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 Supply & Project Coordinator provides services to ensure a clean and environmentally healthy campus. Tasks performed include safe driving, purchasing, and picking up supplies, supply inventory, par-levels, zero-waste initiatives, and projects, faculty housing duties, daily trash removal; cleaning and disinfecting bathroom fixtures and furniture; dusting, vacuuming, and cleaning both carpeted and non-carpeted floors and mats; maintaining bathroom paper and other supplies; helping supervisors communicating with employees about daily work assignments, assisting with training, and assisting with customer service issues.

Essential Responsibilities

Supply and Project Coordination

• Deliver and pick up supplies. Serve as the primary driver of the supply van.
• Assist supervisor with small orders that require purchasing,  pick up, and delivery. 
• Perform zero-waste initiatives (2 hours per week), small signage repairs and replacement, and placing and lining waste bins. Remove stains and soil from waste bins and inform supervisor when bins should be replaced.
• Responsible for 15% of faculty housing projects. Cleans houses when faculty and staff move out, including general maintenance and painting.

General Environmental Services

• 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.
• Daily, collects non-hazardous waste, compostables, recyclables, and e-waste, empties into designated receptacles, and returns containers to initial locations. Removes litter from building and furniture surfaces in common-use areas and from floors in private or assigned areas (e.g., offices, research areas). 10%
• 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 towels, and toilet seat cover dispensers; removes 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, remove dust, lint, litter, dry soil, etc. from the surfaces of chairs, telephones, lamps, tables, cabinets, shelves, ledges, window sills, fire extinguishers, countertops, 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 fingerprints, marks, streaks, tape, etc.
• Cleans erasable pen writing boards and chalkboards 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 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 the 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 to ensure correct types, amounts, etc.
• Completely strip all non-permanent floor finishes and seals to remove heel marks, scuff marks, rust stains, etc., using either a floor machine or manually scrubbing. Applies coats of floor seal and floor finish. Spray buffs or burnish 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, enlist the help of a coworker 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 as directed.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Supervises 2-6  Environmental Technicians assisting with special projects.
• Assists supervisor with ongoing training of custodial personnel, using computer-assisted learning and/or on-the-job training; trains new employees on the proper use of equipment; trains current employees on the use of new machinery, cleaning methods, and materials (e.g., chemical cleaners).
• Serves as liaison between supervisors and crew workers (9 to 15 Environmental Technicians per crew) and assists supervisors with inspecting buildings to ensure standards are met.
• 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.
• Must be able to convey information and ideas and 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 and understand routine safety and maintenance manuals and Material Safety Data Sheets; ability to handle and use chemicals.
• 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.
• Must be able to work weekends, holidays, and evening hours as needed.
• A valid driver’s license is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous supervisory experience.
• Knowledge of minor repairs for janitorial equipment.

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

• Ability to move, position, transport, and place objects up to and including 50 pounds is required.
• Frequently involves pushing, pulling, lifting, grasping, holding, carrying, reaching, reaching above the shoulders, stooping, bending at the waist, bending at the knees, kneeling, bending side to side, crouching, standing on step stools or small ladders and balancing.
• A high level of productivity is expected; work is often fast-paced.

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 $24.00 - $30.00 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.