Cleaning jobs in Burnley

Job Overview

Department: Operations
Reports To: Operations Director
Location: Colne Unique House
Employment Type: Full-Time
Salary: £28,800–£50,000 per annum, DOE
Additional Benefit: Company vehicle allowance

Job Purpose

The Operations Manager is responsible for the effective day-to-day management and delivery of commercial cleaning and facilities services across a portfolio of client sites.

The role involves overseeing cleaning teams, supervisors and site managers, maintaining high standards of service delivery, managing client relationships, controlling operational costs and ensuring compliance with all relevant health and safety legislation, company policies and contractual requirements.

The successful candidate will be a proactive, organised and commercially minded leader who can motivate teams, improve operational performance and deliver consistently high standards of cleanliness, service and customer satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities

1. Operational Management

- Oversee the day-to-day delivery of commercial cleaning and facilities management services across multiple client sites.
- Ensure all cleaning contracts are delivered in line with agreed specifications, service level agreements (SLAs) and key performance indicators (KPIs).
- Conduct regular site visits, inspections and audits to monitor service quality and operational standards.
- Develop and implement effective operational procedures, systems and working practices.
- Manage staffing levels, rotas, holiday cover, sickness absence and emergency cover to ensure continuity of service.
- Identify operational risks, resolve service issues and implement corrective actions promptly.
- Support mobilisation of new contracts and ensure smooth implementation of new services.

2. People Management and Leadership

- Manage, support and develop cleaning supervisors, site managers, team leaders and cleaning operatives.
- Ensure all employees receive appropriate induction, training and ongoing development.
- Monitor staff performance, attendance, productivity and conduct.
- Support recruitment, onboarding, performance reviews and disciplinary processes in line with company procedures.
- Promote a positive working culture focused on accountability, teamwork, professionalism and continuous improvement.
- Ensure staffing resources are deployed efficiently to meet contractual and client requirements.

3. Facilities Management

- Oversee facilities-related services associated with client contracts, which may include planned and reactive maintenance, building upkeep, waste management, consumables and contractor coordination.
- Coordinate maintenance requests and ensure issues are logged, prioritised and resolved within agreed timescales.
- Liaise with external contractors and suppliers to ensure work is completed safely, efficiently and to the required standard.
- Monitor the condition, availability and safe use of cleaning equipment, machinery and site facilities.
- Support the implementation of preventative maintenance schedules and effective asset management.
- Ensure facilities services are delivered in accordance with contractual requirements and client expectations.

4. Client Relationship Management

- Build and maintain strong working relationships with clients, contract managers and key stakeholders.
- Act as a primary operational point of contact for service delivery matters.
- Attend client meetings, service reviews and contract performance meetings.
- Respond promptly and professionally to complaints, concerns and requests for additional services.
- Monitor client satisfaction and implement service improvements where required.
- Identify opportunities to strengthen client relationships, improve service delivery and increase contract retention.

5. Health, Safety and Compliance

- Ensure compliance with relevant UK health and safety legislation and company policies.
- Maintain safe systems of work, risk assessments and method statements where required.
- Ensure COSHH assessments and procedures are in place for cleaning chemicals and hazardous substances.
- Ensure employees are trained in the safe use of equipment, chemicals and machinery, including appropriate PPE requirements.
- Monitor compliance with site-specific procedures, security requirements and client policies.
- Report, investigate and follow up on accidents, incidents, near misses and identified hazards.
- Support environmental and sustainability initiatives, including responsible chemical use, waste reduction and recycling.

6. Financial and Commercial Management

- Manage operational budgets and monitor contract profitability.
- Control labour costs, overtime, agency expenditure, equipment costs and consumables.
- Monitor staffing hours against contractual allowances and ensure resources are used efficiently.
- Review operational performance and identify opportunities to improve productivity and reduce unnecessary expenditure.
- Support contract pricing, tender submissions, mobilisation plans and operational costings where required.
- Monitor additional works, variations and out-of-scope requests to ensure these are properly authorised and charged.
- Provide regular operational reports and performance updates to senior management.

7. Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement

- Implement quality control processes and regular cleaning audits.
- Monitor KPIs, customer feedback, complaints and service failures.
- Develop and implement corrective action plans where standards fall below expectations.
- Identify opportunities to improve processes, equipment use, staffing efficiency and service quality.
- Keep operational procedures and records accurate and up to date.
- Promote consistent service standards across all sites and contracts.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Performance will be measured against agreed operational and commercial targets, including:

- Achievement of contractual cleaning and facilities service standards.
- Client satisfaction, contract retention and complaint resolution.
- Labour cost control and contract profitability.
- Staff attendance, retention, training and productivity.
- Completion of site inspections, audits and corrective actions.
- Health and safety compliance and reduction of preventable incidents.
- Effective management of reactive maintenance and service requests.
- Successful mobilisation of new contracts and delivery of service improvements.

Skills and Experience Required

Essential:

- Proven experience in an operations management, contract management or senior supervisory role within commercial cleaning, facilities management or a related service industry.
- Experience managing multiple sites, contracts and operational teams.
- Strong leadership, communication and people management skills.
- Good understanding of commercial cleaning methods, equipment, chemicals and quality standards.
- Knowledge of health and safety requirements and COSHH within a cleaning environment.
- Strong organisational, planning and problem-solving abilities.
- Experience managing staffing, rotas, absence and operational resources.
- Commercial awareness, including labour budgeting and cost control.
- Ability to manage client relationships and resolve service issues professionally.
- Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel between client sites, where applicable.

Desirable:

- Experience managing facilities services alongside commercial cleaning.
- Relevant industry qualifications, such as BICSc training or other recognised cleaning and facilities management qualifications.
- IOSH health and safety training or equivalent.
- Experience with contract mobilisation, tender support and service improvement projects.
- Familiarity with digital auditing, workforce scheduling and facilities management systems.

Personal Attributes

The ideal candidate will be:

- Proactive, hands-on and solutions-focused.
- Highly organised, with strong attention to detail.
- Confident managing teams and holding people accountable.
- Commercially aware and focused on achieving results.
- Professional and customer-focused.
- Adaptable and comfortable managing competing priorities.
- Committed to high standards, continuous improvement and safe working practices.

Working Arrangements

The role will involve regular travel between client sites and may require occasional early morning, evening or out-of-hours availability to support service delivery and resolve operational issues.

Overall Objective

To ensure the successful, safe and profitable delivery of all commercial cleaning and associated facilities services, maintaining excellent client relationships, high operational standards, effective workforce management and sustainable business performance.

Pay: £28,800.00-£50,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person