Clarification from the agency

This vacancy is open to current employees of the Charleston, SC VA Medical Center and surrounding CBOCs to include current, permanent employees of the Veterans Canteen Service.

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Major duties include, but are not limited to:

• Incumbent is responsible for the operational budget and responsible for the formulations and fiscal administration. The incumbent develops, implements, monitors, and adjusts the budget to effectively and cost-efficiently accomplish the mission within budgetary constraints.
• Incumbent provides leadership and guidance in determining the resource needs and adjusts resource allocations as dictated by a change in the program needs.
• The Assistant Chief is responsible for the textile care and management program. This involves oversight of a linen processing contract valued at over $600,000. The incumbent is also responsible for the procurement of all employee uniforms for approximately 1000 employees.
• The incumbent develops long-range, intermediate, and short-range policies and plans for the organization by coordinating medical administration needs of the medical center network. The is responsible for making and implementing decisions affecting patient care and makes final administrative planning decisions for a large medical center.
• The incumbent provides active and well informed administrative participation in planning for the delivery of health care by taking the initiative to identify needs and potential issues/concerns and devising flexibilities in operations and constructive, cost-effective approaches to the resolution of problems.
• The incumbent is responsible for providing professional environmental management direction in matters dealing with legislative and accreditation requirements of the Charleston VA Medical Center. These requirements include meeting standards for various quality agencies including the Joint Commission, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00am - 3:30pm. Work schedule subject to change based on agency needs.
Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Assistant Hospital Housekeeping Officer/PD000200
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

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 will 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, 01/22/2026.

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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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.

Individual Occupational Requirement 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.

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 the above IOR, you must qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Planning, developing, directing, and evaluating programs (such as housekeeping, janitorial maintenance, etc.); Handling budgets, staffing, equipment, contracts, and other resources to ensure efficiency and cost-effectiveness; Performing a full range of supervisory duties such as assigning and evaluating work, making hiring recommendations, and resolving staffing issues; Writing and implementing policies, procedures, and practice guidelines for your service area (such as housekeeping). OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a PH.D or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or a LL.M, if related, that demonstrates the knowledge, skill, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond Master's degree.

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 primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required. Work is typically performed in an adequately lighted and climate-controlled office, however, there is exposure to communicable disease, physical and verbal abuse from disturbed patients or distraught visitors.

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.