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Environmental Specialist, Lead (Internal Only)
Apply now Job no: 495919
Work type: Full Time
Location: Troy, NY
Categories: Staff, Trades, Service, and Maintenance, Internal Posting
Who we are
Founded in 1824, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) is the first technological research university in the United States. We bring creativity, science, and technology together to address society''s greatest challenges. We cultivate exceptional problem-solvers by immersing them in a culture of rigorous inquiry, disciplined practice, and hands-on application. Our strategic plan, RPI Forward, charts a pioneering course for the next era of RPI. Explore the RPI Forward plan. ︎
Nestled on a beautiful 275-acre campus in upstate NY, RPI is home to five schools, 32 research centers, three makerspaces, an observatory, one of the world's fastest supercomputers, and the IBM Quantum System One - the first university-based quantum computer in the world.
With top notch employee health and retirement benefits, Rensselaer offers its full-time employees a generous paid time off program, tuition remission, and opportunities for career growth.
Job Summary
The Environmental Specialist, Lead performs the duties of an Environmental Specialist, Sr. and assists supervisor with the planning and scheduling of the Institute''s standards for cleanliness in assigned areas, including residence halls, apartments, academic buildings, classrooms, athletic/recreational facilities, offices, and common areas. Serve as team leader for crew of assigned staff. Works in concert with other leads to support all campus wide events. Act on behalf of the Supervisor during his/her absence.
Minimum Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:
High school diploma or equivalent (or in progress)
Valid U.S. driver's license
Three or more years of institutional or commercial cleaning experience, including operation of professional cleaning equipment
Applicants must meet the minimum education and experience requirements listed above.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience in a float position internally preferred
Minimum Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Ability to read, write, and perform basic arithmetic
Ability to follow written and verbal instructions in English
Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team
Strong communication and customer service skills
Ability to comply with operating manuals, material safety data sheets (MSDS), safety rules, and regulations regarding equipment and chemical usage
Proficiency in operating job-specific equipment and sanitizing dispensing units
Ability to provide guidance and make decisions for other team members
Basic computer skills, including Microsoft Office and job-specific software (e.g., CMMS)
Demonstrated ability to train others and lead projects
Flexibility to work varied hours, including evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays
Representative Job Duties
Coordinate a campus-wide cleaning and maintenance program as directed by the Supervisor. Organize routine and non-routine duties of assigned environmental specialist staff. Distribute work assignments fairly based on staff qualifications. Adjust work priorities as needed to account for weather, special events, projects, and staffing changes.
Schedule, coordinate, assist, and administer non-routine and project work as directed by the Supervisor, including performing duties of the senior environmental specialist. Collaborate with the Supervisor to coordinate solid waste, hazardous waste, and recycling pickups, and perform other assigned tasks.
Stay informed of scheduled events in assigned areas. Identify event needs, such as staffing requirements, additional cleaning, and room setup.
Work with Department leadership to administer an effective staff development, mentoring, and ongoing training program. Focus areas include safety policies, divisional standard operating procedures, equipment use and maintenance, and cleaning techniques and applications.
Communicate unit activities to the Supervisor, including regular assessments of all areas. Keep the Supervisor informed of staff issues, cleaning schedules, project status, equipment malfunctions, damage to assigned areas, repair needs, and provide input for annual performance evaluations. Report vandalism or theft of Institute property immediately to the Supervisor or Public Safety.
Coordinate campus emergencies, including the Snow and Ice Response Plan in assigned areas. Conduct regular assessments to ensure campus safety and accessibility. Perform snow removal duties such as shoveling, salting, chopping ice, and operating snow blowers. Be available for night and weekend call-ins for snow removal operations.
Monitor staff adherence to established divisional SOPs, safety policies, and standard practices. Notify the Supervisor immediately of any infractions.
Follow operating instructions, safety rules, and regulations for personal protection. Wear appropriate PPE for tasks. Safely clean bodily fluids or other hazardous materials according to proper safety procedures.
Shift
Environmental Services: Monday through Friday 6:00 AM - 2:30
Travel
Local travel between campus locations only
Driving
Driving a personal vehicle for non-passenger use
Starting Salary/Rate
Expected hiring range: $19.00 -$23.00
Pay transparency disclosure: The selected candidate's salary will be determined based on factors that include the available budget, internal equity, and the final candidate's qualifications, experience, education and other job-related credentials. This hiring range is provided as Rensselaer's good faith estimate of the expected hiring range at the time of posting.
Application instructions
Follow the on-screen prompts to create a brief online profile. Please be ready to upload your resume and cover letter.
If you need assistance with the online application process, please contact careers@rpi.edu.
Job Posted Date
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
Total Compensation and Benefits Information
Rensselaer's Total Compensation Program is designed to provide stable pay growth, a comprehensive and affordable benefits package, and a comprehensive and affordable retiree medical and prescription plan. Our goal is to provide you and your family with a comprehensive health and welfare program as an umbrella of financial security and protection during your employment. For more information, please visit Benefits | Human Resources (rpi.edu).
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is committed to the cultivation of a community that is welcoming, inclusive, and above all values learning. We welcome candidates who bring a variety of perspectives to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute''s work and campus communities. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or other characteristic protected by law.
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Advertised: 12 Jun 2026 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close:
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Institute programs serve undergraduates, graduate students, and working professionals around the world. Nearly 29 percent of undergraduate students this year are from areas outside of the Northeast. First-year students hail from 43 states, in addition to the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and from countries all around the world.
Rensselaer offers more than 145 programs at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. Students are encouraged to work in interdisciplinary programs that allow them to combine scholarly work from several departments or schools. The university provides rigorous, engaging, interactive learning environments and campus-wide opportunities for leadership, collaboration, and creativity.For almost two centuries, Rensselaer has maintained its reputation for providing an undergraduate education of undisputed intellectual rigor based on educational innovation in the laboratory, classroom, and studio.
Driven by talented, dedicated, and forward-thinking faculty, Rensselaer has dramatically expanded the research enterprise by leveraging our existing strengths and focusing on five signature research areas: biotechnology and the life sciences; energy and the environment; computational science and engineering; nanotechnology and advanced materials; and media, arts, science, and technology.
The Institute is especially well-known for its success in the transfer of technology from the laboratory to the marketplace so that new discoveries and inventions benefit human life, protect the environment, and strengthen economic development.
Academic Approach and Educational Innovations
Rensselaer is anchored by two vibrant roots:
The Rensselaer Plan 2024
Armed with our intellects, our energy, and a bold vision for the future, we launched a process to realize the mission of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in new and tangible ways. We conceived and implemented The Rensselaer Plan , to bring new meaning, and new substance, to the question we ask ourselves as the first technological university in the nation: Why not change the world?
We began our journey of transformation where necessity demanded. We have made major investments in our people, programs, platforms, and partnerships; and, together, we have brought about a true Renaissance at Rensselaer. These investments have enabled us to transform Rensselaer into a top-tier technological research university with global reach and global impact. That transformation serves as a solid foundation on which we will build even greater achievements in the future.
Our journey of transformation continues, under The Rensselaer Plan 2024 . In the same spirit as its precursor, the revised Plan is evergreen, prepared to grow and evolve, as the Institute grows and evolves. In advancing The Rensselaer Plan 2024, we are moving from transforming Rensselaer to Rensselaer being transformative: transformative in our students' lives; transformative in our innovative pedagogy, nationally and internationally; transformative in the global impact of our research.