Cleaning and Waste Operations Assistant Manager

Harrods; Greater London; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Harrods is seeking an Assistant Manager for Store Services to lead a cleaning operations team in our luxury Knightsbridge store. You will manage a team of 3 direct and 18 indirect reports, ensuring high standards, training, and performance conversations are up to date.

You will be a present, proactive leader with a strong focus on people to deliver exceptional service and uphold sustainability commitments while coordinating resources and shifts across 6:00 AM–2:30 PM day shifts.

Qualifications

• Experience as an Assistant Manager in a cleaning environment or similar operation.
• Strong people management and coaching skills.
• Excellent communication and frontline leadership abilities.
• Solid understanding of HR policies and compliance.
• Demonstrated flexibility to work 5 out of 7 days, including weekends and bank holidays.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of 3 direct and 18 indirect reports, driving performance and training.
• Oversee allocation of Cleaning Operations and Team Leaders to meet business needs.
• Implement recycling activities and training to meet sustainability commitments.
• Manage stock, materials, uniforms, and equipment; ensure safety and training standards.
• Balance routine cleaning, daily tasks, and reactive requests with proactive prioritisation.
• Provide coaching to maximise team output and service excellence.

Skills

People management

Team leadership

HR policy awareness

Communication

Flexibility

Job description

Delivering an exceptional cleaning operation within the best luxury department store in the world is no small ask and it is the proud responsibility of our Store Services team to achieve this excellence every day.

At the heart of the operation is the Assistant Manager role; a high energy, people‑centric position within the team which drives our ambition forward.

About the Role

Team management is the main purpose of this role. You will be a present and driven leader who will passionately lead your team of 3 direct and 18 indirect reports, ensuring that all people management, performance conversations, upskilling and training is kept up to date.

With a true commitment and dedication to your people, you will be a detailed and curious leader with a genuine interest in what makes your team strive for success.

You must be able to work 5 out of 7 days on a rota pattern – this includes weekends, evenings and bank holidays.

This role is working day shifts 6:00 AM-2:30PM.

Be a present, proactive and driven leader to your team of direct and indirect reports, lead from the front with a clear focus on leading through your people to deliver excellence.

Take full accountability in organising the allocation of the Cleaning Operations and Team Leaders – always reviewing business needs and working on solutions and actions to overcome challenges faced.

Introduce and oversee the recycling activity within the function; training and coaching your team of Operatives to ensure they collect and dispose of waste in line with our sustainability commitments.

Help manage the use of, ordering of and storage of cleaning materials, uniforms and equipment ensuring that they are always safe, available and that the teams are confidently trained.

Pivot the operation between the routine cleaning, the daily work and the reactive needs –constantly reviewing the priorities as the shift unfolds.

Get the very best out of your people with proactive and consistent coaching.

About You

You will have experience as an Assistant Manager in a cleaning environment, or a similar organisation which requires this type of reactive and proactive mentality.

You will be: A manager who spends regular and good quality time at the front of the operation with your operatives and team leaders.

Strong communicator- you are able to really get to the heart of the challenges, issues or problems that an individual or team are facing.

Have a strong HR policy awareness and will enforce and refer to this to ensure we operate what is right for our people at all times.

Welcome, embrace and respond well to the unexpected – anything can happen (and does!) so reactiveness and problem solving is vital.

Demonstrate resilience – this is key, and your calm approach and level thinking are valued.

Fully flexible, you are able to work 5 out of 7 days on a rota pattern – this includes weekends, evenings and Bank Holidays.

About Us

Harrods is one of the world’s leading luxury department stores and we’re becoming a destination for top designers, and the most sought‑after brands from around the globe. Our combined mission is to make visiting our iconic Knightsbridge store one of the world’s most inspiring shopping experiences.

Our Promise to You Help us make the impossible possible for our customers and we’ll do something remarkable for you. As well as offering a friendly environment to inspire your best work, we provide abundant opportunities and support to build an exceptional career across the varied specialisms of our business.

Unikely You Whilst our job adverts outline the ideal qualities, skills, and prior experience for the role, we believe in the potential for growth and value individual strengths.

We celebrate and invite applications from all cultures, backgrounds, tastes, and experiences and are proud of our culture where people from all walks of life can grow and thrive.

What makes you unique makes us exceptional. If you want to know more about our people and our culture, search #TogetherHarrods on LinkedIn, Facebook or follow us on Instagram @togetherharrods

Additional Information

Time Type: Permanent Department: Store Services (Godwin Uzor)

As one of the world’s most prestigious brands, and a highly sought‑after employer within luxury retail, we aim to provide a working environment in which we can exceed both our customers’ expectations and the expectations of each other.

To maintain our high standards, we invest as heavily in our people as we do in our products and store. As well as offering an unforgettable experience for our customers, we offer an exciting, challenging and motivating environment for our employees.

We demonstrate how we value our team through an extensive pay and benefits package, as well as through a number of programmes that reward and recognise employees for exceptional performance.

Our employees can also accelerate their careers through opportunities to work with talented people, development training, and chances to raise their profile in the luxury retail sector.