Team Leader for Operations and Cleaning in Emdrup

Team Leader for operations and cleaning in Emdrup

Fixed-term position at Arts Building Service – Aarhus University

We are seeking an experienced team leader who from January 2027 until 31 January 2028 will lead 12 employees – 5 in operations and 7 in the cleaning area.

You will join an organization where there is a need for clear leadership, prioritization, and development of daily working methods. The operations department must be developed with a clearer division of responsibility, more uniform workflows, and a higher degree of systematic planning and task follow-up. At the same time, Aarhus University is examining whether the cleaning task should, now or in the future, be fully or partly carried out by an external supplier.

Not all future frameworks are therefore clarified when you take up the position. Your most important task will be to ensure clear and engaged staff management, smooth daily operations, and a good occupational safety handling of the uncertainty that considerations about the future of the cleaning area naturally create.

People management is the most important pivot of the position. We emphasize that you have experience in leading staff, can conduct difficult conversations, and ensure follow-up on agreements and expectations. The role also requires that you can form a solid overview, plan and structure your own and the team’s work, and translate many simultaneous needs into clear and realistic priorities.

About the position

As team leader you will have overall personnel responsibility for the employees within operations and cleaning in Emdrup.

In the operations area you will be responsible for daily leadership and for ensuring that the operational tasks are planned, allocated, and followed up. You must create an overview of tasks and resources and make it clear who is responsible, and when a task is satisfactorily completed.

In the cleaning area, daily work planning and coordination of our supervision assistant are handled. You have personnel responsibility and will, together with the supervisor, follow up on quality, staffing, well-being, and cooperation.

There is a need to develop the working method in both operations and cleaning. This includes planning, task management, documentation, and follow-up. You must be able to identify areas with the greatest need for improvement and implement changes at a realistic pace with employee involvement.

In the operations area, the use of Dalux FM must be strengthened. The system should be used in a structured way for registration, task management, documentation, and follow-up. You can draw on the experiences and workflows from colleagues in Aarhus here.

Everyday life will consist of both people management, planned operational tasks, and matters requiring immediate action. It is therefore important that you can structure your own and the team’s work, change the priorities when necessary, and at the same time maintain an overview of ongoing tasks and agreements.

You report to the head of operations and carry out the daily local leadership in Emdrup. At the same time, you will be part of the management team and the cross-cutting collaboration in Arts Building Service. Your leadership colleagues and the colleagues in building administration are based in Aarhus. You should therefore expect one to two working days per month in Aarhus – primarily for meetings, sparring, and joint management tasks.

Your fixed base is in Emdrup, but you will not be alone with the management task. The head of operations, the other managers, and colleagues from building administration regularly work in Emdrup, and there will be ongoing contact and sparring across the two locations.

Your most important tasks

You will, among other things

• take responsibility for the 12 employees distributed across operations and cleaning, including performance appraisals (MUS), ongoing individual conversations, sickness absence follow-up, and competence development
• handle difficult personnel situations and ensure clear and respectful follow-up on agreements and expectations
• plan, prioritize, and coordinate operational tasks and follow up on quality and progress
• take responsibility for the overall management of the cleaning area in close collaboration with the supervising assistant
• plan staffing, vacations, and days off
• develop workflows and improve planning, documentation, and follow-up in both operations and cleaning
• increase the use of Dalux FM as a tool for task management in operations and cleaning
• support the employees while the future organization of the cleaning area is being examined
• maintain ongoing and close dialogue with DPU and other users about needs, priorities, and quality in task execution
• collaborate with external tradespeople and suppliers and follow up on minor maintenance and operations tasks
• contribute to resource and budget follow-up in collaboration with the head of operations
• participate in joint management tasks and collaboration with colleagues in Aarhus on relevant workflows and common standards.

We particularly value that you

• have experience in personnel management and professional leadership, preferably of different trades
• can create clear frameworks and maintain motivation and security when employees experience uncertainty
• can conduct difficult conversations in a good and professional manner
• have a strong ability to plan, create overview, and structure both your own and the team’s tasks
• can handle urgent tasks without losing momentum in planned efforts
• can identify opportunities for improvement and translate them into concrete changes in daily task execution
• have a craftsman or property management background and practical understanding of building operations
• have a basic understanding of common building installations such as CTS, plumbing, and electricity
• can consult with employees on technical matters and follow up on external suppliers’ work
• are comfortable with Outlook and the Office suite in general
• communicate in Danish in writing and speaking and can make yourself understood in English.

Experience with Dalux FM or similar facility management systems is an advantage but not a requirement. Experience from property services, a housing organization, or another larger operations organization is also an advantage.

Your educational background may vary. We assume you have a craft-based education, are trained as a property service technician, or have achieved a similar practical and technical understanding through your career.

What matters is not only how many years you have been in a leadership role. We especially emphasize how you exercise personnel management, create structure, and follow up on both staff, tasks, and user needs.

We offer

You will become part of the management team in Arts Building Service and will have close cooperation with the head of operations and experienced colleagues in Emdrup and Aarhus. This gives you the opportunity to develop your leadership experience and gain insight into operations and decision-making processes in a large and politically led organization.

There will be opportunities for relevant courses and competence development based on the position’s tasks and your experience. You will also receive ongoing professional and leadership sparring and can draw on the knowledge and working methods that exist across the department.

Further information

The position is 37 hours per week and is fixed-term until 31 January 2028.

Depending on how the cleaning task is to be carried out in the future, and how your profile fits the future organization, there may be a possibility of permanent employment.

Workplace is the Emdrup campus, Tuborgvej 164, 2400 Copenhagen NV. and the start date is 4 January 2027 .

You should expect one to two working days per month in Aarhus, primarily for meetings with leadership colleagues and colleagues in building administration.

Application interviews will be held on 24 and 25 November.

If you have concrete questions about the position, you are welcome to contact the operations manager Mike Brorson Christensen at [email protected]. You can also arrange a telephone interview by email.

Aarhus University wishes to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and sees equal opportunity and diversity as a strength. We therefore encourage all interested to apply.

Salary and terms of employment

You are employed under the prevailing collective agreement.

Aarhus University wants to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and desires a culture where each individual can develop and grow. We see equal opportunity and diversity as a resource and therefore encourage all interested to apply.

About Arts

Faculty of Arts is one of Northern Europe’s most important faculties for research and higher education within the humanities, theology, and pedagogy. Within this breadth, the faculty houses about 700 researchers, 200 PhD students, 9,000 bachelor’s and master’s students, and 1,500 continuing education students. We believe the best ideas arise from meeting between different perspectives – and that research, teaching, and innovation develop best in dialogue with the society around us.

You can find more information here Faculty of Arts | Aarhus University

Applications should be submitted through Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed via the job advertisement on Aarhus University’s website.

About Aarhus University

Aarhus University is a academically broad and research-intensive university with high quality in education and research, and a strong commitment to societal development nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring educational and research environment for 37,500 students including PhD students and has 9,000 employees full-time equivalents and an annual turnover of 8.9 billion DKK. Read more at au.dk