Student Casual – Summer Cleaning Operative – Cleaning & Watse – Grade 2 – 901052 in Birmingham

Duration of the Post: 01/07/2026 – 15/09/2026

Grade: Grade 2

Hourly rate: £13.45 per hour plus holiday entitlement

Number of positions available: 200

Closing Date: 05/06/2026 at 23:55

Please note that this vacancy may be taken down early depending on the number of applications received. We advise you to submit your application promptly.

The Cleaning Services team at the University of Birmingham plays a vital role in maintaining a safe, clean and welcoming environment for students, staff and visitors. During the summer period, we support the preparation and upkeep of student accommodation ahead of the new academic year.

As a member of the Cleaning Services team, you will support the delivery of high-quality cleaning services across university accommodation during the summer period. Working as part of a wider team, you will carry out a range of cleaning duties to ensure rooms and communal areas are prepared to a high standard for incoming students and conference guests. You will work under the guidance and support of experienced supervisors, who will provide direction, training and ongoing support throughout your assignment.

• Bedroom and Bathroom Cleaning: Cleaning student bedrooms to agreed standards, including vacuuming, dusting, wiping surface cleaning, cleaning walls, and emptying bins. Clean en-suite bathrooms and shared bathroom facilities, including toilets, showers, sinks, mirrors, wall surfaces and floors. Carry out end of term deep cleans and turnarounds between occupants.
• Conference and Short Stay Turnarounds: Prepare bedrooms and bathrooms for conferences, including bedmaking to hotel standard. Clean and reset rooms quickly and efficiently to meet tight turnaround deadlines for new arrivals.
• Kitchen Cleans: Undertake kitchen cleaning to the required standard (excluding ovens, hobs and extractor fans). Clean fridges and freezers (internal and external). Clean cupboard interiors, including walls and shelves. Clean walls, work surfaces, pipework, furniture and floors.
• Communal Areas: Clean corridor areas as directed by the supervisor, including vacuuming, dusting, wiping surfaces, cleaning walls. Assist with carpet cleaning using specialist machinery, where trained. Not all staff will be required to use carpet cleaning machinery: training will be provided.

• Follow instructions and work to schedules set by the Supervisor.
• Use cleaning equipment and chemicals safely and in line with COSHH and health and safety procedures.
• Report maintenance issues, damage, or lost property to the Supervisor promptly.
• Work as part of a team to meet daily targets and service deadlines.
• Always maintain a professional and respectful approach.

• Mandatory training must be completed before any shifts are allocated. Training will include health and safety, manual handling, COSHH, and cleaning standards.
• Additional training will be provided for specialist equipment, including carpet-cleaning machinery where required.
• No previous experience is required as full training and supervision will be provided.

• Available to work from the 1st July to 30th September.
• Commitment to working any 5 days out of 7 throughout the contract period.
• Reliable, flexible and able to adapt to changing work schedules.
• Able to carry out physically demanding duties, including bending, reaching, lifting and prolonged standing.
• Willingness to follow instructions and work under the direction of a supervisor.
• Willingness to attend mandatory training as required.
• Ability to work effectively within a diverse team and provide a respectful, inclusive service to a diverse range of customers, including students and conference guests.

This role offers working hours that meet the operational needs of the service. Occasional weekend work, including Saturdays and Sundays, may be required. We would like all applicants to be available to work on the weekend of 11th and 12th July. Full training will be provided, and shifts will not be allocated until all required training has been successfully completed.

The University of Birmingham restricts all students to working up to 20 hours per week during term time for a maximum of 13 consecutive weeks. If your application is successful and your course does not follow the usual academic term timetable (e.g. PGT, PGR or PhD student), you and your supervisor must formally agree vacation periods if this role exceeds 20 hours per week. In addition to this, please be aware if you are an international student you will be required to apply to the Registry for the appropriate authorised absence. You are only eligible to apply to this role if you are a current University of Birmingham student. If you are not a University of Birmingham student your application will not be considered.

To work you will need to carry out a right to work check. These checks will need to be completed prior to work commencing.

Regarding the use of AI in applications, we review hundreds of applications and shortlist candidates based on their unique perspective, motivations and potential. Cover letters generated through, or edited by, AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT or CoPilot) are easy to identify. They produce generic answers and will not score highly enough to progress. You may use AI tools for research, but all written content in your application must be your own work. Authenticity and originality are key to standing out in this process.

Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we’re unable to contact all applicants individually. You can check the progress of your application by logging into the Worklink jobs portal using the same email address you used to apply. If you haven’t heard back within six weeks of the closing date, please assume your application has been unsuccessful.

• Ambitious: We are confident in the University of Birmingham and project this globally. We are focused on our goals, are clear about our strengths, and pursue our own direction. We are bold and take intelligent risks.
• Innovative: We enjoy being the first to do things. Inspired by our Birmingham heritage, we are resourceful, creative, grounded, and practical, and seek to make a real and positive difference to the world around us.
• Open: We welcome colleagues, collaborators, and students from across the world to work and study with us. We are committed to academic freedom, freedom of speech, and equality of opportunity for all. We expect everyone to act with sensitivity, respect, and fairness.
• Collaborative: The major challenges facing our city, nation, and the world cannot be solved if we act alone. We enhance our research and education by pursuing creative partnerships within and beyond the University.
• Responsible: We operate with transparency, trust, and respect. We value our role as an anchor institution for Birmingham. We strive to be an excellent employer, to reduce inequalities in access to education, and to place sustainability at the heart of our work.