Cleaning Manager

Description:

As Cleaning Manager, you will lead the delivery of high-quality cleaning services across multiple buildings at the Royal College of Art, ensuring safe, hygienic, and well-presented environments for students, staff, and visitors. You will oversee operations across varied shift patterns, monitor performance through regular on-site presence, and continuously improve cleaning schedules, workflows, and resource allocation.

You will lead, motivate, and develop supervisors and frontline teams, driving engagement and a high-performance culture while managing recruitment, onboarding, performance, and wellbeing. Alongside this, you will champion sustainability by promoting eco-friendly products, reducing environmental impact, and improving waste management practices. You will also ensure full compliance with health and safety standards, actively managing risk and promoting a strong safety culture across teams.

This role is split across sites at Battersea, Kensington and White City with working hours of Monday to Friday 8am – 4pm.

For more information download a copy of the job description

Essential Criteria
 

• Proven experience managing cleaning operations across multiple sites, buildings, or large teams
• A track record of liaising with a variety of stakeholders.
• Experience implementing health & safety compliance and managing incidents within an operational environment
   

More About You

You will be an experienced operational leader with the ability to manage large, fast-paced cleaning services while balancing multiple priorities and deadlines. You are confident making decisions independently and use data, insight, and problem-solving skills to drive continuous improvement and operational efficiency.

You are also passionate about leading and developing people, creating an inclusive and motivated team culture. With strong organisational and IT skills, you are comfortable managing performance, supporting change, and ensuring high standards of service delivery while keeping the customer experience at the heart of everything you do.

At Places for People we are committed to a safe working environment so a basic DBS check is mandatory.

Benefits

We are a large diverse and ambitious business, which will give you all the challenge you could wish for.

We Know That There's Always More We Can Do To Make You Smile, That's Why We Offer a Comprehensive Benefits Package With Each Role, Yours Will Include:
 

• Competitive salary with regular annual review
• Pension with matched contributions up to 7%
• Bonus scheme for colleagues at 2%
• 35 days holiday (including bank holiday) with option to buy or sell days
• Healthcare cashback plan for everyday medical costs - up to £500 savings per year
• Access to wellbeing support such as counselling and flu jabs
• Private GP and health support services available
• Access to a rewards platform with retail and lifestyle discounts
• Savings on groceries, travel, shopping and home products
• Ongoing training and development opportunities
• Access to professional qualifications and career progression
• Internal development programmes and learning support
• Recognition schemes such as Star Awards and Colleagues Awards
• Strong focus on inclusion, wellbeing and colleague engagement
• Free membership to Places Gyms