Cleaner

Role:  Cleaner

Location: Scottish Borders

Grade and Salary: Grade 3 - £24,546 - 24,700 per annum, pro rata

FTE and working pattern: Part time (0.43FTE/ 15 hours per week), Open Ended

Holiday Entitlement: 28 days annual leave plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday) pro rata

Purpose of Role

To ensure an effective and efficient operation of cleaning services within the Heriot Watt University Scottish Borders campus. To participate in the day-to-day programmes of cleaning work within the allocated cleaning zones of the University to ensure that the facilities are maintained in a clean and hygienic condition.

To actively contribute to the successful delivery of excellent service to all students, staff and visitors across the university by keeping student accommodation and University offices, meeting rooms and lecture theatres clean and tidy and fit for use.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• To ensure all University buildings and accommodation are cleaned to a high standard following the standard operating procedures
• Use appropriate equipment and machinery, reporting any faults to Cleaning Supervisor
• Work within and ensure service level agreements are met
• Support line management to deliver a flexible, efficient and professional service to all our customers
• Report repairs, faults and maintenance to Cleaning Supervisor

Essential & Desirable Criteria

Domestic/hotel cleaning experience desirable although full training will be given. 

Essential

1. Demonstrable ability to speak and understand English in order to follow verbal and written instructions and deal with customer/student queries
2. Well-developed interpersonal skills
3. Demonstrable excellent customer service
4. Demonstrable ability to work quickly, flexibly and accurately in a pressured environment
5. Demonstrable professional and proactive approach
6. Attention to detail

Desirable

1. Experience of working within a similar cleaning environment
2. Experience of operating relevant cleaning equipment 

How to Apply

Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Thursday 29th October 2026.

Please submit your CV via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment.

We may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We therefore encourage you to submit your application promptly.

We recognise that many candidates use AI tools during the application process and are comfortable with AI being used as a supporting aid. However, we want to hear from you, not AI.

Your application should be an authentic representation of your skills, experience and achievements. Applications that appear to have been fully generated by AI may not accurately reflect your suitability for the role and are therefore discouraged.

At interview, candidates will be expected to discuss and provide evidence of the experience, skills and examples included in their application

We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g., part-time working and job share options.

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers .

Use our total rewards calculator: to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.

About the Team

The Campus Services Directorate encompasses the Estates team, Oriam and Hospitality Services.

Hospitality Services consists of Residential and Cleaning Services, the in-house retail Catering operations, Events and Conferences and the Accommodation and Front Desk teams.

Hospitality Services and all its teams have a dual focus of supporting the Students and Academic Schools whilst generating income from the use of facilities and its activities.

To Deliver high Quality Consistent Services at all times in a Sustainable, Viable and Professional manner to all customers.

Residential and Cleaning Services is the largest of the teams that make up Hospitality Services and is responsible for cleaning all accommodation whether residential, academic or third party on the Edinburgh Campus and;

• Enhancing the Reputation of the University
• Supporting the Experiences of our Students
• Helping to Deliver the University’s Objectives.

About Heriot-Watt University

At Heriot-Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.

Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.