Custodian (General Interest)

BOF The Barack Obama Foundation; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 23,419 - 31,684; Full time

Job summary

The Barack Obama Foundation is seeking a Custodian for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago's Jackson Park. This in-person role involves executing routine and specialized cleaning to maintain public spaces, classrooms, and event areas, while upholding safety and sustainability standards.

You'll report to a Custodial Team Lead, wear a provided uniform, and work flexible hours across campus, including mornings, evenings and weekends.

Qualifications

• Stand and walk for extended periods.
• Work independently and as part of a team.
• Experience or interest in facility maintenance at cultural institutions, universities, or hotels.
• Commitment to the Obama Presidential Center mission and an inclusive environment.
• Flexible hours including early mornings, late nights, weekends and holidays across campus.
• Ability to work at the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park and/or other Obama Foundation locations in Chicago.

Responsibilities

• Maintain cleanliness of public spaces and staff areas to reflect the Center’s mission.
• Follow cleaning schedules, manage inventory, and report issues to supervisors.
• Respond to custodial emergencies and uphold safety and OSHA standards.
• Assist with events set up and breakdown and ensure sustainability practices are followed.

Skills

Stamina

Teamwork

Flexibility

Attention to detail

Job description

Purpose of the Role

We\u2019re continuously accepting applications for our active openings over the next few months! We can\u2019t wait to see how your unique skills and perspective can help our mission thrive as we grow.

The Custodian will be responsible for executing both routine and specialized cleaning plans for the facility and surrounding campus to ensure the safety and well-being of all guests and staff. During each shift, the Custodian will wear a uniform provided by the Obama Presidential Center. This position will be assigned a designated coverage area, though assignments may change based on campus needs and shift requirements. As a Custodian for the Obama Presidential Center, you will be reporting directly to a Custodial Team Lead, who will also provide day-to-day support.

Core Job Responsibilities

Ensure Obama Presidential Center public spaces uphold cleanliness and sanitation standards as a direct representation of the Center’s mission. Actively protect upkeep of Obama Presidential Center grounds and surfaces within assigned campus area, including floors, counters, walls, and high-touch surfaces. Utilize the work order system to efficiently carry out cleaning schedules, receive real-time alerts for urgent cleaning tasks, manage inventory, and equipment status; ensuring complete transparency and accountability. Respond promptly to custodial emergencies (e.g., spills.), minimizing disruption to museum operations and visitor experiences. Uphold industry standards and operating procedures for safe work environments, including OSHA compliance while maintaining professional interaction with staff and visitors. Contribute to a welcoming and inclusive environment for Obama Presidential Center guests.

Key Deliverables / Outcomes

Sanitize all assigned public and staff spaces; including but not limited to museum exhibits, classrooms, programming rooms, performance spaces, and presidential rooms. Ensure that practices adhere to APPA Level 1 cleanliness standards and sanitation practices as well as the Center’s mission and sustainability practices. Clean and maintain restrooms and other facilities within the assigned campus area, ensuring restocking of supplies and timely waste disposal, while adhering to the museum\u2019s sustainability guidelines. Assist in the setup and breakdown of special events, ensuring custodial and sanitation duties are completed efficiently. Perform routine checks on custodial equipment, promptly reporting damages or malfunctions to supervisors for repair or replacement. Participate in ongoing training and certification programs to continuously improve cleaning techniques, safety protocols, and sustainability practices, ensuring alignment with the Center\u2019s goals for health, safety, and environmental stewardship. Utilize digital work order and asset management systems to manage tasks, track inventory, and complete assignments efficiently and on time. Replace or replenish supplies across public spaces including restrooms and refuse receptacles.

Required Qualifications

Ability to stand and walk on foot for extended periods of time. Able to work independently and as part of a team, addressing problems appropriately and elevating to team leads as needed. Experience or interest in facility maintenance, particularly at a cultural institution, university, or hotel. Commitment to the Obama Presidential Center mission and an inclusive environment. Flexibility of hours including but not limited to early morning, late night, weekends, and holidays across campus in both indoor and outdoor environments. Ability to work out of the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park and/or other Obama Foundation locations in Chicago. The pay rate for this role is $20.50/hour. For an overview of our benefits package, including insurance, paid time off, retirement & more, please visit https://www.obama.org/careers/. This is an in-person role based at the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park. Don\u2019t check off every box in the requirements listed above? Please apply anyway! If you\u2019re excited about this role but your past experience doesn\u2019t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to still consider submitting an application. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings!

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Foundation is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. The Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please e-mail us at [e-mail] if you require a reasonable accommodation to complete this application. The Obama Foundation will never ask for payment or personal financial information during the hiring process or training. All official job postings are listed and should be applied to at obama.org/careers. If you suspect a scam, please document details about the scam and report this information to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. You may reach out to [e-mail] to verify job posting validity or for support.

At the Obama Foundation, we are guided by a core belief: that ordinary people working together can change history. Our mission is to inspire those people to take action, empower them to change their world for the better, and connect them so they can achieve more together than they can alone. We were founded by community organizers, so when we seek change, we do it by bringing people together. That approach begins at home, on the South Side of Chicago, where we are building the Obama Presidential Center. The Center represents a historic opportunity for Chicago: a chance to build a world-class museum and public gathering space that celebrates our nation’s first African American President and First Lady, steps away from where he began his career, where she was raised, and where—together—they made their home. But that approach extends to all our work, whether it’s holding leadership training sessions in communities throughout the U.S., bringing local leaders together in countries around the world, working to support the global education of girls, or ensuring young men of color have pathways to opportunity. As President Obama has said, “we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together.” So join us. For more information, please visit www.obama.org.