Building Technician - Immediate Hire

shiningstarpcs; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

Shining Stars Montessori Academy in Washington, D.C. is looking for a dedicated School Custodian to ensure the cleanliness, safety, and maintenance of our educational facilities. Responsibilities include cleaning, security checks, and minor repairs. Ideal candidates should have a minimum of two years of maintenance experience and the ability to work in a diverse environment.

This full-time position requires morning, afternoon, and evening shifts, with a competitive compensation package and a commitment to an inclusive workplace.

Qualifications

• Experience with culturally diverse families and communities.
• Ability to communicate and maintain good relations.
• Ability to work effectively with interruptions.

Responsibilities

• Ensure cleanliness and sanitation of buildings.
• Perform routine maintenance and inspections.
• Assist in emergency planning and response.

Skills

Cleaning skills

Safety adherence

Lifting and moving ability

Basic plumbing and electrical skills

Education

High school graduation or equivalent

2 years of maintenance experience

Tools

Hand tools

Power tools (provided by school)

Job description

AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF AN ACCREDITED PUBLIC CHARTER MONTESSORI SCHOOL AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY IN WASHINGTON, DC

Job Opportunity: School Custodian

Department: Operations

Reports To: Chief of Operations

Location: Washington, D.C.

School Year: 2025-2026

Start Date: Immediate

Tour of Duty: Monday to Friday (some weekends); Mornings, Afternoons & Evenings

Start Times: Varies but generally start by 6:00 am

Position is available for the morning (6 am start).

Position Summary

The custodian (hereafter “custodian” or “janitor”), in accordance with Shining Stars Montessori Academy Public Charter School’s Facility Maintenance Policy, is responsible for cleanliness, sanitation, security, safety, overall maintenance of the school building, grounds and equipment. The custodian ensures optimal operation of school equipment and ensures the interior and exterior of the school building is clean, safe and sanitary for use by students, staff and visitors.

Duties

The duties required of a custodian include, but are not limited to, replenishing stock in bathrooms, cleaning restrooms, gathering and emptying trash, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, monitoring building safety and security, dusting, washing walls and windows, shampooing rugs, cleaning floors, removing rubbish, and performing routine maintenance activities. The janitor must maintain keys to the various doors to the school building provided to him or her to perform his or her duties. The custodian should be prepared to do things like lifting and moving heavy equipment, materials, or objects, such as, but not limited to, furniture, to reach corners, cracks, and crevices of covered parts of the room. He or she may have to: clean equipment, such as computers and tables; shovel snow, remove ice from walkways, mow and trim/maintain lawns; rake, pile, and discard leaves prior to the start of school and throughout the school day; clean chimneys, flues and pipes with the use of power tools; tend to furnace and boilers; and clean snow and other debris from sidewalks.

Cleaning Functions

1. Sweep, mop, vacuum, scrub, and refinish floors; clean, sand, dust and polish furniture; wash windows and walls; clean bathrooms; dispose of rubbish, change lights, etc.; make certain all areas of the building are kept in a clean, sanitary and orderly condition in accordance with the Facility Maintenance policy.
2. Open the building in the morning to allow students and staff into the school building during operating hours. Evening janitors will follow all established protocols to close the building in the evening.
3. Conduct walk‑throughs of the interior and exterior premises to ensure that the exterior of the school is clean, the interior and exterior of the school building is free of litter, exterior garbage is disposed of per the Waste Management contract, interior garbage cans are clean, trash is removed, and the garbage cans have a new garbage bag. Ensure that bathroom sinks and toilets are in working order. Check the kitchen sink and ensure that it is working properly.
4. Check the temperature in the building and ensure it is appropriate, doors are unlocked, no smell of gas or other bad odors, and take notice of and report issues to the Director of Operations.
5. Ensure safety measures are taken/adhered to during inclement weather, to include shoveling, salting (walkways, steps, and parking spaces), providing slip protection on wet floors, securing against wind damage, snow removal from roofs (to include walkways and parking spaces), remove debris from downspouts when clogged, etc.
6. Apply cleaning chemicals according to established safety procedures and in accordance with the Facility Maintenance policy.
7. Adhere to safety measures for cleaning, lifting, moving, and operating equipment. Perform minor repair and maintenance as authorized by staff.
8. Remove extraneous dirt/markings from interior and exterior vertical/horizontal surfaces (walls, doors, etc.).
9. Advise school management on matters relating to mechanical equipment and/or building maintenance; and when a repair requires a major work from a maintenance contractor.
10. Perform painting to walls, rails, playgrounds and other areas of the school.
11. Keep all equipment in a good state of repair and cleanliness. Ensure the necessary materials and supplies are stocked, and available in the office, classrooms, and kitchen. Ensure items in storage areas are stored appropriately, creating a safe passage to and from the storage area. Items should not be left out; they should be stored in designated areas or locations.
12. Perform plumbing services, as required, to bathroom toilets and sinks, as well as kitchen sink.
13. Perform preventative maintenance and repair required to detect and diagnose minor problems and correct the problems before they become major problems.
14. For maintenance on ceilings and in heavy traffic areas, conduct the maintenance work prior to the start of school, in an effort to reduce accidents involving students and/or personnel.
15. Disassemble defective equipment and repair or replace with the necessary parts. Dispose of faulty equipment with the proper disposal methods/containers. Inform the Director of Operations of repairs needed prior to making the repairs.
16. Climb ladders to replace light bulbs, fix ceiling fixtures, repair minor issues with furniture, walls, etc.
17. Clean up spills, bathroom floods, vomit, bodily fluids, etc. in a safe and timely manner.
18. Monitor the water levels in the water coolers and replace water jugs as necessary.
19. Escort visitors such as postal delivery personnel, maintenance personnel, service technicians, and exterminators to appropriate location for repairs/service/off-loading. Inform the Director of Operations of visitors promptly.
20. Perform other duties as assigned.

Administrative Functions

1. Initiate maintenance service requests according to school procedures and protocols. Follow through to assure that maintenance is performed in a timely manner.
2. Maintain inventory and request cleaning supplies and materials needed to accomplish assigned tasks.
3. Maintain awareness of energy conservation and make suggestions of methods and procedures to conserve energy.
4. Secure equipment and supplies and protect against pilferage, loss, theft, or abuse.
5. Required to follow Board policies and stay abreast of updates and changes.
6. Perform other duties as assigned.

Safety and Security

1. Periodically inspect, or otherwise maintain awareness of, facility and equipment to detect and prevent injuries or damage.
2. Secure school building to ensure proper building security at all times. Lock, secure and code out building at end of shift.
3. Verify that emergency equipment is maintained and repaired as needed.
4. Assist in implementing emergency planning and response.
5. Perform other duties as assigned.

Supervision and Control over the Work

The custodian reports directly to the Chief of Operations, who reports to the Executive Director/Head of School. The school janitor receives day‑to‑day direction and receives specific performance requirements from the supervisor (or a designee) for maintenance/custodial work. The custodian operates within district and federal laws, school policies and procedures, and by applying acceptable custodial standards, Labor and Industry standards, and OSHA standards.

Education and Qualification

• Applicants must have successful experience in working with culturally diverse families and communities or have otherwise demonstrated a commitment to strengthening engagement of a diverse community and skill in communicating with a diverse population.
• Must have a minimum of two (2) years of maintenance experience.
• Graduation from high school or equivalent preferred.
• Must have completed an apprenticeship or the equivalent within the specific trade/craft area.
• The successful applicant will be required to take and pass a drug screening and pre‑employment screening.
• Preference will be given to those applicants who have experience working in occupied buildings, providing support to a full/occupied building and experience with general plumbing, electrical and light HVAC.
• Ability to communicate and maintain good working relations with all employees, vendors, contractors, visitors, and public entities.
• Ability to work effectively in an environment with frequent interruptions, requiring the ability to concentrate and consistently produce accurate work while responding to interruptions and changing priorities.
• The ability to initiate and work with minimal direction, self‑motivated, reliable, detailed oriented, ability to work safely, with particular attention to the health, safety and wellness of students, staff and visitors; sound judgment and decision‑making capabilities are essential.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license, a safe driving record, and be able and willing to operate a school owned vehicle.
• Must adhere to all school policies, procedures and protocols, to include, but not limited to, the Employee handbook.
• Must be able to lift, climb ladders, and work in confined spaces.
• Preference will be given to applicants who have a full set of hand tools. Power tools and safety equipment will be provided by the School.

Physical and Environmental Requirements

• The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to bend, sit, move about, hear and speak. Noise level may be high when operating power equipment. Employee may be required to work in restricted spaces to include crawling and/or climbing as working at heights. Required to stand, be on feet, and move around for a full work shift.
• Ability to work using ladders, scaffolding, and mechanical lifts.
• Ability to spend most of the workday standing, lifting, and walking.
• Ability to lift up to 60 pounds and move heavier materials using appropriate equipment.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Employee is required to properly use safety equipment to effectuate his or her duties, while preventing injury to self or others.
• Ability to communicate in person, by radio, electronically and over the phone.
• Ability to use computer equipment to complete reports, generate service orders, maintain inventories, etc.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee will occasionally work in outside weather conditions. The employee may occasionally be exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals.

Compensation

Compensation is competitive and commensurate of the applicant’s experience and knowledge.

Shining Stars Montessori Academy Public Charter School is an equal opportunity employer. Shining Stars does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities and or operations include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients.