Industrial cleaning field supervisor job description
An industrial cleaning field supervisor runs the crews on plant jobs, checking each work area for hazards before and during the wash and walking the finished area with the plant's contact. They solve problems on the floor, from a blocked drain to a pump that won't hold pressure, so the plant gets its equipment back on time.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, building services companies · BLS, May 2025
Industrial Cleaning & Degreasing - Field Supervisor
Company Name:
[INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE]
Department:
Operations
Reports to:
[Production Manager]
Location:
[INSERT LOCATION HERE]
1. Position Summary
Oversee and manage daily operations at industrial cleaning worksites, ensuring strict adherence to safety protocols and high-quality service delivery. Serve as the primary point of contact for on-site challenges, maintaining a safe work environment and enforcing hazard protocols.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Inspect worksites regularly to ensure compliance with safety and operational protocols.
Enforce industrial cleaning and degreasing standards to meet company and regulatory requirements.
Resolve on-site challenges swiftly by coordinating with team members and management.
Provide leadership and mentorship to field staff to ensure continual operational excellence.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Conduct daily inspections of cleaning worksites and document compliance statuses.
Oversee the implementation of hazard protocols by team members and offer on-site guidance.
Interact with clients to address concerns and provide updates on project progress.
Coordinate with supply chain and maintenance teams to ensure readiness of cleaning equipment and supplies.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Worksite Inspection Compliance: > 95% compliance rate on safety inspections.
On-site Incident Resolution: < 3 incidents per quarter reported.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: > 4.8 stars as measured through follow-up surveys.
Team Efficiency: Achieve a capacity efficiency of at least 90% during project execution.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field or equivalent experience.
Minimum of 3 years’ experience in industrial cleaning, degreasing, or related field supervision.
Strong leadership and communication skills, with a proven ability to manage teams.
Proficient in enforcing and understanding OSHA and other industrial safety protocols.
6. Preferred Experience
Previous experience in an industrial environment specializing in cleaning and degreasing.
Demonstrated hands-on experience with industrial cleaning equipment and technologies.
Familiarity with hazard analysis and risk assessment practices in industrial settings.
Experience in training and developing team members in high-risk environments.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs in a workday.
Frequent exposure to industrial environments including hot, cold, and occasionally confined spaces.
Standing, walking, and climbing ladders or other equipment required for inspections.
Capability to perform physical tasks involved in cleaning and maintenance activities.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Work predominantly in on-site industrial settings with occasional office meetings.
Typical work hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM with occasional overtime as needed.
Some travel between worksites is required.
Occasional on-call responsibilities for urgent operational challenges.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $55,000 - $70,000 USD per annum based on experience and qualifications.
Eligibility for performance-based bonuses and incentive programs.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.
401(k) plan with company match and additional fringe benefits as applicable.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We foster a collaborative and growth-oriented work environment where innovation and safety are paramount.
Our team is committed to excellence and continuous improvement, ensuring every employee thrives.
We value diversity, integrity, and accountability, striving to set the benchmark in industrial cleaning services.
Join a company that is dedicated to professional development and rewarding your contributions.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
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What changes for a field supervisor in industrial cleaning
The crew works inside someone else's plant, with water, heat and strong cleaners next to equipment that has to run again tomorrow. A supervisor coming from janitorial or building trades work won't have handled what follows.
Wet floors are part of the job plan
OSHA's walking-working surfaces rule says workroom floors stay clean and, where feasible, dry. When wet processes are used, drainage must be kept working, with mats or platforms for dry footing where feasible. Washing makes floors wet on purpose, so the supervisor checks drains first and squeegees any walkway plant staff still use. On a North Dakota loading dock in January, rinse water turns to ice, and the rule names ice as a hazard too. Source: OSHA: Walking-working surfaces, general requirements (29 CFR 1910.22).
Tank tops and catwalks need fall protection
Crews often work from the tops of tanks, hoppers and mezzanines. OSHA's rule says anyone working by an unprotected edge at 4 feet or higher gets guardrails, a net, or a personal fall arrest, restraint or positioning system. Fixed ladders that rise more than 24 feet need a ladder safety system or fall arrest. A cage or well still counts only on ladders installed before November 19, 2018, and only until November 18, 2036. Check what the plant has before anyone climbs. Source: OSHA: Duty to have fall protection and falling object protection (29 CFR 1910.28).
Cover the panels before the water starts
Water or degreaser inside a motor, control box or sensor can keep a line down long after the cleaning is done. Before washing, walk the area with the plant's maintenance lead, agree which boxes and motors get bagged and taped, and photograph each one. At the end, take the covers off in the same order and write down anything that got wet.
Leave the inspection where the plant can read it
Plants judge a contractor by its paperwork as much as by its cleaning. Use the plant's own checklist when it has one, note each hazard found and what the crew did about it, and hand a copy to the shift contact before the crew leaves. That record answers the morning shift's questions while you're already at the next site.
How much industrial cleaning field supervisors make
The closest BLS group for industrial cleaning field supervisors is First-Line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers. First-Line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers who work for building and home services companies earned a median of $23.11 an hour ($48,070 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about the same as the $49,100 median for First-Line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers in all industries. About 66,480 of the 178,760 First-Line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers in that survey work for building services companies.
Pay is normally a salary, with a bonus when jobs run safely and on schedule. BLS has no separate code for industrial cleaning supervisors; its figures here cover janitorial and housekeeping supervisors in the building services sector, whose median sits below the template's range.
Building services companies
$48,070$48,070 median Middle half $39,370–$62,180 10th–90th $34,490–$75,640
All industries
$49,100$49,100 median Middle half $40,100–$62,600 10th–90th $35,520–$76,430
$20k$30k$40k$50k$60k$70k$80k$90k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Building services companies
$34,490
$39,370
$48,070
$62,180
$75,640
All industries
$35,520
$40,100
$49,100
$62,600
$76,430
BLS doesn’t publish pay for industrial cleaning companies on their own. These figures cover services to buildings and dwellings, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has run cleaning or maintenance crews inside working plants
Spots a missing permit, cover or barricade before work starts
Talks plainly with plant maintenance and production leads
Writes clear daily notes and incident reports the same day
Knows how pressure washers, steam units and industrial vacuums act when something is wrong
Teach these on the job
Your inspection checklist and photo standard
Each customer's site rules, gate process and contacts
Your job ticket and timekeeping software
The cleaners your company stocks and their mixing charts
How to rig covers and drain protection for each plant's layout
Field supervisors carry a phone or tablet for checklists, photos and job tickets, and bring a gas meter where the plant's permit calls for one. They should know hot and cold pressure washers, steam units, foamers and industrial vacuums well enough to tell a crew mistake from a failing machine.
Industrial cleaning field supervisor interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Site orientation
The client's safety orientation is scheduled an hour after your crew is supposed to start. What do you do?
A strong answer: Doesn't start until the crew is oriented, tells the client and office, and uses the time for setup outside the work area if allowed.
Behavioral · Leading crews
Tell me about a time you had to correct a crew member who was more experienced than you.
A strong answer: Was respectful and direct, focused on the standard and the hazard rather than the person, and checked it was fixed.
The template's targets are only a start. Look at one quarter of your inspection and job records, then pick numbers your crews can reach and beat.
Worksite Inspection Compliance
From the daily checklists, count the safety items that passed and divide by the items checked. Review the misses item by item, not just the total.
On-site Incident Resolution
Log every injury, near miss, spill and piece of damaged plant equipment, with the date it closed and what fixed it. Count those still open at quarter end.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Ask the plant's contact to rate every job, and tie each score to the supervisor in charge that day. Read the comments, which say more than the stars.
Team Efficiency
Set actual crew hours beside the hours the bid or plan allowed. Track it by crew and by job type, so a slow tank clean doesn't hide inside quick floor work.
Career path
Lead technicianLeads one crew's hands-on work and coaches new technicians.
Field supervisorLeads several crews at once and is the plant's main contact on site.
Production managerWrites the cleaning methods and chemical rules every crew follows.
Operations managerRuns staffing, scheduling and equipment for the whole company.
Other roles in an industrial cleaning & degreasing business
What will a field supervisor lift, climb and enter on these jobs?
The template's physical lines describe real tasks. Lifting means carrying hoses, nozzles, pails and cover sheets up to 50 pounds. Climbing means ladders, stairs and catwalks to look at tanks and machines. Plant areas can be hot or cold, and some inspections mean looking into or entering a tank or pit under a signed entry permit. Listing each task lets candidates judge the job for themselves and raise any accommodation they need.
How much does an industrial cleaning field supervisor make?
First-Line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers who work for building and home services companies earned a median of $23.11 an hour ($48,070 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $39,370 and $62,180 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
The plant wants its line back early. What should the supervisor do?
Agree on the finish time at the pre-job meeting, and tell the plant contact as soon as the job starts to slip, not at the deadline. If they push to restart, finish the rinse and pull the covers, then walk the area with them so they see what's left. The crew never skips a step that keeps people safe, such as removing its own locks properly. The plant decides when its line runs; the supervisor decides when the crew is clear.
Should we hire a field supervisor from plant maintenance or from cleaning crews?
Both can work. A maintenance supervisor from a food or chemical plant knows permits and how plant managers think, but may not know pump pressures, nozzles and chemical mixing. A lead from an industrial cleaning crew knows the equipment but may not have dealt with plant managers. Choose the gap that's easier for you to train, and test it in the interview by walking through a real job you ran last month.
What goes on an industrial cleaning field supervisor's daily inspection?
Build it from the work, not a generic form. Before washing: drains open, panels and motors covered, barricades and signs up, permits posted, hoses and fittings sound. During: footing, labeled chemical containers, PPE worn as planned, spray kept off running equipment. After: covers off, walkways dry, waste contained, equipment counted back onto the truck. Photos at each stage settle questions later.
