Head Custodian

Position Type:
Maintenance/Custodial

Date Posted:
9/17/2026

Location:
Valparaiso High School

Date Available:
when position is filled

Closing Date:
when position is filled
Valparaiso Community School Corporation

Valparaiso High School


Title: Head Custodian

Qualifications:

1. A high school education or the equivalent
2. Minimum of three years of custodial, janitorial, facilities, groundskeeping, or closely related experience preferred
3. Demonstrated ability to coach employees, address performance concerns, hold staff accountable, resolve routine workplace issues, and provide clear and timely feedback.
4. Demonstrated initiative, flexibility, dependability, and skill in custodial duties in previous years
5. Possesses computer and word processing skills
6. Familiarity with all materials and equipment used in the care of the building and grounds
7. Possesses the ability to maintain congenial, positive, and productive working relationships with students, staff, and the public
8. Has good communication skills; can follow written and oral instructions as well as provide clear written and oral instructions to custodians
9. Ability to pass a skills test

Job Goal: Provide students, staff, and visitors with a safe, attractive, comfortable, clean, and efficiently maintained environment in which to learn, work, and participate in school activities. Serve as the building's custodial manager by leading, supervising, training, scheduling, and supporting custodial staff; monitoring building conditions and custodial performance; coordinating custodial services for daily operations and special events; and ensuring established district procedures, safety requirements, and cleanliness standards are consistently met.


Expectations:

• Promotes a professional, respectful, collaborative, and accountable work environment among custodial staff; communicates expectations clearly; addresses routine conflicts appropriately; maintains confidentiality regarding personnel matters; and works to build positive team morale and employee retention.
• Provides leadership for the building custodial staff and performs a variety of tasks involving general care of the building and grounds; the work involves cleaning, repairing, and maintenance.
• Demonstrates positive leadership and promotes a workplace culture of teamwork, respect, and professionalism.
• Provides input and feedback in the evaluation of the high school custodial staff.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to resolve minor conflicts professionally.
• Maintains security and safety of building as outlined by Principal or his/her designee.
• Oversees that the building and premises are kept neat and clean at all times.
• Provides great customer service and interacts appropriately with students, staff, and visitors.
• Must be able to navigate challenging interpersonal situations with professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment.
• Provides direct day-to-day supervision and leadership of assigned custodial staff, including establishing work assignments, communicating expectations, monitoring performance, inspecting completed work, providing coaching and feedback, and addressing performance concerns in accordance with district procedures.
• May be required to address administrative or operational responsibilities outside of normal working hours, including employee call-offs, staffing needs, equipment issues, emergencies, and other time-sensitive matters.
• Provides structured onboarding and job-specific training for new custodial employees using district-approved procedures, training materials, checklists, and standards. Models proper procedures, verifies employee understanding and competency, maintains required training documentation, and provides ongoing coaching and retraining as necessary.
• Performs all duties and ensures custodial staff maintain high standards of safety, cleanliness, and efficiency: dusts and cleans classrooms and offices, washes walls and woodwork, washes windows, sweeps, mops, strips, scrubs, buffs, and waxes floors, shampoos and vacuums carpets, and washes and sanitizes bathroom fixtures and drinking fountains, and replenishes supplies.
• Conducts routine and documented inspections of the building and assigned custodial areas to verify cleanliness, safety, completion of assigned work, and compliance with established district standards. Identifies and corrects deficiencies proactively.
• Maintains systems for tracking assignments, staffing coverage, training, overtime, work orders, equipment needs, inventory, and other operational responsibilities; ensures required documentation is accurate, current, and completed in a timely manner.
• Demonstrates consistent follow-through on identified concerns and communicates status updates to the appropriate administrator or supervisor until matters are resolved.
• Maintains an accurate inventory of custodial supplies, materials, and equipment; monitors usage and anticipated needs; initiates orders sufficiently in advance to prevent operational disruptions; and uses district resources responsibly and cost-effectively.
• Conducts an ongoing program of general maintenance, upkeep, and repair.
• Keeps records on regular maintenance of filters, motors, pumps, fans, etc.
• Maintains and tracks custodial and grounds equipment including, but not limited to, mowers, edgers, weed eaters, etc., as well as custodial power equipment.
• Routinely inspects buildings, grounds, and mechanical equipment to ensure proper maintenance and safety.
• Reports immediately to the principal any damage to school property (inside or out).
• Identifies maintenance and facility concerns; submits appropriate work orders; prioritizes concerns based on safety and operational impact; tracks outstanding work orders; follows up as necessary; and communicates significant or unresolved concerns to the Building Principal and/or Buildings & Grounds Coordinator.
• Monitors building mechanical systems for apparent operational concerns, performs routine checks within the scope of assigned responsibilities and training, and promptly reports or submits work orders for conditions requiring specialized maintenance.
• Complies with local laws and procedures for the storage and disposal of trash, rubbish, and waste.
• Oversees the opening and closing of the building each school day to determine, before leaving, that all doors and windows are secured, and all lights, except those left on for safety reasons, are turned off.
• Assists building administrators in working with special groups who use the building in the off hours and schedules custodian for events.
• Must be able to work independently to complete assigned tasks.
• Demonstrate necessary organizational and leadership skills
• Performs other duties consistent with the position as assigned by the Building Principal, Buildings & Grounds Coordinator, or other appropriate district administrator.

Physical Demands:

• Must be able to bend, reach, walk, and stand for prolonged periods of time
• Must be able to lift 50 lbs. due to moving heavy objects at times, such as furniture or equipment
• Required to operate power equipment such as buffers and scrubbers
• May need to take precautions to avoid exposure to cleaning and stripping compounds and fumes
• Exposed to noise from power equipment
• May require periodically working outdoors in inclement weather, including snow removal
• Potential exposure to ordinary diseases carried by students
• May need to take precautions to avoid exposure to student bodily fluids
• May be required to be on call to return to work off hours for emergencies
• May need to take precautions when inspecting the cause of fire alarms

Reports To: Building Principal and Buildings & Grounds Coordinator, in accordance with the Head Custodian Framework and SOP.


Terms: Year-round position, full benefit package, paid time off, Public Employees Retirement Fund (PERF)

Salary Range: $50,000 - $55,000

Internal applicants should send a letter of interest to Ms. Barb Johnson, View email address on click.appcast.io.