1. About The Role
2. Location: Croydon
Salary: £37,500 per annum
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours Per Week: 40
As an Area Manager, you will lead and manage cleaning operations across multiple education client sites, ensuring consistently high standards of service delivery, compliance, and client satisfaction.
This is a hands-on, multi-site role where you are fully accountable for operational performance, people management, and financial control across your area. You will work closely with clients, school stakeholders, and internal teams to ensure services are delivered safely, efficiently, and in line with all contractual and statutory requirements.
A key part of this role is ensuring that all colleagues are recruited, vetted, and deployed in line with safer recruitment standards. You will take ownership of safeguarding compliance across your sites, ensuring Enhanced DBS checks (including Children’s Barred List), right to work verification, and risk assessments are fully in place prior to deployment, and maintained throughout employment.
You will regularly visit sites, both planned and unannounced, to monitor service delivery, carry out quality and compliance audits, and ensure that all staff are adhering to site-specific protocols, professional standards, and safeguarding expectations.
Alongside operational delivery, you will lead and develop your teams, managing recruitment, induction, performance, and retention. You will build capability through coaching and training, ensuring all team members are equipped to deliver high standards while working safely within education environments.
You will also be responsible for managing budgets, controlling wage spend, and ensuring the efficient use of materials and resources, balancing commercial performance with service excellence.
In addition, you will have accountability for information security and site security across your area, ensuring that confidential information is handled appropriately, access to sites is controlled, and all teams comply with data protection and ISO27001 requirements.
This role requires strong judgement, attention to detail, and the confidence to challenge and escalate where standards are not met, particularly where there is any risk to safeguarding, compliance, or client trust.
3. About You
4. You are an experienced operational leader who thrives in a fast-paced, multi-site environment and takes pride in delivering high standards through your people.
You will have proven experience managing teams within a service delivery environment, ideally within cleaning, facilities management, or another regulated sector such as education or healthcare. You understand the importance of balancing operational delivery with compliance and are confident taking ownership of both.
You have a strong understanding of safer recruitment and safeguarding expectations within education settings, including DBS requirements, right to work verification, and the importance of ensuring all staff are appropriately vetted before deployment. You recognise the critical role you play in protecting children, clients, and the wider organisation.
You are a confident and credible communicator, able to build strong relationships with clients, school stakeholders, and internal teams. You are equally comfortable supporting and developing your team as you are holding them accountable for performance, conduct, and standards.
You are highly organised, detail-focused, and able to manage multiple priorities across sites, ensuring nothing is missed—from compliance documentation to service delivery outcomes.
You are proactive and solution-focused, with the ability to make sound, compliance-led decisions under pressure. You are not afraid to challenge where standards fall short and will always act with integrity, putting safety and compliance first.
You will also bring:
* Strong leadership and people management skills
* Excellent client relationship and customer service skills
* Experience managing budgets and controlling costs
* Health and safety awareness and commitment to safe working practices
* IT literacy, with the ability to use systems for reporting and workforce management
* A full UK driving licence and flexibility to travel across multiple sites
Above all, you align with Atlas values, you take ownership, act with honesty, and lead by example to create a positive, safe, and high-performing working environment.
5. About The Company
6.
What makes this job amazing?
* Full learning and support from Atlas to help you succeed in your role.
* Financial wellbeing benefits via Stream – real-time access to earned wages and exclusive discounts at top retailers.
* Career progression opportunities within a growing company.
* Tailored learning and development support in areas that interest you.
* Recognition programs, including our Stars of Atlas awards.
* Cycle to work scheme and workplace pension.
* A collaborative and supportive work environment where people value and help each other.
* An opportunity to work in a fast-growing business with significant career advancement potential.
Who are we?
Atlas is a family of people drawn together by a passion for creating happiness in others.
Founded in 1986 and 100% owned by our employees, we are now one of the fastest-growing business support companies in the UK, providing cleaning, security, pest and other support services to a wide range of companies, from globally recognised brands to small local businesses. Our success is down to one thing; the passion and commitment of our extended family, who together we deliver happiness across thousands of client sites every single day. To ensure we remain focused on our purpose as we grow, we recruit first and foremost on our values so for those committed to living them alongside us, there is no better place to work.
Our Purpose
To create happiness in ourselves and others
We approach work and life with a sense of fun, optimism and belief, and strive to have a positive impact on the world around us. We show kindness and compassion to all those we meet, ensuring everyone is safe and healthy. We deliver on our promises and go the extra mile every day.
Our Values.
We are a family
Just like any other family, we laugh, cry, celebrate and commiserate together. We may come from many different backgrounds, but we’re always there when it really matters. Whether it’s with practical help and support, or simply a mug of tea and a shoulder to cry on.
Sharing makes us stronger
Knowledge is more powerful when its shared. Which is why we share everything - our ideas, our expertise, our news and most-of-all our time. Show humility. Share and work together, and anything is possible.
Own your space
You are Atlas. Don’t be afraid to make decisions. Use your time wisely and treat every pound as if it was coming from your own pocket.
Be honest. Always.
Have the courage to do the right thing, even when no-one is watching. Whether it’s owning up to a mistake, having a difficult conversation, or simply arguing a point you feel passionate about. Be yourself. Authenticity breeds trust. Trust brings happiness.
Treat clients like our best friends
If we’re a family, then our clients are our best friends. Friends who you can be completely open and honest with, because they trust you to put their interests first. We take the time to listen to what’s going on in our clients lives and pull out all the stops to make them feel happy.
Start with Wow
And never settle for less. Create time to focus on quality and prioritise long-term solutions over short-term fixes. Constantly seek opportunities to learn from others, and if something doesn’t make sense, shout. Always ask yourself if there is more we can do to bring happiness to those around us.
Don't just talk. Do.
We are a business that thrives on doing. The more we do, the more we succeed. Embrace change. Keep it simple. Keep meetings short. Plan just enough to succeed. And then get on with it.