Cleaning Manager

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

Benefits offered by this job

Permanent position

£40,000 salary

Job summary

Thorn Baker Group is seeking a Cleaning Manager for a large Bedford site. You will take full ownership of the cleaning operation, lead a team of around 40–50 staff, and ensure high standards on a day-to-day basis.

The role is hands-on with a visible leadership approach, requiring flexibility to cover early/late shifts and to drive continuous improvements across the operation. Bedford-based, permanent position with a £40,000 salary.

Qualifications

• Experience managing large cleaning teams (30+ staff).
• Proven leadership and people-management skills.
• Strong organisational and communication skills.
• Proactive approach to maintaining high standards.
• Good Health & Safety knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the whole cleaning operation on site.
• Lead, motivate and support a team of ~40–50 cleaners.
• Plan rotas and ensure adequate staffing levels.
• Carry out quality checks and site inspections.
• Maintain high cleaning standards and presentation.
• Manage client relationships and respond to issues.
• Monitor performance against KPIs and service standards.
• Support recruitment, training and onboarding of staff.
• Manage absence and ensure cover is maintained.
• Address performance issues and drive improvement.
• Ensure compliance with Health & Safety and company procedures.
• Identify opportunities to improve standards and efficiency.
• Collaborate with wider management for smooth operation.

Skills

People management

Leadership

Communication skills

Organisational skills

Health & Safety knowledge

Client management

Hands-on management

Flexibility

Visible leadership

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 £40,000.

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?

• £40,000 basic salary

• Permanent position

• 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

Hours & Working Pattern

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.