Senior Custodian (5116C), Berkeley Dining - #89105

University of California, Berkeley; Berkeley (CA); On-site; USD 39,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

The Senior Custodian at University of California, Berkeley, works to maintain the appearance, sanitation and safety of dining operations within Berkeley Dining. Responsibilities include waste disposal, floor care, and serving-area upkeep as well as supporting beverage machines and equipment.

The role emphasizes teamwork with staff, adherence to sanitation standards, and preparing spaces for meals. UC offers a comprehensive benefits package and a full-time, non-exempt schedule.

Qualifications

• Experience maintaining cleanliness in high-volume dining areas.
• Knowledge of cleaning chemicals and sanitation practices.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and operate custodial equipment.

Responsibilities

• General Cleaning - dispose trash, compost and recyclables; clean and maintain floors and surfaces.
• Maintain service areas during meals; ensure tables and chairs are set and ready.
• Assist in operating and maintaining dish room equipment and cleaning supplies.
• Support in safety and sanitation across dining facilities and equipment.

Skills

Custodial Cleaning

Sanitation Procedures

PPE & Safety

Customer Service

English Proficiency

Job description

About Berkeley

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom, and belonging makes it a special place for students, faculty, and staff, who are among the most talented and accomplished anywhere, including Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and MacArthur Fellows. Since our founding in 1868, we have been an engine for innovation - driving intellectual, economic, and social progress that benefits California, the U.S., and beyond. Together, we change the world.

About Berkeley

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom, and belonging makes it a special place for students, faculty, and staff, who are among the most talented and accomplished anywhere, including Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and MacArthur Fellows. Since our founding in 1868, we have been an engine for innovation - driving intellectual, economic, and social progress that benefits California, the U.S., and beyond. Together, we change the world.

At Berkeley, the best careers are built on a foundation of continuous learning and growth. We actively support professional development by providing all full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours of paid time per year and provide space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups.

We invite applicants who are inspired by our Principles of Community and who are eager to be part of our exciting Strategic Plan, which charts Berkeley's next era of excellence.

Learn more about some of our accomplishments at Points of Pride.

Departmental Overview

In the Division of Student Affairs and under the Residential Student Services Programs portfolio, Berkeley Dining is a self-operated dining program focused on culinary excellence, social responsibility and supporting the living/learning environment of our customers.

With more than 12,000 meal plan holders, Berkeley Dining serves over 5 million meals per year in 14 facilities with a combination of residential "all you care to eat" dining, retail "a la carte" dining, training table, early childhood meal production and catering. Berkeley Dining services the campus seven days per week, seventeen hours per day employing 450 full and part time staff and approximately 400 Cal student workers across multiple locations.

Position Summary

The Senior Custodian maintains the overall appearance, sanitation and safety of dining operations. This position sorts and disposes of garbage, compost and other recyclable materials and breaks down cardboard boxes. The Senior Custodian cleans trash and disposable containers and collection areas, and sweeps, mops, buffs, and vacuums floors in assigned areas. Additionally, this position washes pots, pans, and utensils, operates dish room equipment, sets up tables and chairs in dining rooms and other facilities, and resupplies beverage machines and dispensers.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is: October 9, 2026. For full consideration, please apply on or before the first review date.

Responsibilities

General Cleaning - 60%

• Appropriately disposes trash, compost, recyclables and other garbage from all dining service areas, cleans containers, trash collection areas and loading dock. Hoses out garbage rooms in units that have garbage rooms as needed.
• Sweeps, strips, mops, buffs, waxes and vacuums floors in laundry room, kitchen, dish room, serving line, offices, bathrooms, storerooms and docks.
• Cleans and maintains supplies in all dining service bathrooms.
• Cleans walls, baseboards, mats, drains and vents in kitchen and serving line.
• Cleans glass windows and doors. Cleans entryways and service lines. Spot cleans carpets.
• Washes pots, pans and utensils; puts clean items away. Washes steam jacketed kettles. Operates and maintains pot washing machine, floor scrubber, buffer, water vacuum, vacuum cleaner, steam jacketed kettles, dish machine, portable steam cleaner, mops and brooms.
• Cleans equipment: refrigerators, dish machine, trayveyor, kettles and pots.
• Works and directs staff in dish room and pot-washing areas.
• Power washes carts, docks, trayveyor and dish room.
• Assists in cleaning all food service equipment on a regular basis.
• Safely uses cleaning chemicals.

Customer Service - 20%

• Maintains service and dining areas during meals periods.
• Cleans up spills, keeps floors clear of debris, removes trash.
• Maintains supplies of milk, soda syrup, CO2 and ice.
• Responsible for table and chair set up in dining rooms.
• Establish and maintain positive relations with our customers. Listen, and if possible resolves customers needs and reports them to the manager and/or supervisor.
• Interact enthusiastically and pleasantly with customers and co-workers to ensure a positive interaction and outcome in every interaction.
• Responsible for practicing good stewardship with university and customer resources.

Other Tasks - 15%

• Completes daily, weekly and special projects.
• Assists in maintaining supplies and equipment.
• Assists in identifying and solving cleaning and safety problems.
• Puts away deliveries.
• Breaks down cardboard boxes as needed.

Professional Development and Other Duties as Assigned - 5%

• Professional development and other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Experience maintaining cleanliness and sanitation in a high volume kitchen/dining area.
• Custodial cleaning operation experience, including experience in use of custodial equipment such as buffers and floor machines, power washers, blowers, and vacuum cleaners.
• Knowledge of chemicals used in cleaning.
• Knowledge of sanitation procedures.
• Knowledge of healthy and safe work practices, personal protective equipment (PPEs), and SDS sheets.
• Experience following directions related to job responsibilities and sanitation requirements.
• Excellent customer service skills, which include ability to take customer requests in customer-friendly manner and follow through.
• Must have basic English skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking) and math skills related to the safe and efficient performance of the job.
• Knowledge of food safety and sanitation.
• Basic skill to evaluate, trouble-shoot inquiries, establish priorities, follow plans and complete goals/objectives.
• Ability to lift and carry up to 50lbs.

Salary & Benefits

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

The budgeted hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $28.85, Step 5.

• This is a non-exempt, bi-weekly paid position.
• This is a full-time (40 hours/week) Partial-Year Career position eligible for UC benefits.

Other Information

• This position has 4 openings.
• This is not a visa opportunity. This position does not include sponsorship of a new consular H-1B visa petition that would require payment of the $100,000 supplemental fee.
• This position is governed by the terms and conditions in the agreement for the Service Unit (SX) between the University of California and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). The current bargaining agreement manual can be found at: http://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/labor/bargaining-units/sx/index.html.
• Partial-year appointments are career appointments established with regularly scheduled periods during which the incumbents remain employees but are not at work. These scheduled periods during which employees are not at work are designated as furloughs and are unpaid. Such scheduled periods need not be consecutive in time. Furloughs are not to exceed a total of three months in each calendar year.

Conviction History Background

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

Mandated Reporter

This position has been identified as a Mandated Reporter required to report the observed or suspected abuse or neglect of children, dependent adults, or elders to designated law enforcement or social service agencies. We reserve the right to make employment contingent upon completion of signed statements acknowledging the responsibilities of a Mandated Reporter.

Misconduct

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

Misconduct Means Any Violation Of The Policies Or Laws Governing Conduct At The Applicant’s Previous Place Of Employment, Including, But Not Limited To, Violations Of Policies Or Laws Prohibiting Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, Or Other Forms Of Harassment, Discrimination, Dishonesty, Or Unethical Conduct, As Defined By The Employer. For Reference, Below Are UC’s Policies Addressing Some Forms Of Misconduct

UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy

UC Anti-Discrimination Policy

Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.