Cleaner/Porter
Operations Department
£23,868 Per annum, plus annual staff incentive scheme and generous pension.
Based in Piccadilly

About the Royal Academy of Arts

The Royal Academy of Arts is one of the UK’s foremost arts institutions and our vision is to be a clear, strong voice for art and artists. It is a particularly exciting time in our history. We have embarked upon a series of major investments that will transform our physical and digital infrastructure and our public offer, to be delivered in time for our 250th anniversary this year. An ambitious ‘Masterplan’ by David Chipperfield RA will redevelop our 2.5-acre campus in Mayfair, uniting our two buildings and providing refurbished galleries for the display of art and architecture, a state-of-the-art auditorium, a new learning centre and a dedicated Collections gallery in Burlington Gardens, and enabling greater public visibility of the art school at the heart of the Academy.

About this position
We are seeking an experienced Cleaner/Porter 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. In addition, the successful candidate will be expected to undertake occasional cleaning and portering duties at our warehouse, currently located in Enfield.
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
We will review applications for this post on a rolling basis, and candidates who meet our criteria will be invited to interview immediately.
If you have not heard anything within 10 days, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

Job description
JOB:            Cleaner/Porter
DEPARTMENT:    Operations Department
REPORTS TO:    Manager, Cleaners and Porters.

Main objective
Under the direction of the Manager and Supervisor, Cleaners and Porters, undertake a range of cleaning and portering tasks as directed to the standard required throughout Burlington House, the Courtyard, RA Schools, 6 Burlington Gardens and our warehouse, currently based in Enfield.

Main duties
1.    Work co-operatively with the Help Desk to undertake jobs in accordance with set and pre-planned priorities; ensures 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 the B.I.C.S. Handbook, set standards and work schedules, duties to include: operating heavy cleaning machinery; cleaning offices, public areas and men’s toilet facilities etc. Demonstrate flexibility around duties and shifts.
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 and allocated via the Facilities Management Help Desk system.
7.    Occasional driving duties to and from the warehouse.
8.    Report accidents, near accidents, breakages and potential dangers and hazards in accordance with health and safety rules and regulations.
9.    Report sightings of pests (rodents, moths etc.) to Help Desk, Supervisor, Red Collars and Health and Safety Officer.
10.    Report any damage to the fabric of the building, light outages etc. To Help Desk, Red Collars and Supervisor.
11.    Co-operate with and support the Deputy when he covers for the Supervisor.
12.    Demonstrate flexibility and proactivity in response to last-minute jobs, changes and emergencies.
13.    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.
14.    Undertake any other duty which may reasonably be allocated by the Supervisor or other senior officer.

Person specification
Desirable qualities and skills
•    Excellent understanding of health and safety rules and regulations as they relate to cleaning and portering (COSHH, manual handling etc.)
•    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.
•    GCSE English or equivalent / solid understanding of written English and ability to communicate with fluency.
•    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 Manager, Supervisor, the Finance and Operations Department and across the Academy.
•    Commitment to achieving and maintaining high standards of cleanliness and professional standards.
•    Adaptable and flexible; able to cover shifts between 07:00 and 22:00 over a 7-day period. There is, additionally, an occasional requirement to work overtime in the evenings and at weekends and to alter core hours to achieve adequate cover of the department’s commitments.
•    Computer literate
•    Full, clean driving licence with entitlement to drive in the UK. Forklift licence is advantageous.
•    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.