Building Steward

Job Title: Building Steward
FLSA Status: Full Time, Non-Exempt 
Reports to: Fleet and Facilities Logistics Manager
Work Location: Marion Barry Avenue Market, 1303 Marion Barry Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20020
Compensation: $22.37 - $23.73 per hour

Dreaming Out Loud, Inc.

Dreaming Out Loud’s mission is to create economic opportunities for the DC metro region’s marginalized communities through building a healthy, equitable food system. We are rebuilding urban, community-based food systems through cooperative social enterprise: increasing access to healthy food, improving community health, supporting entrepreneurs and cooperatives from low-income communities, and creating opportunities for at-risk residents to earn sustainable, family-supporting wages and build wealth. We believe that all communities deserve equal access to fresh, healthy food choices, but that achieving this requires moving beyond the “access” paradigm to a focus on community self-determination and food sovereignty. Utilizing the food system as a catalyst, we are working to create an integrated pipeline to jobs, economic opportunity, and community wealth-building for our most marginalized communities.

Position Summary

The Building Steward contributes to the overall aesthetic, cleanliness, and efficiency of the Food Hub by ensuring all spaces, especially our kitchen, preparation, and dining areas, are consistently clean, sanitized, and ready for use. This role is ideal for someone who takes pride in maintaining a high standard of cleanliness in food-handling environments.

Key Responsibilities

General Cleaning & Dusting
• Dust all rooms, furniture, and surfaces.
• Clean and polish metal fixtures, light fixtures, table surfaces, counters, shelves, office equipment, and door handles.
• Wash windows and dust windowsills.
• Wipe down and clean the walls.

Floor Care
• Vacuum carpets and rugs.
• Mop all hard floors throughout the building, with extra attention to kitchen, preparation, and dining spaces.
• Sweep and clean the patio area; wipe down patio furniture.
• Sweep the front walkway and parking area.

Kitchen & Food-Prep Area Cleaning
• Wash dishes, utensils, and small equipment to food-safe standards.
• Wipe down, sanitize, and maintain kitchen countertops, prep tables, sinks, and shelving.
• Regularly clean and sanitize high-touch and high-use areas in the kitchen, including appliance exteriors (e.g., refrigerators, ovens, microwaves).
• Ensure all kitchen cleaning is done in accordance with health and safety standards.

Waste Management & Recycling
• Empty waste baskets and transport trash to the dumpster.
• Collect and properly handle recyclable materials.

Restroom Maintenance
• Clean, sanitize, and restock restrooms.
• Scrub toilets and toilet seats.
• Wipe down and sanitize sinks and the exterior of toilets.
• Clean all fixtures, including paper towel and toilet paper dispensers.
• Ensure toilet paper, paper towels, and soap are fully stocked.

Laundry & Building Support
• Transport laundry, run wash and dry cycles, and fold laundry as needed.
• Assist with inventory control.
• Move furniture, equipment, and supplies as needed.
• Clean and shovel patios, walkways, parking areas, and entryways as needed.
• Clean exterior HVAC vents.
• Attend departmental staff meetings and essential safety and security training.

Security & Reporting
• Follow all security protocols and immediately report potential security weaknesses.
• Report any damage, burned-out light bulbs, or plumbing problems.
• Lock and unlock the building as required, ensuring it’s secure when unoccupied.
• Check for unlocked doors and turn off all lights before leaving an unoccupied building.

The duties and responsibilities contained herein are representative of the essential functions of this position. The dynamic nature of our work requires flexibility and our collaborative environment necessitates cross-functional support. Employees are expected to adapt to our ever-evolving organizational and community needs and perform other duties as assigned to contribute to Dreaming Out Loud’s success.

Required Skills and Experience
• Minimum of 1 year of relevant experience in janitorial/custodial or environmental services, with hands-on kitchen or food-prep area cleaning preferred.
• Comfort and experience working and communicating with people from various backgrounds.
• Independent, hardworking, and dependable.
• Experience engaging in successful teamwork.
• Ability to work in various weather conditions.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to perform physically strenuous work including lifting, pushing, pulling, reaching, bending, stooping, and utilizing ladders and step stools.
• Ability to stand for 4 or more hours.
• Ability to wear a mask, gloves, and other protective wear for 4 or more hours.
• Hepatitis B vaccination required due to the high risk of exposure to biological material (cost covered by Dreaming Out Loud).
• Ability to work evenings and weekends.

Benefits
• Generous Paid Time Off
• Health and Dental Insurance
• Monthly Cell Phone Stipend
• Flexible Spending Accounts for Transit, Parking, and Healthcare
• Transit Assistance through SmartBenefits
• 401(k) match up to 5%
• 100% Employer Sponsored Life Insurance
• 100% Employer Sponsored Short and Long-Term Disability

Equal Employment Opportunity

Dreaming Out Loud Inc. provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Dreaming Out Loud complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the organization has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, and transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.