Cleaning Manager

Thorn Baker Recruitment; Bedford; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

Thorn Baker Recruitment is seeking an experienced Cleaning Manager for a large Bedford site. You will lead a team of 40-50 staff, maintain high cleaning standards, and own day-to-day service delivery on site.

The role is hands-on and customer-facing, with early/late shift flexibility and the chance to shape operational performance in a busy environment. Salary is £40,000 per year plus opportunities for progression.

Qualifications

• Experience managing large cleaning teams (30+ employees).
• Proven ability to lead, motivate and develop staff.
• Strong knowledge of Health & Safety regulations and standards.
• Ability to perform regular quality checks and site inspections.

Responsibilities

• Manage the day-to-day cleaning operation across the site.
• Lead, motivate and support a team of 40-50 cleaning employees.
• Plan rotas and ensure appropriate staffing levels.
• Carry out regular quality checks and site inspections.
• Maintain high cleaning and presentation standards.
• Manage client relationships and respond to issues.
• Monitor performance against KPIs and service standards.
• Support recruitment, training and onboarding of cleaning staff.
• Manage absence and ensure adequate cover.

Skills

Team leadership

People management

Health & Safety

Quality checks

Site management

Rotas planning

Job description

New Permanent Opportunity - Cleaning Manager - Bedford - £40,000

Are you an experienced Cleaning Manager looking for a new challenge? Would you like the opportunity to take full ownership of a large cleaning operation, leading a team of around 40-50 employees and ensuring consistently high standards across the site?

We are currently recruiting for an experienced Cleaning Manager to take responsibility for a large site in

Bedford, offering a salary of

This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys being hands-on, visible and involved in the day-to-day running of a busy operation. You'll be responsible for managing a team of approximately 40-50 cleaning staff, maintaining standards, driving performance and working closely with the client and wider management team.

What's in it for you?

Standard working hours of 8:00am - 5:00pm with flexibility required

Responsibility for a large site in Bedford

Management of a team of approximately 40-50 cleaning employees

Opportunity to take full ownership of site standards and performance

Supportive management team

Varied and fast-paced working environment

Opportunity to develop and progress within a well-established business

A role where you can make a genuine impact on the operation and the team

Your Role

As Cleaning Manager, you'll be responsible for the overall cleaning operation at the site, ensuring excellent standards are maintained and the team is well managed, motivated and appropriately resourced.

You'll be a visible presence on site, building strong relationships with your team and client while taking ownership of the overall service delivery.

Your responsibilities will include:

Managing the day-to-day cleaning operation across the site

Leading, motivating and supporting a team of approximately 40-50 cleaning employees

Planning rotas and ensuring appropriate staffing levels

Carrying out regular quality checks and site inspections

Maintaining consistently high cleaning and presentation standards

Managing client relationships and responding to any issues or requirements

Monitoring performance against KPIs and service standards

Supporting recruitment, training and onboarding of cleaning staff

Managing absence and ensuring adequate cover is maintained

Managing team performance and addressing issues effectively

Ensuring compliance with Health & Safety and company procedures

Identifying opportunities to improve standards, efficiency and service delivery

Working closely with the wider management team to ensure the smooth running of the operation

Taking ownership of problems and ensuring they are resolved quickly and effectively

Building a positive team culture and ensuring employees feel supported and engaged

The standard working hours for this role are 8:00am - 5:00pm, but dropping onto an early or late shift where required.

This is a hands-on management role, so flexibility is important. While 8:00am-5:00pm will be the normal working pattern, the successful candidate will need to be comfortable occasionally starting earlier or finishing later when required.

This could include dropping onto an early or late shift to spend time with the cleaning team, understand the challenges they are facing, support the operation and ensure standards are being maintained across all shifts.

We are looking for someone who wants to be visible and involved, rather than simply managing the operation from an office.

About You

We're looking for an experienced cleaning professional who is confident managing a large team and taking ownership of a busy site.

You’ll ideally have:

Previous experience as a Cleaning Manager, Cleaning Supervisor, Contract Manager, Site Manager or similar

Experience managing large cleaning teams, ideally 30+ employees

Strong leadership and people-management skills

Excellent organisational and communication skills

A proactive approach to maintaining high standards

Experience within facilities management, retail, logistics, hospitality, leisure, manufacturing or another large-scale operational environment would be advantageous

A good understanding of Health & Safety and cleaning standards

Strong client and stakeholder management skills

The ability to manage performance and deal confidently with people issues

A hands-on and visible management style

The flexibility to occasionally work outside of standard hours when the operation requires it

A reliable, professional and proactive approach

Most importantly, we're looking for someone who leads from the front. You’ll be managing a team of around 40-50 people, so being visible, approachable and willing to spend time with the people delivering the service every day is essential.

Location

Bedford

This is a large-scale, single-site role, giving you the opportunity to build strong relationships with your team and client while taking real ownership of the cleaning operation.

If you're an experienced Cleaning Manager looking for a stable permanent role in Bedford paying £40,000, with responsibility for a team of approximately 40-50 employees and the opportunity to make a real impact, we'd love to hear from you.