Morning Cleaner
Operations Department
£7,956 Per annum, plus annual staff incentive scheme and generous pension.
Based in Piccadilly
About the Royal Academy of Arts and our values.

The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is one of the UK’s foremost arts institutions. We are best known for our programme of world-class exhibitions including David Hockney RA: A Bigger Picture, Ai Weiwei and the recent blockbuster, Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse.

We are an innovative and forward-looking organisation, yet we’re also immensely proud and respectful of our two and a half centuries of heritage. Our mission is to be a clear, strong voice for art and artists and we are leaders in the exhibition, creation and debate of the visual arts. Our staff, volunteers, students and Royal Academicians all share and support this vision, and our values are at the core of all that we do.

About this position

We are seeking experienced Morning Cleaners to join the in-house team which provides a wide range of cleaning and portering services within our Mayfair buildings, Burlington House, the Keeper’s House, 6 Burlington Gardens and the RA Schools, as well as the Annenberg Courtyard in front of Burlington House and the West Yard to the rear.

The duties cover our public, gallery and office spaces and can involve operating heavy cleaning machinery; moving stationery, publications and furniture; setting up rooms for meetings and talks/lectures; cleaning toilet facilities, and generally providing operational support as and when required.

About you

You will need relevant experience, particularly with industrial cleaning equipment and, preferably, gained in a listed building open to the public. You will need to have high standards of performance, be a strong team player, flexible, adaptable and willing, on occasion, to work additional hours in order to complete tasks.
How to apply
You will find further details about this position in the Current Vacancies and How to Apply section of the Careers page on our website http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/careers.

Closing date for applications: Tuesday 06 March 2022 (midnight)
Applications will be reviewed and shortlisted on a rolling basis until the closing date.

Job description

JOB: Morning Cleaner
Main objective

To undertake a range of cleaning and portering tasks, as directed the Supervisor (Cleaning and Portering Team), to the standard required throughout Burlington House, the Courtyard, RA Schools and 6 Burlington Gardens.

Main duties

1. Work co-operatively with the Help Desk to undertake jobs in accordance with set priorities; ensure that the Supervisor is kept fully informed about issues and requirements as they arise, and when jobs are completed.

2. Undertake specific cleaning tasks in accordance with set standards and work schedules. Duties to include: operating heavy cleaning machinery; cleaning offices, public areas and toilet facilities etc.

3. Use specialist machines and cleaning materials in accordance with health and safety instructions.

4. Conform to health and safety standards / instructions / regulations.

5. Lay out requirements for meeting rooms, seminars, lectures etc, in accordance with instructions.

6. Deliver stationery, equipment and supplies, as requested.

7. Report accidents, near-misses, breakages and potential dangers and hazards in accordance with health and safety rules and regulations.

8. Report sightings of mice, rats, etc. To Supervisor and Health and Safety Officer.

9. Comply with all relevant Health and Safety policies, procedures and regulations and takes appropriate and reasonable care for the safety of colleagues and visitors to the Academy.

10. Undertake any other duty which may reasonably be allocated by the Supervisor or other senior officer.

Person specification

Essential and desirable qualities and skills.

• Excellent understanding of health and safety rules and regulations as they relate to cleaning (e.g. COSHH).

• Extensive experience of cleaning and portering work: including use of specialist machines, understanding of correct use of cleaning materials and health and safety rules, ability to follow instructions. experience of working in a listed building would be an advantage.

• Positive approach to work, ability to ascertain nature of requirements and willingness to help, with a polite and courteous manner.

• Cooperative approach – ability to work closely with Supervisor, Operations Department and across the Academy.

• Commitment to achieving and maintaining high standards of cleanliness and professional standards.

• GCSE English or equivalent / solid understanding of written English and ability to communicate with fluency.

• Adaptable and flexible, able to work a 15-hour week on a 5 day Rota basis, the core hours being 6.30am – 9.30am. Able to fulfil an occasional requirement to work overtime – in the evenings and at weekends and to alter core hours to achieve adequate cover of departments’ commitments.

• A good team player with the ability to respond to unexpected and urgent requests.

• Interest in visual arts and a commitment to the work of the Royal Academy.