Clarification from the agency

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) eligibles may apply for consideration who are (a) preference eligibles, or (b) Veterans whose most recent military separation was under honorable conditions after substantially completing at least 3 years of continuous active military service may compete under merit promotion procedures. Current permanent Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) employees may apply and will be considered in the same manner as a current VA employee.

Videos

Major duties include:

• Fabricates items which cannot be purchased or cost becomes prohibitive
• Alters lined/unlined linen and clothing as needed to accommodate patients and staff needs
• Alters lined and unlined items needing repair or replacement of zippers, buttons and snaps
• Hand stitches special items such as mattresses and mattress covers
• Utilizes standard industrial sewing machine, serger machine, hot patch machine, computer generated label producing machine and an industrial button machine
• Salvages linen or uniforms that can't be repaired on an economical basis
• Uses a heat seal stamping machine, seals clothing labels with employee identification labels and VA Property labels on linen and uniforms
• Inventories and labels patient clothing for 3N and ECU utilizing generated label machine and heat seal machine
• Implements collection, organized storage and authorized signatures for safekeeping and control of patient belongings
• Ensures all services adhere to published policies with respect to the handling of patient belongings and uniforms
• Maintains required documentation and records concerning hospital linen, patient clothing and employee uniforms
• Assists in verifying listing of employees receiving a uniform or a uniform allowance

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (work hours may be further discussed during the interview)
Position Description Title/PD#: Sewing Machine Operator/PD80434O and PD80433O
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized


The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

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
• A complete application package is required; resume, transcripts (if applicable), etc.
• 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, 05/06/2026.

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:

• Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair
• Interpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading)
• Materials
• Measurement and Layout
• Technical Practices
• Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
• Without more than normal supervision

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: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. Incumbent is required to sit and bend over sewing machines or heat seal machine for long periods of time with continual movement of hands, arms and fingers in placing items in position and sewing. Some items such as the ironed wax cloth and scraper cloths are very large in size and are made of a stiff canvas material. These cloths are approximately 15 feet long and 15 feet wide. These items require a very physical effort to work with when being sewn for the size and the weight of the canvas used to make these. Another item that needs repair that is very difficult to handle because of the size is the surgical drapes. These drapes are approximately 10 feet by 15 feet in size. These items are very slippery to handle due to the nature of the Compel linen used to make these. Incumbent also goes on ward rounds to pick up veteran's clothing that were admitted after hours. The incumbent has to push a rack to hang these items on, and this rack can become very heavy with clothes and is awkward to push down the hallways when the racks become full. This is done throughout the hospital daily and requires a considerable amount of walking. Incumbent is required to do heavy lifting of items onto the shelves in the clothing room of boxes and suitcases belonging to veterans. This is also a strenuous task when removing them from the shelves to deliver to the veteran. Incumbent must have good eyesight to do the recordkeeping and to do the sewing. Incumbent is required to hang uniforms in the valet system that requires long periods of hanging clothes on an overhead rail system. This too can be quite strenuous to the arms, neck and back of the person doing this work.

Work Conditions: Incumbent's work is performed under generally adequate conditions as to heat, light and ventilation. Incumbent may be exposed to hostile veterans, veteran's families and employees. Incumbent may be exposed to contagious organisms and possible infections. Incumbent is subject to punctures and/or cuts from needles, pins, scissors, thread nippers, seam rippers, thread cuts, needle breaks on the machine while operating and foreign objects found in patient clothing.

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.