Women’s and Children’s Emergency Shelter

Employment Opportunity for DTFN Members

Janitorial Worker

Location: Dene Tha’ First Nation Women’s and Children’s Emergency Shelter
Reports to: Facility Manager
Available Position Type: Full-Time and 1 Casual Positions
Schedule: Monday to Friday, daytime hours, with flexibility required to support shelter operations

Position Overview

The Janitorial Worker is responsible for maintaining a clean, sanitary, safe, and welcoming environment within Dene Tha’ First Nation’s Women’s and Children’s Emergency Shelter. This role directly supports the health, safety, dignity, and well-being of women, children, staff, and visitors by ensuring that all shelter spaces are maintained to high standards of cleanliness and hygiene within a trauma-informed service setting.

Operating within a women’s and children’s emergency shelter, the Janitorial Worker must carry out all duties with discretion, respect for privacy, and cultural sensitivity, recognizing that residents may be experiencing trauma, crisis, or vulnerability. While this role does not provide direct clinical or maintenance, it plays a critical coordination and monitoring function by identifying and reporting maintenance, health, or safety concerns promptly to the appropriate department to ensure timely response and continuity of safe shelter operations.

Core Responsibilities

Cleaning, Sanitation, and Infection Control

• Perform routine and deep cleaning of all shelter areas, including resident rooms, bathrooms, common areas, hallways, offices, kitchen, and shared spaces.
• Sanitize high-touch surfaces and common areas in accordance with public health standards and infection prevention practices.
• Collect, separate, and dispose of garbage, recycling, and biohazard waste in designated containers in accordance with safety guidelines.
• Use appropriate cleaning agents, disinfectants, and equipment in accordance with manufacturer instructions, WHMIS requirements, and shelter procedures.

Laundry and Linen Management

• Wash, dry, fold, and store linens, towels, and non-personal laundry according to established infection-control standards.
• Complete full room turnovers following client departures, including thorough cleaning, sanitizing, and restocking of supplies to prepare rooms for new residents.
• Monitor laundry equipment for safe operation and promptly report malfunctions or concerns.

Health, Safety, and Environmental Monitoring

• Conduct daily visual checks of rooms and common areas to identify cleanliness issues, safety hazards, or maintenance concerns.
• Monitor for odors, pest activity, or materials that may attract pests or violate public health or shelter guidelines and report concerns through established procedures.
• Follow safe lifting practices, chemical handling protocols, and workplace health and safety standards at all times.
• Maintain logs or checklists related to cleaning schedules, sanitation practices, monitor cleaning product/equipment inventory and identify safety concerns on the property.

Facility Support, Maintenance Coordination, and Team Collaboration

• Serve as the primary on-site contact within the shelter for facility-related cleaning, reporting, and coordinating building maintenance needs with Dene Tha’s Operations and Maintenance Department, including emergency repairs, pest issues, and other maintenance or repair issues.
• Promptly report required repairs, seasonal maintenance needs, or hazards to the Facility Manager and through established maintenance reporting channels.
• Support coordination of access to the facility for Operations and Maintenance staff as required to address identified issues.
• Assist with setup and cleanup for meetings, workshops, training sessions, or community events held within the shelter.
• Support general shelter operations related to janitorial services, overall cleanliness and safety as requested by management while on duty.
• Perform cleaning as needed in occupied spaces while minimizing disruption and maintaining resident privacy and dignity.
• Support a clean, respectful, and welcoming environment through professional conduct and cultural awareness.

Shared Shelter-Wide Responsibilities

All employees of the DTFN Women’s and Children’s Emergency Shelter work within the context of a 24/7 emergency shelter environment and share responsibility for upholding the safety, dignity, confidentiality, and well-being of all clients, children, families, staff, and the facility. While not all positions are shift-based or client-facing, all staff are expected to contribute to the effective and professional operation of the shelter by responding appropriately to safety concerns within the scope of their role, communicating concerns promptly to on-shift staff or management, and supporting colleagues during high-volume or critical situations as reasonably required.

All staff are expected to maintain ongoing compliance with confidentiality and privacy obligations and to participate in required trauma-informed, cultural safety, and role-specific training throughout their employment. These obligations are fundamental conditions of continued employment within the shelter.

Qualifications

• Experience in custodial, janitorial, housekeeping, or similar roles, preferably in residential, healthcare, or community service settings.
• Knowledge of cleaning standards, infection-prevention practices, and safe chemical handling.
• WHMIS, First Aid and CPR certification (or willingness to obtain)
• Demonstrated reliability, attention to detail, and ability to work independently
• High level of discretion and respect for confidentiality in a trauma-informed environment
• Familiarity with Indigenous culture, values, and community context is a strong asset
• Valid Class 5 Driver’s License and ability to travel as required.
• Successful completion of a Criminal Record Check and Child Intervention Check

Work Environment and Conditions

• Full-time daytime role operating Monday to Friday within a women’s and children’s emergency shelter
• Physically demanding work environment requiring lifting, bending, standing, and use of commercial cleaning equipment
• Trauma-exposed environment requiring professionalism, emotional awareness, discretion, and respectful conduct at all times.

Closing Date: September 28, 2026

Send resume with a Criminal Record and Child Intervention checks to:

Human Resources Manager
Dene Tha’ First Nation
Box 958 High Level, AB T0H 1Z0
Phone: 780 926-2786 or Fax: (780) 926-5730
Email: DoreenA@denetha.ca

We thank all candidates in advance; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.