Custodian

Physical Plant (NW-PHYP-IUNWA)

The Physical Plant Department at Indiana University (IU) Northwest is responsible for maintaining a safe, clean, and welcoming campus environment for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. The department supports the university's academic mission by ensuring campus facilities, classrooms, offices, laboratories, and common areas are maintained to a high standard of cleanliness, safety, and operational readiness.

Custodial staff play a vital role in daily campus operations by supporting building sanitation, facility upkeep, and campus safety. This position collaborates with facilities staff and campus partners to ensure that IU Northwest provides a professional, well‑maintained environment that supports learning, teaching, and community engagement.

• Maintains the cleanliness and sanitation of academic buildings, offices, classrooms, laboratories, restrooms, and common spaces across the IU Northwest campus.
• Supports campus events and activities by assisting with room setup, breakdown, and cleaning as needed.
• Monitors building conditions and reports maintenance issues, safety hazards, or facility concerns to supervisors.
• Ensures cleaning supplies and equipment are maintained and used in accordance with university safety guidelines.
• Assists with campus seasonal operations, including snow removal, ice treatment, and inclement weather response.
• Follows university sanitation standards and safety protocols, including proper handling of cleaning chemicals and equipment.
• Provides courteous customer service to faculty, staff, students, and visitors when working in occupied spaces.

• Cleans floors, ramps, and stairs by sweeping, wet mopping, dust mopping, scrubbing, or vacuuming. Serves, cleans, and supplies restrooms. Gathers and empties recycling and trash.
• Cleans and polishes fixtures. Replaces light bulbs. Cleans windows, glass partitions, and mirrors using soapy water or other cleaners. Mixes water and detergents or acids in containers to prepare cleaning solutions, according to specifications.
• Dusts furniture, walls, machines, and equipment. Steam‑cleans or shampoos carpets. Strips, seals, finishes, and polishes floors. Cleans, replaces, and hangs blinds, drapes, and entrance mats. Collects and delivers soiled items.
• Clears sidewalks, drives, and adjacent areas. Shovels snow.
• Locks, unlocks, and secures buildings. Maintains awareness of building safety facilities, reports abnormalities or security concerns. Identifies and reports needed building repairs.
• Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned; assists with snow removal activities as necessary.

• General knowledge at the high school level.

• High school diploma or equivalent (such as HSED or GED).

• Custodial experience.
• Previous custodial, janitorial, or building services experience in educational institutions, healthcare facilities, government buildings, or commercial facilities.
• Experience with commercial custodial equipment, including floor buffers, auto scrubbers, carpet extractors, and industrial vacuums.
• Experience working in environments requiring strict sanitation or safety standards.

• Valid driver’s license with the ability to be insured by Indiana University.

• Ability to work in a safe and efficient manner.
• Proficient communication skills.
• Maintains a high degree of professionalism.
• Demonstrates time management and priority‑setting skills.
• Demonstrates a high commitment to quality.
• Possesses flexibility to work in a fast‑paced, dynamic environment.
• Seeks to acquire knowledge in the area of specialty.
• Highly thorough and dependable.
• Demonstrates a high level of accuracy, even under pressure.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Ability to represent the company with external constituents.
• Ability to drive multiple projects to successful completion.
• Strong verbal communication and listening skills.
• Ability to build strong customer relationships.
• Knowledge of cleaning procedures and equipment, and the ability to operate and use standard cleaning equipment and materials. Some knowledge of…