Clarification from the agency

Open to current, permanent employees within the Cincinnati, OH (539) VAMC ONLY.

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Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Responsible for the planning, organization, staffing, controlling, evaluation, and directing the functions of a total Environmental Management Service operation.
• Holds responsibility over the Environmental Sanitation Program, Waste Management Program, Textile Care Program, Employee Uniform Program, Patients Assistant Program, Pest Control Program, Contract Services, and Compensate Work Therapy Program.
• Responsible for developing local procedures, SOPs, etc., to operate a coordinated facility-wide program that adopts policies issued by VA Central Office to meet local CVAMC needs.
• Develops and implements organizational structures and operating plans and procedures to achieve program goals and determines needs for resources and their appropriate allocation and effectiveness of use.
• Coordinates program efforts with other internal activities, top management and Central Office, as required.
• Serves as a key member of the medical center Director's top advisory board and is a member of the following committees: Administrative Executive Board, Safety Council, Environmental & Hospital Infection Control Committee (EHICC), Women Veterans Committee, GEMS Committee, Space Committee, Facility Move Committee, RME Committee
• Interprets local and agency policies and communicates policies for EMS consistent with local human resource management practices.
• Administers labor management agreements and meets and confers with Union officials to resolve problems arising from interpretation or application of contract agreements.
• Delegates to subordinate supervisors and holds them accountable for the performance of their assigned duties.
• Makes decisions on work problems presented by subordinate supervisors, team leaders, or by contractors.
• Evaluates subordinate supervisors or leaders and serves as the reviewing official on evaluations of nonsupervisory employees rated by subordinate supervisors.
• Makes decisions on non-routine, costly, or controversial training needs and training requests related to employees in the service.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00am - 4:30pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Hospital Housekeeping Officer/PD082840
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Physical Requirements:
The work is primary sedentary. The employee normally performs the work in an office
environment, however, there may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying of light items (up to 50 pounds) such as papers, books, etc. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

Work Environment:
The environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, meeting and training rooms, libraries, residences, or commercial vehicles, e.g., use of safe work practices with office equipment, avoidance of trips and falls, and observance of fire regulations. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. The incumbent may be exposed to other environmental settings while performing inspections, attending meetings or inspecting work.

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
• 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)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• 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.

Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/20/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) for Hospital Housekeeping Management Series (0673): An IOR is a basic requirement that must be met in order to qualify for entry into this job series, and cannot be waived. Education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.

Education:
Undergraduate Education: Major study -- chemistry or biological sciences, sanitary science or administration, institutional sanitation or administration, hospital administration, hotel administration, public administration, business administration, or other fields related to the position.

Graduate Education: Major study -- public health or business administration with emphasis in hospital administration.
NOTE: You will be required to provide a copy of your transcript.

OR

Specialized Experience:
Experience in two or more of the following areas, or other work related to the position to be filled:

• Experience that demonstrated a practical working knowledge of the basic principles of chemistry, biology, and bacteriology as applied to environmental sanitation, infection control, and to the choice and use of antimicrobial agents in the disinfection, sanitization, and/or sterilization of surfaces and equipment.
• Experience in laundry and linen management.
• Experience in interior design management.
• Experience that demonstrated a knowledge of waste management, including the requirements relating to hazardous, toxic, and infectious wastes and provisions for their final disposition.
• Experience that demonstrated a knowledge of pest management, including alternative methods of control and the selection and application of chemicals.

In addition to meeting the above IOR requirement, you must also meet the specialized experience as described below:

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Comprehensive knowledge of the range of administrative laws, policies, regulations applicable to the administration of the environmental management programs
• Knowledge of employee and union contract relations, and disciplinary actions
• Knowledge of missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems
• Extensive specialized knowledge in the fields of environmental hospital sanitation and related programs
• Ability to evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity of Environmental Management Service programs
• Skilled in planning, organizing, and directing team work, and
• Ability to communicate effectively in order to gather information, present recommendations, and coordinate services.
  

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Administration and Management
• Decision Making
• Technical Competence

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.

Physical Requirements:
The work is primary sedentary. The employee normally performs the work in an office environment, however, there may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying of light items (up to 50 pounds) such as papers, books, etc. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

Work Environment:
The environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, meeting and training rooms, libraries, residences, or commercial vehicles, e.g., use of safe work practices with office equipment, avoidance of trips and falls, and observance of fire regulations. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. The incumbent may be exposed to other environmental settings while performing inspections, attending meetings or inspecting work.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

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.