About this role
POSITION SUMMARY The Custodial Specialist leads and oversees district-wide custodial operations to ensure all school facilities maintain a safe, clean, orderly, and healthy learning environment. This position is directly responsible for coordinating building coverage across all elementary and secondary facilities, managing substitute custodian dispatching, supervising and evaluating custodial personnel, standardizing sanitation protocols, and conducting regular quality-assurance inspections. ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES 1. District Building Coverage & Operational Logistics
• District Coverage Management: Develop, maintain, and oversee daily shift schedules and coverage plans across all elementary, secondary, and administrative buildings within the school corporation.
• Substitute & Shift Coordination: Manage planned and unplanned custodial absences by deploying floaters, reassigning staff, or dispatching substitute custodians to guarantee every building maintains adequate coverage daily.
• Event & Facility Use Scheduling: Coordinate custodial staffing and setup/breakdown logistics for extracurricular activities, athletic events, school board meetings, and community facility rentals.
• Emergency Response: Serve as an operational point of contact for emergency building coverage, including inclement weather remediation, water mitigation, or urgent facility maintenance needs outside standard hours.
2. Personnel Leadership, Training & Evaluation
• Staff Supervision: Direct, support, and mentor head custodians, shift custodians, substitute cleaners, and seasonal summer maintenance crews.
• Performance Evaluations: Conduct formal annual performance evaluations and ongoing informal observations for assigned custodial personnel in accordance with district policies.
• Onboarding & Professional Development: Design and lead orientation for new hires; deliver ongoing training in cleaning techniques, proper chemical usage (SDS/OSHA), equipment operation, floor care, and safety protocols.
• Performance Management: Collaborate with Human Resources and department leadership to address staff performance concerns, coach employees, and implement corrective action plans as required.
3. Quality Assurance & Facility Standards
• Site Inspections: Perform routine, unannounced building audits across all corporation sites to ensure sanitation, cleanliness, and safety standards are met consistently.
• Protocol Standardization: Standardize cleaning methods, sanitation procedures, and daily check-lists across all buildings to maintain uniform district quality.
• Chemical & Equipment Safety: Oversee the safe handling, dilution, and storage of commercial cleaning chemicals; maintain Safety Data Sheets (SDS) compliance across all facilities.
4. Inventory, Equipment & Administrative Support
• Equipment Maintenance: Inspect and manage regular maintenance and repairs for commercial floor scrubbers, vacuums, burnishers, and pressure washers.
• Supply & Inventory Control: Assist building staff with custodial supply ordering, inventory tracking, and testing of new cleaning supplies or sustainable equipment.
• Record Keeping: Maintain detailed records of shift schedules, building inspection results, equipment maintenance logs, and staff training completion.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
• Operational Leadership: Demonstrated ability to manage multi-site scheduling, balance staffing needs, and maintain decisive operational coverage.
• Supervisory Skills: Strong interpersonal skills with proven capability in employee mentorship, objective performance evaluation, and team building.
• Technical Expertise: Deep knowledge of commercial cleaning methods, floor care (stripping, waxing, carpet extraction), sanitation equipment, chemical safety, and OSHA guidelines.
• Communication: Clear written and verbal communication skills needed to interact effectively with administrators, school staff, custodians, vendors, and community members.
• Problem Solving & Adaptability: Ability to prioritize urgent staffing requests, respond to facility emergencies, and adjust operational schedules under short notice.
QUALIFICATIONS & CREDENTIALS
• Education: High School Diploma or GED required; Associate degree or coursework in facility management, business, or operational supervision preferred.
• Experience: Minimum of 3–5 years of commercial or institutional custodial experience, including at least 2 years in a supervisory or head custodian role (K–12 public education experience strongly preferred).
• Certifications: Valid driver's license with a clear driving record required. Specialized facility or safety certifications (e.g., OSHA 10/30, Certified Custodial Supervisor) are a plus.
• Background Check: Must successfully pass an expanded criminal history background check and child protection registry check per state statutory requirements.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS & WORK ENVIRONMENT
• Physical Effort: Requires standing, walking, bending, stooping, reaching, climbing ladders, and lifting items up to 50 lbs. on a regular basis.
• Environment: Works across multiple district facilities; exposure to commercial cleaning chemicals, dust, noise, variable outdoor weather conditions, and machinery operation.
• Travel: Regular local travel between corporation buildings is required (district vehicle or mileage reimbursement provided).