Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS This is an open continuous announcement until 8/29/2026. Initial cutoff day for referral of eligible applications will be 1/22/2026. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available.

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The Housekeeping Aid - Environmental Services Technician executes a full range of housekeeping activities in patient and non-patient care areas. These duties include, but are limited to the following:

• Use of powered cleaning equipment for proper and efficient accomplishment (e.g.: buffing and polishing machines of rotary, plate and drum design rotary; plate and drum type floor stripping units; tank, canister and upright vacuum cleaners, wet/dry vacuum cleaners, pressure washers, steam cleaners and spray cleaners, high speed and ultra-high speed electric and battery operated burnishers, walk behind and ride on battery operated and electric automatic scrubbers, rotary, extraction and bonnet type carpet shampooing equipment, and other powered equipment) to perform cleaning of rooms, areas, items of furniture or equipment, or specific architectural features (e.g.: floors, walls, baseboards, windows, metal fixtures, ceilings, etc.).
• Use of cleaning chemicals (ex: sanitizer germicidal detergent disinfectants, deodorizers, odor neutralizers, and deodorants, acidic, alkaline and neutral cleaners, floor strippers, floor finishes for hard and resilient floor surfaces, metal polishes which must be used, applied, and removed in accordance with specific label directions to assure the safety and protection of personnel and property).
• Make beds, change linens, collect soiled linens, remove, transport, repackage, dispose and store general waste, regulated medical waste, chemotherapeutic waste and radioactive waste, and may deliver clean linen and supplies.
• Check and replenish consumable supplies (e.g.: soap, hand towels, toilet tissue, bottled water, latex gloves, etc.) in the course of cleaning and servicing rooms and areas within the Medical Center.
• Remove, transport, repackage, dispose and store sharps as a part of service rendered to clinics in patient rooms, and may replace filled sharps containers with empty containers.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Pre-employment physical required
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/29/2026.

EXPERIENCE: A specific length of training and experience is not required, but you must show evidence of training or experience of sufficient scope and quality of your ability to do the work of this position. Evidence which demonstrates you possess the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of this position must be supported by detailed descriptions of such on your resume. Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualification Standards.

SCREEN-OUT ELEMENT: Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the on-line questionnaire. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements:


Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

NOTE: You must provide detailed information of your experience performed. Information such as "I was a housekeeper or housekeeping aid" is insufficient to determine your qualifications. Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hour worked per week.

WORKING CONDITIONS: Work is normally performed indoors with adequate heat, light, and ventilation. Some work may be performed outdoors where there may be exposed to varying degrees of heat and cold as well as inclement weather. PPE may be required in some circumstance as exposure to possible contagious diseases, blood and bloody secretion are inherent to this position. Care is required to avoid serious injuries (i.e., broken bones) when working on ladders, or when using 30-100-pound power equipment or handling hazardous materials.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.