Cleaner

Salary: £26,093.00 - £26,093.00  per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 14 May 2026

The Role

Estates & Facilities are a very large multidisciplinary team that look after the development, maintenance, safety and security of over 150 buildings across various sites including a wide variety of world class teaching and research facilities, a range of diverse accommodation for over 3500 students across three student villages as well as caring for our beautifully landscaped grounds. We are also the team at the University responsible for catered halls, great food and drink, conferences and events.

We are looking for candidates who can support us with a variety of cleaning duties, as well as supporting the porter team if required. We are responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of a large number of buildings in our beautiful campus. Our team of over 200 colleagues are responsible for periodic cleaning routines, particularly around frequently touched services as well as deeper cleaning routines.

We are ideally looking for someone who has experience of working as part of a team in a customer focused environment.

This job benefits from Real Living Wage equivalent to £13.52 per hour, plus outstanding pension contributions and full time equivalent of 42 days annual leave (including bank holidays and Christmas close)

We have hours available from 12.5 to 37 hours per week and really need our teams to have a flexible approach to working, working when required on a rota covering the hours of 7am - 11pm, all year round, including some weekends, If this is you we are really interested in hearing from you. Please contact David Bujara, our Building Facilities Supervisor, on 0191 208 6629 for more information.

In addition we recommend and welcome you to join us on our Building Facilities Open Day, Friday 8th May 10am to 2pm, where you will have the opportunity to learn more about the position, meet the teams and enjoy a campus show around. The open day is a relaxed chance designed to bring to life the role and help answer any questions you may have about this opportunity.

Open Day details

Date:Friday 8th May

Time: 10am to 2pm ( please arrive no later than 1pm to be able to get the most from this event)

Location: Newcastle Unnversity, Boiler House, see map link for Boiler House

 Register here.

(*Attendance at this  event is not mandatory, but all welcome.)

To apply for this position , please answer mandatory questions, you are welcome to attach a CV if you have one, but this is not essential .

Interviews are looking to be held week commencing 18th May, if successful estimated to start by early to mid June

*Unfortunately, this role would not qualify for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker Visa route.

Key Accountabilities

• Carry out a full range of cleaning duties across academic, administrative and service areas, following daily and periodic cleaning schedules. Tasks include vacuuming, mopping, dusting, sanitising surfaces, replenishing supplies, and ensuring washrooms, kitchens and communal spaces are kept to a high standard.
• Operate cleaning machinery and equipment such as vacuum cleaners, floor scrubbers, buffers and carpet cleaners, ensuring correct use, basic maintenance checks and safe storage.
• Maintain hygiene and infection‑control standards, including the safe handling and disposal of general and clinical waste in line with Estates & Facilities procedures.
• Support portering tasks where required, including movement of waste bags, distribution of deliveries, and assisting with room setups or minor furniture moves. Ensure all stairways, corridors and fire exits remain clean, clear and unobstructed, reporting any issues promptly.
• Contribute to the overall safety and security of the building, reporting incidents, hazards, maintenance issues or potential breaches of security to the appropriate personnel.
• Respond to emergencies such as spills, flooding or other incidents requiring immediate cleaning or facilities support, taking appropriate action to minimise disruption and maintain safety.
• Follow all health and safety procedures, using chemicals, equipment and PPE correctly always ensuring safe working practices.
• Provide cover for colleagues during absences or peak periods, as directed by the Team Leader, Supervisor and Senior Cleaner, ensuring continuity of cleaning and facilities services.

The Person (Essential)

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in a customer focused environment
• Experience of working as part of a team
• Numerate and literate

Desirable

• Experience of working in an educational or large organisation
• Ability to use rotary floor cleaning equipment

Attributes and Behaviour

• Flexible approach to working
• Demonstrates good communication and interpersonal skills
• Willing to help others and share workloads
• Physically able to carry out the duties of the position – regular bending, lifting, moving furniture, carrying equipment, and moving around a large building or complex
• Willing to undertake work pattern as required by the Service including overtime
• Able to work unsocial hours

Qualifications

Desirable

• BICSc or COPC or similar cleaning qualification

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 29276