, a pool, a barn, two gardens, and large pastures and sweeping views of both Napa hillsides and the San Francisco Bay. The position starts on April 1, 2022 or when a candidate is available. Compensation: This live-in position (on the ranch) comes with a monthly salary of $3000 and the use of a caretakers’ house as additional compensation. The home is a two-bedroom, one and a half bathroom dwelling that backs up against forest and looks out on pasture and distant views. Caretaking duties and ranch duties are approximately 15-20 hours/week during mornings, nights, and weekends. Job description: Duties include primarily grounds keeping; water system management; irrigation; fence, tree and road maintenance; equipment upkeep; pool care; light construction; tending chickens and horses; security; oversight of major projects; buying supplies; managing a budget; and other general duties typical of upkeep of this type of property. There is a flexible work schedule as this is not an 8-5 job. The perfect candidate(s): We are looking to hire an individual or a couple with experience in a similar situation working or managing a rural property in California, or someone eager to learn. Ideally you have expertise in all aspects of ranch management, or the skills and interest necessary to learn. You are able to advise and communicate easily with the owners. The owners do not live full time on site, so you are a hard worker in unsupervised situations and must be able to complete projects and work independently. You may have experience operating and maintaining ranch systems and equipment, some mechanical skills with tools, ideally some small motor maintenance skills, landscaping, irrigation, general carpentry and construction, fencing and repair, and tending horses and chickens. You can communicate frequently and clearly with absentee owner on projects and issues and can use a computer/phone for email/texting. This is a physically demanding job. This is a longterm opportunity for a stable person / couple. You must be eligible to work legally in the United States, have a valid driver’s license, a clean driving record, no criminal record or outstanding warrants, and be drug-free. You must provide professional references in order to qualify for this job. We will conduct a background check. Please respond with a resume and contact information. We will contact those candidates most qualified for the position. Thanks for your interest. Here are some of the specific skills we are looking for in job candidates: small motor maintenance, animal care (chickens/horses), tractor, carpentry, fence building, pool maintenance, farming, gardening, use of power tools, use of chainsaw, tree trimming, tree cutting, firewood cutting, electrical systems knowledge, water systems knowledge. To help us find the best candidate, please only apply if you match the description above. Please send a cover letter outlining your related experience, who will be living on the property with you, and send a resume showing dates for past jobs and education. The photos show the ranch, barn, horses, views, and the caretaker home (which is white). Looking forward to hearing from you, Alex