Caretaker - Detailed Cleaner

University of Georgia; Athens (GA); On-site; USD 22,041 - 24,796; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits Eligible

Retirement Plan: TRS

Job summary

The University of Georgia is seeking a Caretaker - Detailed Cleaner primarily responsible for maintaining cleanliness in patient facilities within the Vet Teaching Hospital. Tasks include cleaning service areas, transporting animals, and ensuring sanitation protocols are followed.

This position requires a high school diploma, animal handling experience, and the ability to perform manual tasks. The role is full-time with hourly wages starting at $16.92. Benefits are included, and the work environment is dynamic and engaging.

Qualifications

• Comfortable in handling and working with large and small animals.
• Ability to maintain sanitation techniques for both large and small ruminants.
• Ability to stand for long periods and work well with a variety of staff.

Responsibilities

• Maintain cleanliness in the Vet Teaching Hospital including floors and service areas.
• Transport unowned animals to the county animal shelter.
• Perform daily and weekly cleaning tasks as outlined.

Skills

Animal handling

Sanitation techniques

Manual dexterity

Teamwork

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Job description

Position Title

Caretaker - Detailed Cleaner

Posting Details

• Posting Number: S15339P
• Post Type: External
• Classification Title: Animal Care Technician I
• Employment Type: Employee
• FLSA: Non-Exempt
• FTE: 1.0
• Full/Part Time: Full Time
• Benefits Eligibility: Benefits Eligible
• Retirement Plan: TRS
• Posted On: 06/23/2026
• Proposed Start Date: 08/02/2026
• Location: Athens Area
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
• Salary: $16.92 per hour

Equal Opportunity Employment

The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or veteran status or other protected status. Persons needing accommodations or assistance with the accessibility of materials related to this search are encouraged to contact Central HR ([e-mail]).

Minimum Qualifications

High school diploma or equivalent

Preferred Qualifications

This position is located primarily in the Large Animal hospital taking care of stalls for discharged large animals and preparation for new patients. Some cross training into small animal hospital when needed to cover a shift. Preferred experience in a farm animal environment with proven experience driving a regular truck and forklift. Experience having worked in an Infectious Disease environment where deep cleaning and sanitation was required.

Position Summary

This work involves the cleaning and maintenance of patient facilities in the Vet Teaching Hospital. This position will follow a daily and weekly schedule and perform detailed tasks to include cleaning of service area floors including mopping, picking up laundry, stocking and distribution of food, cleaning drains, vacuuming, pressure washing, waste removal, using chemicals to disinfect equipment and surfaces, maintaining the appearance of concrete walkways of the outside barns using a backpack blower and pressure washer. This position picks up orders from a local company, replenishes gas in tractors, carts, and trucks used by the hospital, orders and stocks/distributes shavings with assistance from the lead caretaker. This position transports unowned animals brought to the hospital to the county animal shelter.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and/or Competencies

Be comfortable in handling, upkeep, and working in close proximity with large and small animals. Ability to maintain sanitation/disinfection techniques for large animals and small ruminants. Ability to stand for long periods, and to work well interpersonally with a variety of staff, students, and doctors.

Physical Demands

• Lift and carry up to 75 pounds.
• Sit, stand, stoop, bend, and walk intermittently during the day on hard floor surfaces.
• Manual dexterity sufficient to accurately work with small, delicate pieces of equipment or large heavy objects/containers/machinery.
• Work for long periods with arms extended.
• Work with cleaning equipment and chemicals.
• Work within an environment with potential exposure to zoological diseases and has high levels of animal sounds, bodily fluids that need disposal, and open wound management.
• Driving to perform job related duties.

Additional Position Information

Driving is a responsibility of this position: Yes.

Position of Trust: Yes.

Financial Resources Control: No.

P-Card required: No.

Employee may have direct interaction or care of children under the age of 18 or direct patient care: Yes.

Security Access (public safety, IT security, personnel records, patient records, or access to chemicals and medications): Yes.

Duties / Responsibilities - Small Animal Detailed Cleaning

Daily Tasks:

• Check service area floors, treatment areas, cage, and run floors.
• Wards hallway floor.
• Perform laundry pick up.
• Stock and distribute Small Animal food.
• Wipe down scale in wards hallway.
• 24-hour unit floors.

Weekly Tasks:

• Clean drains behind runs following a rotating schedule to ensure that drains are cleaned once per week.
• Vacuum or dust vents following a rotating schedule to ensure each area is cleaned on a weekly basis specifically the areas where animals are being held.
• Dermatology service cleaning.
• Remove waste from the dog walk area followed by pressure washing area.

Duties / Responsibilities - Large Animal Detailed Cleaning

Daily Tasks:

• Perform the Necropsy run for Large and Small Animal units.
• Change out mop water, rinse mop buckets, and change mop heads (as needed and check daily).
• Vacuum/sweep barn aisles.
• Distribute hay/feed including round bales in paddocks.
• Sweep and disinfect scales.
• Clean exam rooms (when unoccupied) concluding with colic exam rooms.
• Clean/disinfect door handles, door buttons, and countertops.

Weekly Tasks:

• Assist with barn aisle cleaning to include scrubbing with detergent and running floor machine, or Rescue/rinse/squeegee a minimum of 2-3 times per week.
• Redistribute water buckets and feed pans to barns as needed following color codes to reflect biosecurity.
• Clean inside drains following a rotating schedule to ensure that each barn is done on a weekly basis.
• Clean up outside of barns, especially Isolation barn.
• Change mop water/mop heads in Large and Small Animal units.
• Clean feed bins.
• Disinfect and replace cleaning tools as needed in barns to include brooms, shovels, picks, squeegees.
• Using a backpack blower, clean walkways outside of barns followed by pressure washing as weather permits.
• Following a weekly rotating schedule, clean the inside drains of barns.
• Remove cobwebs from barns following a weekly rotating schedule.
• Pick up the Bar G Order on Tuesday (order to be placed Thursday).
• Replenish gas tanks for Large Animal tractors and carts.
• Replenish gas for work trucks.
• Transport unowned animals brought to the hospital to the county animal shelter.
• Order, stock, and distribute shavings. Lead caretaker to assist with distribution.
• Restock shavings bays for Healthy, Colic, and Isolation barns.
• Test/calibrate Rescue wall stations monthly.