Cutodial Manager Job Description

Custodial managers spend much of their day on their feet.

A custodial manager is responsible for supervising a team of janitors and cleaners. Job duties would include coordinating employee schedules, inspecting work to ensure it is done correctly, training and hiring new employees and managing inventory or ordering supplies as needed.

Work Environment

Custodial managers, as well as the janitors they supervise, spend most of their workday on their feet. Some of their tasks, such as cleaning bathrooms may be unpleasant. If a custodial manager works in an office building, he may need to work when the building is mostly empty, which often includes nights and weekends. Custodial managers who work in school settings usually are scheduled during the day but may sometimes need to work long hours or overnights as well. Custodial managers may work with cleaning chemicals that are dangerous or abrasive and may also suffer injuries while on the job. Sometimes their work may entail outdoor maintenance or the operation of machinery. Their jobs may require bending or heavy lifting.

Average Salary

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2008 the average hourly wage for a custodial manager was $16.34. The lowest 10 percent of custodial managers earned just more than $10 an hour, while the top 10 percent earned more than $26 per hour. Custodial managers who were employed by governmental agencies and schools earned a higher average hourly wage than all other custodial managers.

Qualifications

Custodial managers usually need at least a high school diploma and many have completed some college or earned a degree. According to the BLS, custodial managers who were employed by hospitals or hotels in 2008 were more likely to have earned a college degree. This may be because hospitals and hotels are governed by stricter laws regarding sanitation and therefore must have very qualified individuals in place to manage their custodial staff. Most custodial managers have experience working as a janitor before being promoted to a supervisory position.

Certification

A small number of custodial managers may have completed courses in order to become certified. There are two options available for certification. The first option is to become a certified executive housekeeper (CEH), while the second is to become a registered executive housekeeper (REH). The CEH certification is designed for individuals with a high school degree, while the REH is for individuals who have obtained a four-year college degree. In both cases, courses must be attended and exams passed before certification is bestowed on the individual. Those individuals with REH certification are eligible to oversee custodial operations at very large institutions, such as casinos and hospitals.

Job Outlook

Employment of custodial managers was expected to increase 5 percent from 2008 to 2018, according to the BLS. Due to the high turn over in the work force, a steady demand for qualified custodial managers was forecast.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Building Cleaning Workers