Custodian

Hourly Compensation: $17.00/hour - $19.00/hour

Position Summary:

At Children's Aid, we believe that all children and families deserve access to safe, supportive, and well-maintained environments where they can learn, grow, and thrive. Founded in 1853, Children's Aid is one of New York City's leading child and family service organizations, providing comprehensive supports to children and families across education, health, behavioral health, child welfare, and community-based programs. The Bronx Family Center campus serves as a hub for multiple community programs, including Early Childhood education, Child Welfare Family Services, health services, and youth programming.

Children's Aid is seeking a full-time Custodian to join the campus Facilities team. Reporting to Facilities leadership, the Custodian plays a vital role in maintaining the cleanliness, safety, functionality, and day-to-day operations of the campus buildings and grounds. The incumbent will support routine custodial and maintenance activities, help maintain compliance with safety and sanitation standards, assist with minor repairs and emergency response efforts, and contribute to creating a welcoming environment for children, families, staff, and community members. This role requires reliability, attention to detail, collaboration, and a commitment to maintaining safe and operational spaces that support Children's Aid's mission and programs.

Essential Duties:

• Perform routine custodial and maintenance tasks to maintain the cleanliness, safety, sanitary conditions, and appearance of buildings and grounds.
• Clean and sanitize bathrooms, offices, hallways, classrooms, communal areas, and other assigned spaces by sweeping, mopping, scrubbing, dusting, polishing, and disinfecting surfaces.
• Empty, clean, and decontaminate trash receptacles and dispose of infectious or regulated waste in accordance with organizational and safety guidelines when assigned.
• Clean, wax, strip, and polish floors using industrial cleaning equipment, buffing machines, wet/dry vacuums, and other custodial tools as appropriate.
• Shampoo carpets and maintain tiled and carpeted surfaces to support a clean and welcoming environment.
• Thoroughly clean and sanitize children's toys, furniture, fixtures, and shared-use spaces in accordance with Children's Aid safety and sanitation procedures.
• Wash windows, blinds, walls, porches, sidewalks, and additional interior or exterior surfaces using approved cleaning methods and materials.
• Support seasonal and outdoor maintenance activities, including sweeping outdoor areas, shoveling snow, removing ice, cutting grass, trimming shrubs, and watering grounds when assigned.
• Perform minor building maintenance and repair tasks, including painting, lighting replacement, and basic plumbing or electrical-related upkeep as appropriate.
• Monitor facility conditions and report building maintenance, repair, safety, or equipment concerns to Facilities leadership in a timely manner.
• Maintain custodial equipment and monitor cleaning supply inventory to help ensure operational readiness across the campus.
• Assist with campus operational support activities, including serving as a courier between Children's Aid sites when assigned.
• Participate in emergency preparedness activities, including serving on the emergency response team and participating in periodic fire drills.
• Support compliance with organizational safety standards and maintain a healthy and safe environment by safely storing cleaning supplies, utilizing safety signage, and following applicable health and safety regulations.
• Perform responsibilities associated with required Certificates of Fitness, including supporting fire alarm system monitoring and related compliance requirements as applicable.
• Help ensure campus spaces are clean, secure, and prepared for the following business day prior to leaving the site.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• High School Diploma or Equivalency Certificate (GED).
• FDNY Certification(s)
  
  
  
  • Certifications for Custodians: i.e., S-95 (SFAS) or F-01
  
  
  
  
• Ability to read, write, and communicate effectively in English required.
• Prior custodial, facilities, maintenance, or building operations experience preferred.
• Experience operating custodial equipment, floor care machinery, and cleaning tools preferred.
• Ability to perform physically active work, including standing, walking, lifting, bending, climbing stairs, and working indoors and outdoors in varying weather conditions.
• Ability to adhere to all organizational, city, and state safety, licensing, and compliance requirements, including CPR/First Aid certification if required by site or program.

Key Competencies:

• Effective organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Reliable time management skills with the ability to complete responsibilities independently and consistently.
• Clear verbal communication and professional interpersonal skills.
• Ability to collaborate with staff, families, vendors, and community members from a wide range of cultural, social, and economic backgrounds.
• Ability to identify safety concerns and respond appropriately to routine maintenance or operational issues.
• Commitment to maintaining clean, safe, and welcoming environments for children, families, staff, and visitors.
• Ability to adapt to changing operational needs and support campus-wide priorities as needed.
• Understanding workplace safety practices and ability to follow established cleaning, sanitation, and emergency procedures.

It is the policy of Children's Aid to provide equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment and is dedicated to maintaining a work environment that is free from harassment and discrimination. Children's Aid will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or retaliation on any basis, including race, creed, color, national origin, ethnicity, alienage or citizenship status, gender/sex (including pregnancy), disability, religion, source of income, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, familial status, caregiver status, military status, marital or partnership status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence or stalking, predisposing genetic characteristics, arrest or conviction record, credit history, unemployment status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Children's Aid is committed to complying with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Children's Aid will conduct a prompt and thorough investigation of all allegations of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or any violation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy in a confidential manner and will take appropriate corrective action, if and where warranted. Children's Aid prohibits retaliation against employees who provide information about, complain about, or assist in the investigation of any complaint of discrimination or violation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy.

The incumbent is expected to work a schedule, whether in-person or hybrid, as determined by the department's needs to facilitate effective collaboration with the team. This flexibility is essential for maintaining seamless communication, fostering teamwork, and ensuring the smooth operation of the department's processes. The position's requirements are subject to periodic review and adjustment based on organizational needs and changes in work dynamics.