An industrial cleaning HR manager hires and keeps crews for plant cleaning and shutdown work. They run onboarding and training records, plan hiring around the shutdown calendar, and keep drug testing, temp labor and training rules in line with OSHA and state law.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, building services companies · BLS, May 2025
Responsible for overseeing the full spectrum of human resources functions within our industrial cleaning & degreasing division, ensuring we attract, develop, and retain top talent while maintaining strict regulatory compliance. Plays a key role in driving our company’s operational excellence by designing effective recruiting and training strategies, and ensuring adherence to OSHA and other safety standards. Serves as a strategic partner to management, aligning HR initiatives with business objectives to foster growth and a positive work culture. Acts as the principal point of contact for all HR-related matters within the division, ensuring efficient and effective HR service delivery.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Lead the recruitment process for all positions, from job postings to interviewing, ensuring a diverse and highly skilled candidate pool.
Develop and implement comprehensive training programs tailored to industrial cleaning and degreasing operations.
Ensure regulatory compliance with OSHA and other relevant industry standards by regularly reviewing and updating policies and procedures.
Collaborate with senior management to devise and execute HR strategies that support overall business goals and operational efficiency.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Conduct daily reviews of job applicant pipelines and coordinate with hiring managers to schedule interviews.
Facilitate training sessions and workshops to enhance employee skills and awareness of safety protocols.
Monitor and enforce safety standards, ensuring that all team members adhere to regulatory compliance guidelines.
Prepare and update HR documentation and reports, (e.g., compliance records and training progress) for management review.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Employee Turnover Rate: Target less than 10%.
Training Completion Rate: Achieve greater than 95% certification and compliance among employees.
Recruitment Time-to-Fill: Maintain an average of under 30 days per open position.
Compliance Audit Success: Reach 100% adherence to regulatory standards during internal and external audits.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
Minimum of 5 years of HR management experience, preferably within an industrial or home services environment.
Strong knowledge of OSHA regulations and other relevant safety standards.
Excellent communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Prior experience in the industrial cleaning, degreasing, or home services industries.
Proven success in implementing effective recruiting and training initiatives.
Experience managing HR in a unionized or highly regulated environment.
Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally with operational and executive teams.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to perform mostly desk-based work with occasional site visits.
Must be able to navigate office and industrial environments.
Occasionally required to spend time in areas with elevated noise or variable temperatures.
Ability to sit or stand for extended periods while attending meetings or training sessions.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard office hours with occasional extended hours during peak recruitment periods.
Some travel required between company locations or to industry events and training sessions.
Occasional on-call duties, particularly during urgent compliance or staffing needs.
Collaborative work environment with regular interactions across various departments.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Annual salary range of $70,000 - $90,000 USD, commensurate with experience and qualifications.
Performance-based bonuses available based on department and company targets.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance packages.
401(k) plan with company matching, along with other fringe benefits such as paid time off and professional development opportunities.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We are a forward-thinking organization that values integrity, teamwork, and continuous improvement. At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we strive to create a supportive and dynamic work environment where every employee is empowered to contribute their best. Our commitment to excellence drives us to invest in our people, ensuring that you have the tools and opportunities to grow professionally while making a tangible impact in the industrial cleaning and degreasing sector.
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 HR at an industrial cleaning company
HR here serves crews who work in loud plants around chemicals, often next to temps added for a shutdown. Four areas take more of the HR manager's time.
Loud work brings hearing tests and yearly training
Water blasting and vacuum trucks can be loud. OSHA's noise rule calls for a hearing conservation program once exposure reaches an eight-hour average of 85 decibels. Workers then get a baseline hearing test within six months of their first exposure at that level. Training is repeated every year. Have noise measured on your loudest jobs and keep the records in order. Source: eCFR: 29 CFR 1910.95, occupational noise exposure.
State drug testing rules shift, as in Oklahoma
As one state example, Oklahoma's HB 3127 amends its medical marijuana law starting November 1, 2026. It holds applicants and employees in safety-sensitive jobs to a zero-tolerance drug and alcohol standard. Its list of safety-sensitive duties includes handling or disposing of hazardous materials and running vehicles, machinery or power tools. Action on a test must follow a written policy under the state's testing act. Rules vary by state, so have counsel review your policy. Source: Oklahoma Legislature: Enrolled House Bill 3127 (2026), amending 63 O.S. 427.8.
Train in the language the crew speaks
OSHA's training policy says workers must get required training in words and a language they understand. Handing reading material to a worker who can't read doesn't count. If your crews include Spanish speakers, teach the hazard, lockout and tank entry lessons in Spanish too. Check what they learned with a hands-on demo, not just a signature. Source: OSHA: Training Standards Policy Statement, April 28, 2010.
Shutdown temps are your workers too
Big shutdowns often mean adding workers from a staffing agency. OSHA says the agency and the host employer share responsibility for temp workers' safety. The host usually gives the training tied to its own equipment and hazards. Write the split into the staffing contract: who trains, who supplies gear, who keeps records and who reports an injury. Source: OSHA: Protecting Temporary Workers.
How much industrial cleaning & degreasing HR managers make
The closest BLS group for industrial cleaning & degreasing HR managers is human resources managers. Human resources managers who work for building and home services companies earned a median of $109,990 a year ($52.88 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $149,280 median for human resources managers in all industries. About 420 of the 220,660 human resources managers in that survey work for building services companies.
Most are salaried, often with a yearly bonus. BLS pay for HR managers here runs higher than this template at both ends: its floor is under the low end and its ceiling under the median. That band may fit a one-person HR office better than a manager with a team.
Building services companies
$109,990$109,990 median Middle half $90,180–$145,660 10th–90th $75,280–$179,490
All industries
$149,280$149,280 median Middle half $111,110–$199,290 10th–90th $88,200–$267,810
$50k$100k$150k$200k$250k$300k
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
$75,280
$90,180
$109,990
$145,660
$179,490
All industries
$88,200
$111,110
$149,280
$199,290
$267,810
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
Five or more years running HR for hourly field crews
Working knowledge of OSHA training and recordkeeping rules
Hiring at volume ahead of a busy shutdown season
Fair, consistent handling of discipline and drug test results
Training that works for crews with mixed languages and reading levels
Teach these on the job
Your plant customers' site rules and orientations
Your hearing, respirator and tank entry programs
State rules in the places your crews work
Your staffing agency contracts
Your HR, payroll and training record systems
The job runs on payroll and HR software, a hiring tracker, and a training records system that shows who is cleared for which tasks and plants. Keep hearing test results from your testing vendor in medical files, apart from personnel files.
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 · Recruiting
You need technicians willing to work nights and weekends during plant shutdowns in heavy protective gear. How do you recruit honestly?
A strong answer: Describes the real work and schedule in the ad and interview, offers a site tour or ride-along, and uses structured interviews.
Behavioral · Safety culture
Tell me about a time you helped build a culture where people reported safety problems.
A strong answer: Made reporting easy and free of blame, showed visible action on reports, and the number of reports went up.
The template's numbers are a first draft. After a year, swap in goals based on your own hiring, training and audit records.
Employee Turnover Rate
Divide separations by average headcount for the same period. Keep separate figures for crews and the office, and leave seasonal shutdown hires out of the year-round number.
Training Completion Rate
Compare the trainings each role requires with completed, current records. Count a training current only when the record shows the date, trainer and topic.
Recruitment Time-to-Fill
Time each hire from the approval of the opening to the candidate's yes. Track crew roles and office roles separately.
Compliance Audit Success
List the findings from customer audits, insurance audits and internal checks. Record each finding, its fix and the date it closed.
Career path
HR coordinatorHandles hiring paperwork, onboarding and training schedules.
Safety and training coordinatorRuns crew orientations and keeps training files current.
HR managerOwns hiring, policies and training for the whole company.
HR directorSets people plans across branches and works with senior leaders.
Other roles in an industrial cleaning & degreasing business
The HR template mentions noise and changing temperatures. What does that involve?
It covers trips to plant floors, tank farms and job sites. The HR manager goes there to hold orientations, check training or meet crews during a shutdown. Those areas can be loud, hot or cold, so the HR manager wears the plant's required gear and hearing protection. Long meetings and training sessions, sitting or standing, are part of the job too.
How much does an industrial cleaning & degreasing HR manager make?
Human resources managers who work for building and home services companies earned a median of $109,990 a year ($52.88 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $90,180 and $145,660 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
A plant has barred one of our crew members. How should HR respond?
Many plant contracts let the customer remove a contractor's worker from its site. Get the reason in writing. Look into it as you would any conduct report, and decide on discipline under your own policies. If the worker did nothing wrong, look for work at other customers before you treat the ban as a reason to let them go.
How can HR get good shutdown workers to come back next season?
Keep a list of seasonal workers you would rehire, with their training dates and site clearances. Stay in touch between seasons, pay on time, and share shutdown dates early. Some companies pay a return bonus to workers who finish a whole shutdown. Schedule any refresher training before the season starts.
Why does the HR template mention union experience?
It can matter. Some plant customers have union maintenance staff, and their contracts may limit which tasks outside contractors do. That is the plant's agreement, but it shapes your scope of work. If your own workers start talking about forming a union, call labor counsel before you say or do anything about it.
