Area Manager – Commercial Cleaning

Total Group; Auckland; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company vehicle

Job summary

Total Group in Auckland is seeking an Area Manager to oversee a portfolio of commercial cleaning sites. You will lead on-site teams, coach staff, and ensure consistent service delivery across multiple locations.

You will spend substantial time on-site, including evenings, to manage performance, safety, and client expectations while working with an experienced operations team to keep sites running smoothly.

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing operational teams, ideally across multiple locations.
• Confidence managing staff performance and resolving workplace challenges.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to work independently.
• Practical, solutions-focused approach and good attention to detail.
• Clear communication, good listening skills and sound judgement.
• Flexibility to work regular evenings as part of your working week.
• A full, clean New Zealand driver's licence.

Responsibilities

• Leading, coaching and supporting cleaning teams across multiple sites.
• Being regularly present onsite, including evenings when most of our cleaning services are delivered.
• Monitoring cleaning standards and ensuring issues are identified and resolved.
• Managing labour budgets, quality inspections and operational compliance.
• Taking ownership of operational challenges and following through on solutions.
• Building professional relationships with clients and ensuring service expectations are met.

Skills

Operational team management

Staff performance management

Multisite leadership

Strong communication

Problem solving

Job description

Great cleaning operations don't happen by accident. They need great managers.

We're looking for an Area Manager who enjoys being where the action is - out on site, working with their teams, solving problems and making sure things run as they should.

This isn't a role for someone who prefers managing everything from behind a desk. We want someone who knows their sites, knows their people and takes pride in delivering a consistently high standard of service.

The Role

You'll take responsibility for an established portfolio of commercial cleaning sites across Auckland, managing the people, performance and day-to-day operations that keep everything running smoothly.

You'll have the autonomy to manage your portfolio, supported by an experienced operations and administration team.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading, coaching and supporting cleaning teams across multiple sites.
• Being regularly present onsite, including evenings when most of our cleaning services are delivered.
• Monitoring cleaning standards and ensuring issues are identified and resolved.
• Managing staff performance, attendance, rostering and training.
• Taking ownership of operational challenges and following through on solutions.
• Building professional relationships with clients and ensuring service expectations are met.
• Managing labour budgets, quality inspections and operational compliance.

Who We're Looking For

We're less interested in how well you can talk about management and more interested in how you actually manage.

You'll be someone who listens, asks the right questions, makes sound decisions and gets things done.

You don't wait for problems to become complaints. You notice what's happening, take action and follow through.

You're comfortable having difficult conversations when needed, but you also know how to support, encourage and get the best out of your people.

You'll bring:

• Proven experience managing operational teams, ideally across multiple locations.
• Confidence managing staff performance and resolving workplace challenges.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to work independently.
• A practical, solutions-focused approach and good attention to detail.
• Clear communication, good listening skills and sound judgement.
• Flexibility to work regular evenings as part of your working week.
• A full, clean New Zealand driver's licence.
• Experience in commercial cleaning or facilities management would be an advantage, but we're equally interested in candidates from other service industries who understand what good operational leadership looks like.

Why Join Us?

You'll have the opportunity to take real ownership of your portfolio, make decisions and see the results of your work.

We offer a company vehicle, an established client portfolio, support from an experienced management team and a varied role where no two days are quite the same.

Ready to Take Ownership?

If you're the kind of manager who would rather be out with your teams making things happen than sitting behind a desk talking about what needs to be done, we'd like to hear from you.