Environmental Jobs in Detroit, MI

Environmental Services Operations Manager

The Environmental Services Operations Manager is responsible for planning, directing, and leading all custodial operations throughout Huntington Place to ensure a clean, safe, and welcoming environment for guests, clients, exhibitors, contractors, and employees.

Reporting to the Director of Operations, this position oversees daily custodial operations, event cleaning, staffing, budgeting, quality assurance, equipment management, vendor partnerships, and sustainability initiatives. The Operations Manager provides leadership to a unionized workforce while ensuring operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and exceptional customer service across one of the nation's largest convention centers.

The ideal candidate is a collaborative leader with strong operational experience, excellent financial acumen, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced event environment.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Direct all Environmental Services operations throughout exhibit halls, meeting rooms, ballrooms, public spaces, administrative offices, loading docks, and back-of-house areas.
• Develop and implement staffing and cleaning schedules that support event move-in, event days, and move-out activities.
• Ensure facility cleanliness consistently meets Huntington Place, client, and industry standards.
• Monitor event activity and adjust staffing assignments to meet changing operational demands.
• Coordinate rapid response to spills, emergency cleaning requests, and guest service needs during events.
• Recruit, hire, train, schedule, supervise, and evaluate Environmental Services employees within a union environment.
• Maintain staffing levels necessary to support a dynamic event schedule, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Foster a culture focused on safety, accountability, customer service, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Administer employee performance management, attendance, coaching, disciplinary actions, and professional development.
• Interpret and administer union contract provisions while managing employee relations and grievance processes.
• Conduct routine inspections and quality assurance audits throughout the facility.
• Evaluate operational processes and implement improvements that increase productivity and service quality.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA regulations, facility safety policies, chemical handling procedures, and sanitation standards.
• Promote safe operation and maintenance of custodial equipment and proper storage of cleaning products.
• Develop and manage the Environmental Services operating budget.
• Monitor labor costs, overtime, supply expenses, and service contracts.
• Review invoices, purchase orders, and vendor contracts to ensure fiscal responsibility.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities while maintaining service excellence.
• Manage inventories of cleaning chemicals, consumables, custodial supplies, and equipment.
• Oversee preventive maintenance and repair of custodial equipment including scrubbers, sweepers, extractors, and floor machines.
• Recommend equipment purchases and operational improvements.
• Support environmentally responsible cleaning practices throughout the facility.
• Implement recycling, waste diversion, and sustainability initiatives.
• Promote the use of green cleaning products and environmentally responsible procedures whenever practical.
• Manage departmental payroll in accordance with union agreements and company policies.
• Build productive relationships with vendors, contractors, clients, and internal departments.
• Collaborate with Operations leadership to support organizational initiatives and continuous operational improvement.

Key Deliverables

• Consistently clean, safe, and guest-ready facilities.
• Efficient staffing and labor management supporting all event activity.
• Compliance with OSHA regulations, safety standards, and union agreements.
• Effective budget management and cost control.
• High-performing, engaged Environmental Services team.
• Well-maintained custodial equipment and inventory.
• Successful implementation of sustainability and waste reduction initiatives.
• Outstanding customer satisfaction and operational excellence.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; bachelor's degree in Management, Facilities Management, Hospitality Management, Maintenance Engineering, or a related field preferred. Equivalent experience may be substituted for education.
• Minimum five (5) years of leadership experience in Environmental Services, Custodial Operations, Facilities Management, Hospitality Operations, or a similarly complex environment.
• Experience managing union employees and operations within a convention center, stadium, arena, hotel, airport, healthcare facility, or similar venue strongly preferred.
• Strong leadership, employee development, organizational, project management, budgeting, and customer service skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Knowledge of custodial operations, cleaning chemicals, sanitation procedures, OSHA regulations, local health codes, inventory management, purchasing, and preventive maintenance programs.
• Excellent verbal, written, interpersonal, presentation, coaching, and conflict resolution skills, with the ability to effectively communicate with employees, clients, vendors, contractors, and union representatives.

Compensation & Benefits

Competitive salary commensurate with experience, plus:

• Medical, dental, and vision benefits starting day one
• Paid vacation, holidays, and sick time
• 401(k) with company match

Working Conditions & Physical Demands

This position operates throughout a large convention center and requires regular movement between event spaces, operational areas, and administrative offices.

Physical requirements may include:

• The role requires frequent walking throughout the facility, prolonged standing, navigating event floors and back-of-house spaces, ability to lift and/or move up to 50 pounds occasionally and responding to operational needs in real time.

Equal Opportunity

Huntington Place / Legends Global is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, encouraging Women, Minorities, Individuals with Disabilities, and Protected Veterans to apply. VEVRAA Federal Contractor.