INTERNAL ONLY** Lead Custodian Residential (8am - 4:30pm)

University of Kansas; Lawrence (KS); On-site; USD 38,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Kansas in Lawrence seeks a Lead Custodian to supervise custodial staff, lead project and floor care teams, and ensure clean, safe living and learning environments.

Responsibilities include directing training, managing supplies and equipment, operating university vehicles, and ensuring compliance with safety standards. This on-site role requires a high school diploma and custodial experience; KU offers comprehensive benefits and development opportunities.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• One year of custodial work involving floor care and carpet cleaning.
• Valid driver’s license required.

Responsibilities

• Clean and sanitize bath facilities, common areas, entrances, and private living spaces.
• Lead custodial project and floor care teams; train staff as needed.
• Manage supplies, equipment, and inventory; operate university vehicles as required.
• Support safety and quality standards through supervision and training.

Skills

Custodial experience

Leadership

Training

Computer tasks

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Valid driver's license

Job description

Position Overview

*This is an internal search available ONLY to current KU employees*
The Lead Custodian position is responsible for maintaining cleanliness and sanitation across bath facilities, common areas, entrances, and private living spaces, ensuring a safe and welcoming environment. In addition to performing custodial duties, the Lead Custodian provides direction and training to custodial staff, reinforcing workflow and quality standards. They lead project and floor care teams, assist with training, and support staff with computer-based tasks. The position also includes managing supplies and equipment, maintaining inventory, and ensuring proper storage and maintenance. This position requires operation of University vehicles.
Custodial Services within KU Operations plays a vital role in ensuring facilities are clean, safe, and healthy environments in which to live, learn, and work. KU Operations supports KU’s mission of learning, scholarship, and creative endeavor by providing the visible and behind-the-scenes services that make possible the university’s academic and research missions.
KU offers great benefits to employees with up to 176 hours of paid vacation er year, 96 hours of sick leave earned per year, nine paid holidays plus one discretionary day, a retirement program, medical & dental insurance, life and disability insurance, other benefit plan options, and State of Kansas discounts offered by various vendors. KU also offers employees educational and professional development opportunities.
Tuition assistance offers up to 12 credit hours per year for employees and Employee Dependent Tuition Assistance Scholarship (EDTAS) award opportunities! Details available at: https://humanresources.ku.edu/tuition-assistance
KU’s excellence is a result of the rich tapestry of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds of our faculty, staff, students, and colleagues from across our nation and the globe. At KU, we invest in continuous learning and growth by creating a climate where people engage in respectful dialogue and debate and support each other’s success. We foster a culture of care where each person is seen, heard, and valued. When people feel a true sense of belonging, we believe they are better able to reach their full potential and achieve remarkable things.

Job Description

70% - Custodial Duties:

• Bath Facilities: Cleans/sanitizes bath fixtures including toilets, lavatories, floors, mirrors, counter tops, tile walls, partitions, showers, and hardware up to several times daily. Also empties waste cans, sanitary napkin receptacles, and replenishes consumable supplies before supplies are exhausted in the bath areas, up to several times daily. Trash emptying and general cleaning in bath areas requires special care to avoid any blood-borne pathogen exposure (needle sticks, blood, vomit, excrement, etc.). Several cleaning assignments require special training in avoiding biohazards and are followed with specialized chemical treatment of surfaces. All work is performed following standard procedures and safety precautions.
• Common Areas: Vacuums, bonnets, and extracts carpeted floors using semi-automatic equipment. Equipment varies in complexity and danger of operation and mixing chemicals as well as adjustments to manual and auto settings for proper and/or safe operation. Uses specialized tools and equipment to clean hard surface floors in common areas, student rooms, etc., each requiring a range of knowledge of proper care on a variety of hard surfaces, using pail/chemical method and semi-automatic scrubbers that require skills and experience for proper and safe operation. Incumbent cleans public areas by dusting, polishing, and rearranging furniture to standard arrangements; cleaning, inspecting, and adjusting blinds as needed; washing walls, windows, and doors as assigned; cleaning water fountains and emptying non-toxic waste receptacles; and miscellaneous furniture moving and set-up; all following standard procedures and safety precautions.
• Entrances, exteriors, elevators, etc.: On a variety of resilient surfaces, dust mops, scrubs, and burnishes with a variety of specialized equipment. Wet mops spots and stains on tiles areas and floor mats. Spot cleans walls, doors, carpets, jams and kickplates. Washes windows and rails. Dusts and polishes surfaces. Cleans fire extinguisher cases. Cleans display cases, telephones, drinking fountains, etc. Cleans exterior entranceways up to several times daily. Cleans snow and ice. Checks and maintains exterior dock areas, handicap access ramps and equipment elevator cabs and doors, etc.
• Private Living Areas: Prepares empty student rooms for occupants by cleaning and polishing furniture; washing walls, windows, and blinds; cleaning closets, drawers, cabinets, and light fixtures; cleaning and maintaining floor surfaces. Prepares beds by stripping, cleaning, and replacing mattresses as directed. Moves and/or arranges furniture to standard floor plan.

15% - Lead Custodian: The Lead Custodian will provide direction to other employees while performing the same general type and kind of duties. Responsibilities for this position include training and supporting group/team members and helping to ensure that all established quality standards are met. The Lead Custodian will reinforce workflow for the staff and actively participate in the completion of scheduled tasks. All tasks will be completed in a timely, efficient, and safe manner. Lead and work directly with custodial staff assigned to clean & sanitize facilities in an assigned area. Lead custodial project and floor care teams. Instruct and/or train workers as necessary in the use of materials, equipment, methods, procedures, and safety regulations. Assist supervisors conduct yearly targeted training workshops. Assist employees with computer tasks. Participates in training sessions and in- service classes or workshops. Serve as part of the emergency phone rotation, responding to urgent calls outside of normal business hours according to established schedules and protocols.

10% - Supplies, chemicals, and equipment maintenance: Help assure availability of necessary tools, materials and equipment and provide for proper storage. Maintain equipment inventory. Follows safety policies regarding use of supplies, tools, and equipment. Maintain records of equipment. Ensure supply rooms are kept neat and tidy. Take supply inventory. Equipment used ranges from hand tools to more advanced high-speed and semi-automatic cleaning equipment. Performs daily required maintenance on a variety of tools and equipment. Maintains clean, organized, and stocked supply carts/closets, etc. Reports equipment repair and maintenance needs/concerns to supervisor. Mixes caustic and/or toxic chemicals to MSDS specifications to avoid improper use or exposure to self or others. Includes cleaning storage and operation areas.

5% - Other assigned tasks: Performs other duties related to cleaning or maintenance as assigned including working at similar tasks in another facility to cover for absent staff or extra staffing needs. Moves equipment and supplies in and out of campus buildings as directed to clean. Assists with snow removal and surface treatment. May write work orders, estimates of time and materials needed. Inform supervisor regarding work progress and operational problems. Notify supervisor of employee performance and conduct.

Position Requirements

• Lift and/or carry up to 30 pounds frequently and the ability to lift and/or carry up to 50 pounds occasionally with or without accommodation.
• Bend, stoop and/or kneel frequently.
• Physical strength sufficient to stand the strain of working long hours at custodial tasks.
• Work overtime as needed.
• Work under a variety of extreme temperature and weather.

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• One (1) year of custodial work that involves hands on cleaning including floor care (scrubbing, stripping, and waxing hard surface floors) and carpet cleaning using shampooing/extracting equipment.
• Valid driver’s license at time of hire and maintained throughout employment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Custodial experience in large residential or commercial buildings as evidenced by application materials.
• Advanced training in custodial and high-volume cleaning operations as evidenced by application materials.
• Experience interacting with customers and/or the public as evidenced by application materials.
• Leadership experience and/or training as evidenced by application materials.

Additional Candidate Instructions

A complete application will include your current contact information including email and phone number and your previous work experience including dates of employment. Applicants must provide cover letter, resume, and list of three references with contact information in their application materials.
Application review begins Friday, October 23rd. For consideration, please apply no later than Thursday, October 22nd.

• Primary Campus: University of Kansas Lawrence Campus
• Assignment: On-Site
• Reg/Temp: Regular
• Employee Class: B-University Support Staff