Cleaning Supervisor

Pedros Chicken; Pinetown; On-site; ZAR 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Pedros Chicken is seeking a Cleaning Supervisor to oversee cleaning, sanitation and food safety across the Distribution Centre. You will lead the cleaning team, ensure SOPs are followed, and maintain Equipment, stock and PPE to support safe, compliant operations.

The role requires strong leadership, training ability, and collaboration with the DC Manager and HODs to drive continuous improvement in hygiene and operational standards.

Qualifications

• Experience leading cleaning teams
• Knowledge of cleaning and sanitation standards and HACCP
• Ability to train and develop employees
• Strong communication and problem-solving skills

Responsibilities

• Oversee cleaning, sanitation and food safety in the Distribution Centre
• Manage daily cleaning operations and ensure SOPs are followed
• Train and develop cleaning staff and TES employees
• Monitor performance, attendance and discipline, and address issues promptly
• Maintain inventory of cleaning chemicals, equipment and PPE and coordinate replacements

Skills

Leadership

People management

Planning

Safety compliance

Communication

Problem solving

Job description

The Cleaning Supervisor is responsible for overseeing the entire cleaning, sanitation, housekeeping and related functions of the Distribution Centre (DC).

The role is responsible for ensuring that all cleaning activities are completed efficiently, safely and to the required company, food safety, hygiene and operational standards. The Cleaning Supervisor is also responsible for leading the cleaning team, managing resources, maintaining compliance, monitoring performance, ensuring adequate stock and equipment availability, and driving continuous improvement within the department.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

GENERAL MANAGEMENT

The Cleaning Supervisor is responsible for:

• Driving Pedros People Values and Leadership Principles across the department, including ensuring that new employees understand and demonstrate these values.
• Ensuring that all relevant Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are understood, implemented and consistently followed.
• Ensuring that all cleaning employees are appropriately trained on SOPs relating to housekeeping, cleaning, sanitation, chemical handling, equipment and safety.
• Identifying operational gaps and implementing corrective actions in a timely manner to prevent recurrence.
• Conducting a daily Vibe session at the start of each shift to communicate priorities, special instructions, problem areas, operational requirements and safety matters.
• Communicating special instructions and operational requirements to the DC Manager, HODs and relevant stakeholders.
• Ensuring that HODs are kept informed of issues, risks, complaints and operational matters affecting their departments.
• Maintaining effective communication between the cleaning team, HODs, management and other relevant departments.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

The Cleaning Supervisor is responsible for the effective management and deployment of the cleaning team, including:

• Preparing daily work schedules and assigning cleaning responsibilities.
• Deploying employees according to operational requirements and workload.
• Managing staff attendance, punctuality, leave and shift coverage.
• Ensuring adequate staffing levels at all times.
• Reallocating duties when employees are absent or operational requirements change.
• Conducting roll calls at the beginning of each shift and immediately reporting attendance concerns to the line manager.
• Monitoring employee performance, conduct, discipline and productivity.
• Addressing poor performance and poor discipline in accordance with company procedures.
• Ensuring that employees comply with company policies, procedures and the disciplinary code.
• Building and maintaining a high-performance team.
• Ensuring that all employees are appropriately trained and competent to perform their assigned duties.
• Ensuring that temporary employment service (TES) employees are suitably trained and integrated into the cleaning operation.
• Maintaining effective employee communication and resolving team-related issues appropriately.

CLEANING, SANITATION AND FOOD SAFETY

The Cleaning Supervisor must ensure that all cleaning and sanitation activities meet company and food safety requirements.

Responsibilities include:

• Enforcing all applicable food safety and hygiene requirements.
• Ensuring cleaning practices support HACCP requirements and other applicable food safety standards.
• Supervising daily cleaning and sanitation activities throughout DC.
• Overseeing deep-cleaning activities and ensuring that all required cleaning steps are completed correctly.
• Supervising the washdown and cleaning of food-processing machinery and equipment where applicable.
• Ensuring that cleaning procedures are completed according to approved SOPs.
• Ensuring that cleaning standards are maintained consistently across all areas.
• Identifying areas requiring additional cleaning and ensuring corrective action is taken immediately.
• Ensuring that cleaning activities do not compromise food safety, product integrity or operational requirements.
• Ensuring cleaning teams maintain the required standards before, during and after operations.

QUALITY CONTROL AND INSPECTIONS

The Cleaning Supervisor is responsible for maintaining high cleaning and housekeeping standards through regular inspections.

This includes:

• Conducting regular inspections of cleaned areas.
• Verifying that cleaning standards meet company requirements.
• Identifying poor cleaning standards and ensuring immediate corrective action.
• Providing feedback to employees where standards are not achieved.
• Following up on corrective actions to ensure issues have been resolved.
• Responding to cleaning and housekeeping complaints received from departments.
• Providing feedback to relevant HODs regarding complaints and identified issues.Implementing solutions to prevent recurring cleaning problems.
• Reporting building damage, maintenance requirements and facility defects to management.
• Supporting internal and external audit readiness.

CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT AND SAFETY

The Cleaning Supervisor must ensure that all cleaning chemicals are handled, stored and used safely.

Responsibilities include:

• Ensuring correct dilution and application of cleaning chemicals and food-safe sanitisers.
• Ensuring employees understand the correct use of all cleaning chemicals.
• Ensuring chemical safety procedures are strictly followed.
• Ensuring Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and relevant chemical information are available where required.
• Ensuring chemicals are correctly labelled and safely stored.Preventing unauthorised or incorrect use of chemicals.
• Ensuring employees use the required PPE when handling chemicals.
• Monitoring chemical usage and identifying excessive or abnormal consumption.
• Ensuring chemical-related incidents are reported and appropriately addressed.

INVENTORY AND EQUIPMENT CONTROL

The Cleaning Supervisor is responsible for ensuring that adequate cleaning stock, consumables and equipment are available.

Responsibilities include:

• Monitoring stock levels of cleaning chemicals.
• Monitoring consumables and paper products.
• Monitoring cleaning tools and equipment.
• Ensuring stock is replenished before minimum levels are reached.
• Requesting or ordering cleaning supplies as required.
• Preventing unnecessary wastage and misuse of cleaning materials.
• Conducting regular inspections of cleaning equipment.
• Ensuring equipment is maintained in good working condition.
• Reporting faulty equipment.
• Arranging repairs or replacement of equipment where necessary.
• Ensuring cleaning equipment is stored correctly after use.

HEALTH, SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE

The Cleaning Supervisor is responsible for ensuring that the cleaning department operates in accordance with all applicable health, safety and company requirements.

Responsibilities include:

• Enforcing all relevant health and safety requirements.
• Ensuring employees wear the correct PPE at all times.
• Ensuring employees are correctly dressed and equipped for their duties.
• Ensuring all cleaning activities are performed safely.
• Identifying and reporting unsafe conditions.
• Taking immediate action where safety risks are identified.
• Ensuring chemicals and cleaning equipment are used safely.
• Ensuring safe chemical storage practices.
• Reporting incidents and ensuring required incident reports are completed.
• Ensuring employees understand relevant emergency and safety procedures.
• Supporting departmental health and safety initiatives.

DOCUMENTATION, TRACKING AND AUDIT COMPLIANCE

The Cleaning Supervisor must ensure that all required cleaning and sanitation records are accurately completed and maintained.

This includes:

• Completing daily sanitation records.
• Completing pre-operational inspection reports.
• Maintaining cleaning checklists.
• Ensuring cleaning and chemical usage trackers are updated daily.
• Ensuring required trackers and records are available on SharePoint.
• Maintaining accurate staff training records.
• Ensuring all required documentation is completed accurately and on time.
• Ensuring records are readily available for internal and external audits.
• Ensuring audit findings relating to the department are actioned and closed within 24 hours of the audit, where applicable.
• Maintaining evidence of corrective actions and complete improvements.

PEOPLE MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

The Cleaning Supervisor is accountable for the effective management and development of employees within the department.

The incumbent must:

• Build and maintain a high-performance team.
• Identify and address poor performance and poor discipline.
• Apply the company's disciplinary code consistently.
• Draft and issue warnings in accordance with company procedures and delegated authority.
• Initiate disciplinary processes where required.
• Ensure continuous departmental training and development.
• Ensure all training is documented.
• Ensure employees remain competent and suitably trained to perform their duties.
• Identify skills gaps and arrange appropriate training.
• Ensure new employees receive appropriate induction and job-specific training.
• Ensure TES employees receive appropriate training before undertaking their duties.
• Approve leave in accordance with delegated authority.
• Ensure sufficient operational coverage when leave is approved.
• Ensure leave forms and supporting documentation are submitted correctly.
• Ensure leave information is communicated to HR.
• Ensure required documentation, including sick notes and leave forms, is appropriately submitted.
• Ensure incidents involving employees are documented and reported to the relevant HOD.
• Conduct shift roll calls and address attendance issues immediately.
• Ensure all employees report for duty on time and according to their scheduled shifts.
• Ensure all employees are in full company uniform, from head to toe, every day.

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

The Cleaning Supervisor is expected to actively manage departmental performance and ensure that operational standards are consistently achieved.

The incumbent must:

• Monitor departmental performance against agreed KPIs.
• Identify performance gaps and implement corrective action.
• Provide regular feedback to employees and management.
• Escalate significant operational issues to the DC Manager.
• Ensure corrective actions are implemented within agreed timelines.
• Monitor recurring issues and implement preventative measures.
• Drive continuous improvement within the cleaning and housekeeping function.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

The successful incumbent should demonstrate:

• Strong leadership and people-management skills.
• Excellent organisational and planning ability.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Knowledge of cleaning and sanitation standards.
• Understanding of food safety and HACCP principles.
• Knowledge of chemical handling and safety.
• Ability to manage cleaning equipment and resources.
• Ability to identify and resolve operational problems.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to manage conflict and employee performance.
• Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced operational environment.
• Strong accountability and ownership.
• Ability to maintain accurate records and documentation.
• Ability to drive compliance and continuous improvement.
• Strong understanding of health and safety requirements.

ACCOUNTABILITY

The Cleaning Supervisor is accountable for ensuring that the Distribution Centre's cleaning and housekeeping function operate effectively, safely and in accordance with company standards.

The incumbent is expected to take ownership of identified problems, implement corrective actions, maintain high standards, and proactively identify opportunities to improve cleaning quality, efficiency, safety, compliance and employee performance.

Failure to maintain required standards, comply with company procedures or effectively manage the cleaning function may result in performance management in accordance with company policy.