Clarification from the agency

This job is open to current permanent Department of Veteran Affairs employees.

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30 Day Hiring Model

The Department of Veterans Affairs is implementing a streamlined 30-Day Hiring Model designed to accelerate hiring while maintaining the highest standards of merit-based selection. This improved process reduces traditional hiring timelines by integrating early coordination, faster assessments, and efficient pre-employment actions. Applicants can expect a more transparent, predictable, and efficient hiring journey from announcement to entry on duty.

What Applicants Can Expect

• Expedited Candidate Review Once the announcement closes, Human Resources will quickly review applications, issue certificates of eligible candidates the day after the announcement closes and refer applicants for hiring manager consideration.
• Quick Interviews & References

HR may arrange interviews and will request references within 3-5 days after being referred to the hiring manager.

• Streamlined Pre-Employment Requirements: Following a tentative offer, applicants should be prepared to complete required steps, such as fingerprinting and background check, credentialing, and medical examination within 3 days of the offer.
• Clear and Timely Communication: Applicants will receive clear communication at key milestones, including referral, tentative offer, and onboarding instructions.

After meeting pre-employment requirements, candidates will receive a final job offer and start date. Onboarding tasks may continue after starting, with HR ensuring timely completion for a smooth transition into VA service.

If selected, applicants should be prepared to come onboard within 30 days of the announcement closing.

Duties will include, but are not limited to the following:

• Responsible for planning, coordinating, organizing, directing, evaluating, integrating, and managing the programs and services that are essential to operate and maintain a safe, healthy, and comfortable facility with optimum utilization of Medical Center Resources that include: Sanitation Maintenance Services, Environmental Surveillance Rounds, Textile Care Processing/Textile Management, Services, Interior Design, Pest Control, Wayfinding Program, Grounds Maintenance, Special Events
• Acts as Program Manager or Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) on service contracts.
• Serves as liaison with logistics and contractors to ensure a seamless transition for the end users.
• Responsible for managing a consolidated laundry operation that services the parent facility at Phoenix.
• Responsible for effective management and oversight of the medical center's Waste Management Program and the required compliance reporting to assure compliance of all regulatory laws, regulations and directives governing local, state, and federal laws for solid waste disposal and recycling.
• Responsible for managing and overseeing the integrated Pest Management Program for the PVAHCS, to include organizing directing controlling, and evaluating the effectiveness of the program.
• Plans organizes directs staff, budget, and coordinates a comprehensive EMS program for this tertiary care, affiliated, research, and active medical center.
• Responsible for assisting and advising the Chief EMS in making decisions and actions that have substantial impact on program objectives, goals funding, scheduling, organizational structure, and allocation of resources.
• Provides the technical expertise and administrative supervision to EMS unit supervisors, delegating authority and holding them responsible for the performance of their respective units.
• Develops performance standards; and/or evaluates work performances of EMS supervisory subordinates.
• Hears and resolves minor complaints from employees; refers grievances and more unresolved complaints to a higher-level supervisor and/or upper management; in matters of minor disciplinary measures (warnings, reprimands, recommendations of action in more serious cases).
• Interviews candidates for positions within the EMS department and all its attached units; recommends appointments, promotions, and reassignments to unit positions; identifies and provides training needs; and/or finds ways to improve production or increase the quality of work within the area of authority.
• Contributes to the resolution of a wide variety of facility problems since their activities take them throughout the medical center.
• Develops and provides Chief of EMS, Medical Center management and clinical staff information on methods, techniques, and procedures necessary to integrate the EMS programs into the mission of the Medical Center.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00am to 3:30pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Assistant Hospital Housekeeping Officer/PD049330
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 identification 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, 10/02/2026.

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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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.

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

***Applicants MUST meet the Individual Occupational Requirements / Basic Requirements along with the Specialized experience to qualify for the this position.***

Individual Occupational Requirements / Basic Requirements:

• 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; OR
• Graduate Education: Major study -- public health or business administration with emphasis in hospital administration. OR
• Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): 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.

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Experience in housekeeping and laundry management. Experience analyzing current governing laws, regulations, policies, directives, and program changes impacting environmental services. Experience implementing environmental sanitation guidelines. Experience formulating environmental program policy. Experience planning, controlling, and directing budget development, staff needs, equipment needs, and utilization of all available resources. Experience providing technical expertise of environmental management. Experience developing performance standards and evaluating work performances of subordinates. Experience providing specialized environmental training. Experience preparing reports and delivering briefings demonstrating findings and recommendations. Experience interviewing candidates, recommending appointments, promotions, reassignments, disciplinary measures. Experience assigning work to subordinates based on priorities, complexity of work and their capabilities. Experience resolving complaints and communicating effectively..

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

• Administration and Management
• Leadership
• Systems Thinking
• Technology Application

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: Work is normally performed in a well-lighted and climate controlled atmosphere.

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.

This job is open to current permanent Department of Veteran Affairs employees, current permanent Federal employees of other agencies and all US Citizens.

Area of Consideration: Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility.
2. All other VA employees.

Note: Veterans' Preference is not applicable to VA employees

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.