Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to inclusive excellence and nondiscrimination in its educational program and employment practices and encourages candidates who will further advance the goal of fostering a diverse and inclusive community. As one of the nation’s finest institutions of higher learning, Swarthmore College is global in outlook and draws students from around the nation and world. The 425‐acre campus is a designated arboretum, complete with gardens, rolling lawns, a creek, wooded hills, and hiking trails in the Crum Woods.

The opportunity:

The Custodial Crew Lead provides daily leadership, guidance, and functional supervision to a team of custodians with assigned college buildings and facilities. This position is a working lead role, performing custodial duties alongside the crew while ensuring that all work is completed according to established standards and safety protocols. The lead is responsible for coordinating work schedules, managing supplies and equipment, executing specialized restoration projects, and ensuring continuous service during staff absences and emergencies.

Essential Responsibilities

• Housekeeping and Project Work
  • Takes responsibility for cleaning areas as assigned by supervisors, including filling in for coworkers in cases of illness, vacation, etc., to ensure all areas of campus are kept clean.
  • On a daily basis, collects non-hazardous waste, compostables,  recyclables, and e-waste, empties into designated receptacles, and returns containers to initial locations. Removes stains and soil from receptacles; informs supervisor when receptacles should be replaced. Removes litter from building and furniture surfaces in common-use areas and from floors in private or assigned areas (e.g., offices, research areas).
  • Cleans and disinfects drinking fountains, wash basins, toilets, urinals, showers, and adjacent surfaces, as well as surfaces of furniture, fixtures, walls, partitions, doors, etc. Removes scale, scum, mineral deposits, rust stains, etc., from the insides of toilets and urinals. Cleans floor drains, including removing corrosion and tarnish, and fills with germicidal detergent to prevent the escape of sewer gas.
  • Checks and refills toilet paper, hand soap, paper towel, and toilet seat cover dispensers; removed spillage from soap dispensers and adjacent surfaces. Reports equipment problems (e.g., leaky faucets) to the supervisor in order to initiate repairs.
  • Using cloths or vacuum attachments, removes dust, lint, litter, dry soil, etc. from the surfaces of chairs, telephones, lamps, tables, cabinets, shelves, ledges, window sills, fire extinguishers, counter tops, walls, door frames and sills, pictures, partitions, rails, and other surfaces not considered specialty equipment (e.g., computers, test equipment, typewriters). Spot cleans, as necessary, to remove finger prints, marks, streaks, tape, etc.
  • Cleans chalkboards and erasable pen writing boards and removes chalk dust from chalk trays and erasers.
  • Uses a wet/dry vacuum to remove moisture and a carpet vacuum to remove dry soil from carpeted entrance mats. Removes stains and gummy soil. Shakes, hoses with water, and/or vacuums non-carpeted mats.
  • Uses a vacuum to remove soil and debris from carpets (including carpeted traffic lanes) without moving heavy furniture (e.g., office desks). Moves chairs, trash receptacles, and other items to vacuum underneath; uses crevice or other tools to vacuum edges, corners, crevices, and under low furniture. Uses carpet stain remover and/or other cleaning products to remove stains from carpeted floors
  • Uses dust mop, push broom, and other tools to remove soil and litter from non-carpeted floors. Uses a mop and detergent solution to remove spills and obvious soil from floor, including corners and abutments, to ensure they are free of streaks, litter, and spots. Damp mops as necessary, scrubbing those areas where soil cannot be removed by mopping. Sets up caution signs to provide sufficient warning that floors are wet.
  • Maintains work closets in a clean and organized fashion. Maintains cleaning and other supplies (e.g., paper towels, toilet paper); notifies supervisor when replacements are needed; checks supplies as delivered in order to ensure correct types, amounts, etc.
  • Completely strips all non-permanent floor finish and seals to remove heel marks, scuff marks, rust stains, etc., using either floor machine or manually scrubbing. Applies coats of floor sealant and floor finish. Spray buffs or burnishes floors as necessary.
  • Uses a vacuum to remove soil and debris from carpets (including carpeted traffic lanes) without moving heavy furniture (e.g., office desks). Moves chairs, trash receptacles, and other items to vacuum underneath; uses crevice or other tools to vacuum edges, corners, crevices, and under low furniture. Uses carpet stain remover and/or other cleaning products to remove stains from carpeted floors. Uses extraction and other carpet cleaning equipment to clean entire carpeted surfaces.
  • In all cases involving the moving of heavy floor cleaning equipment in buildings with no elevators, enlists the help of a coworker in order to minimize personal injury or damage to equipment. Removes excess furniture from dormitory rooms during thorough cleanings, either returning it to its proper place or to a trash receptacle.
  • Delivers housekeeping supplies as needed to various buildings on the college campus.
• Supervisory Assistance
  • Serves as back-up for decision-making processes during absences of supervisors. Monitors phone messages, makes work assignments, handles customer relations, carries out instructions left by the supervisors, etc.
  • Assists supervisors with ongoing training of custodial personnel, either by computer assisted learning or on-the-job training; trains new employees on the proper use of equipment; trains current employees on use of new machinery, cleaning methods, and materials (e.g., chemical cleaners).
  • Serves as liaison between supervisors and crew workers, assists supervisors with inspecting buildings to ensure standards are met. · Conducts routine QA inspections of assigned areas to ensure quality standards and safety standards are consistently met.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Serves as a team leader and assists in supervising Environmental Technicians on designated shift.
• Effectively performs the following:
• Organize workflow and ensure staff understand their duties or delegated tasks.
•  Communicate key issues and information to staff.
• Provide fair, constructive, and timely feedback.
• In partnership with Supervisor and Human Resources, follow disciplinary procedures as established in accordance with the employee handbook.
• Participate in supervisory training opportunities.
• Maintain a safe, diverse, and inclusive work environment.

What you bring:

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent is required with three years of job-related experience.
• ISSA Certification at the beginner level preferred or within 60 days. ISSA Certification at the advanced level strongly preferred.
• Advanced knowledge of how chemicals are properly and safely used. Ability to read and understand routine safety and maintenance manuals and Material Safety Data Sheets; ability to handle and use chemicals.
• Must be able to convey information and ideas, and have the ability to train new employees.
• Knowledge of custodial safety procedures.
• Knowledge of proper sanitization methods. Educated in all 3 waste streams (Municipal, Recycling, Compost).
• Ability to read, write, comprehend, and follow verbal and written instructions to interact with students, faculty, and staff.
• Ability to communicate with co-workers with professionalism and respect.
• Must have basic computer data entry skills for email, timesheet, and training.
• Must be effective at listening to and understanding concerns and issues raised by co-workers.
• Ability to work independently and follow through on assignments with minimal direction.
• Ability to adapt to and work in a fast-paced, evolving work environment.
• Excellent time management skills in a fast-paced work environment.
• Must be able to work weekends, holidays, and evening hours as needed.
• A valid driver’s license is required.

Working Conditions

• Must be able to work weekends, holidays, evening hours, and overtime as needed to complete projects, fill in, meet heavy demand, or respond to emergencies.
• Exposure to inclement weather as well as to dirt/dust, chemicals/solvents, and noise.
• Frequently exposed to harsh chemicals and odors.
• Reports for scheduled work shifts in a dependable and timely fashion, to minimize the interruption or delay of regular work output for the department.
• The person in this position is considered essential personnel and is required to be here during weather-related or other emergencies.

Physical Demands

• Using proper ergonomics, lift or move stock or equipment weighing between 50 and 75lbs.
• Possess the physical strength to perform housekeeping duties, including frequently climbing stairs.
• Operate mechanized housekeeping equipment for extended periods; hand, arm, and back strength to operate floor cleaning equipment; manipulate vibrating, hand-held equipment such as vacuum cleaners for an extended period of time
• Ability to carry a back-pack vacuum cleaner.
• Ability to perform kneeling, bending, and squatting motions for an extended period of time

What You Will Get:

You’ll work at one of the world's most renowned liberal arts Colleges, with incredible benefits, a stunning 420-acre campus, and a collaborative work environment. Join a team of passionate, creative people who work hard and have fun supporting the College students, faculty, and staff.

We want to hear from you if you are excited about this role!

The market range for this position is $25.00-$33.00 per hour, which represents the College’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range at the time of posting. The salary offered is determined based on factors including, but not limited to, experience and education of the final selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information.

PA Criminal Clearance Required

Swarthmore College requires a PA Criminal background check for all staff positions prior to the start of employment.

MVR Clearance Required by Position

Due to operating a College owned motor vehicle while performing essential job responsibilities for this position, a motor vehicle report (MVR) clearance is required prior to the start of employment.

Preview our Benefits Flyer. We offer benefit plans starting at zero cost! Upon benefit eligibility, the College contributes 10% of an employee’s salary to their retirement account. Employees are 100% vested in their accounts on the date participation begins.

2026 Swarthmore Benefits Guidebook

Retirement Plans

Tuition Grant Program

Tuition Reimbursement Program

Paid Time Off (Staff)

Holiday Schedule

Swarthmore College is committed to creating a culture of respect and inclusion so that every member of our community feels a sense of belonging. We actively seek and welcome candidates with diverse perspectives and experiences, exceptional qualifications, and a demonstrable commitment to a more inclusive society and world. Swarthmore College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on any identity or characteristic protected by law or College Policy.