Description

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice's culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name - RICE - Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:

The Cohen House Steward provides routine and event-driven housekeeping and stewarding support for Rice University's Faculty Club. Duties include daily cleaning of offices, restrooms, kitchens, dining rooms, and public areas; dishwashing support; trash and linen removal; floor care; and maintaining sanitation and organization in both front-of-house and back-of-house spaces. The Steward also assists with bussing tables during lunch service, flipping rooms for banquets, and supporting event setup and breakdown.

This position works closely with the culinary team, banquet captains, and event staff to ensure Cohen House is clean, guest-ready, and maintained to Rice Hospitality standards. The Steward may be required to unlock and secure the building, report maintenance issues, and perform special custodial and event-support assignments as needed.

This position is considered essential during a campus emergency. The incumbent is expected to report to campus, provide designated essential services, and work under the direction of the Crisis Management Team for the duration of the emergency.

Ideal Candidate Statement:

The ideal candidate has experience working in a team environment and is comfortable in a fast-paced hospitality setting with shifting priorities. They should have at least one year of custodial, stewarding, or commercial kitchen experience and demonstrate strong attention to detail, dependability, and the ability to maintain cleanliness and organization in a high-traffic facility.

Workplace Requirements:

On-Campus Position:
This position is exclusively on-site, requiring all duties to be performed in person at Cohen House, Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Per Rice policy 440 , work arrangements may be subject to change.

Work Environment:
Combined indoor/outdoor work environment in kitchen facilities, dining spaces, offices, and event spaces. Work may occur in areas that are not climate-controlled and may include tight or restricted spaces.

Work Hazards:
Exposure to cleaning chemicals, wet/slippery floors, hot water, hot equipment, and commercial dishwashing machinery. Work may involve ladders, elevated areas, or outdoor surfaces.

Work Schedule:
Weekly schedule may vary and can include evenings, weekends, and occasional holidays based on event needs. Must be available to work any required shift. Overtime may be required during peak periods.

Physical Demands:
Moderate to heavy physical activity, including the ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs.; walk or stand for up to 8 hours a day; bend, stoop, crouch, kneel, climb, balance, and reach. Must be able to perform repetitive motion tasks and handle commercial cleaning tools and dishwashing equipment.

This role is classified as an essential position, requiring on-site presence to effectively carry out its vital functions.

Hiring Range: $15.00-$18.00 per hour
*Non-Exempt (hourly) positions under FLSA are eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements:

• No formal education required
• 2+ years of related custodial, stewarding, or floor-care experience
• Valid Houston Food Handler Certificate or equivalent (ServSafe)

• Knowledge of cleaning chemicals, sanitation standards, and safety procedures
• Ability to operate commercial dishwashers, basic custodial equipment, and floor-care tools
• Ability to speak and understand basic English
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively in a team
• Ability to follow directions and complete assigned tasks with minimal supervision

• Cleans offices, restrooms, kitchens, hallways, dining rooms, and public spaces
• Vacuums, sweeps, dusts, and mops floors throughout Cohen House
• Washes, sanitizes, and stores dishes, utensils, pots, pans, and service ware (as needed)
• Removes dirty linens and kitchen trash; transports waste to dumpsters
• Busses tables during daily lunch service
• Assists with room flips and event setup for banquets, receptions, and meetings
• Cleans and polishes furniture, doors, mirrors, glass, and other surfaces
• Replenishes custodial supplies, restroom items, and sanitizer stations
• Cleans exterior entrances, patio areas, and kitchen ramps; leaf-blows outdoor spaces as needed
• Performs periodic deep-cleaning tasks (steam carpet cleaning, window washing, vent dusting, pressure washing)
• Identifies and reports needed repairs or maintenance issues
• Assists other custodians and hospitality staff as needed
• Unlocks/locks building and secures areas at beginning or end of shift, if assigned
• Performs all other duties assigned by supervisor or team lead

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University's Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or adarice@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.