Head of Housekeeping

On a large yacht the interior splits into service, housekeeping and laundry. As Head of Housekeeping you own the second two. You plan the cabin turnarounds, write the daily housekeeping rota and lead a team of two to six housekeeping and laundry stewards. Guest cabins, the owner's suite, crew mess standards and the laundry all run through you. You report to the Chief Steward or Interior Manager and stand in for them on housekeeping matters.

Much of the job is care of materials. Yacht interiors use silk carpets, shagreen, lacquer, onyx, gold leaf and hand stitched leather. Each surface has its own cleaning product and method, and one wrong spray can cost thousands. You keep the care manual up to date, train new crew on it and check their work. You also manage linen stock, guest wardrobe care, dry cleaning ashore and the ordering of amenities and cleaning supplies.

When guests are on board the hours are long and the detail is constant. Beds are turned down while guests dine, bathrooms reset after every use, clothes pressed and returned within hours. Between trips you run deep cleans, inventory counts and maintenance lists with the engineers for anything broken. You need calm judgement, a sharp eye and the ability to lead people who are tired and still keep the standard high.