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- Manages day-to-day operations of the Environmental Management Service (EMS).
- Develops policies, mission statements, and performance standards for facility environmental management.
- Evaluates new policies and regulations for their impact on EMS and medical center operations.
- Plans and implements EMS-related projects for medical centers, CBOCs, and satellite operations.
- Provides technical guidance on complex regulations to staff and various services.
- Analyzes legislation and directives to assess their effects on funding and resources.
- Oversees compliance with environmental management requirements and coordinates programs across locations.
- Addresses quality control and cross-infection issues related to waste removal and sanitation procedures.
- Evaluates housekeeping products for effectiveness and cost-efficiency.
- Implements customer service standards and ensures EMS employee training in satisfaction and quality assurance.
- Develops strategies for continuous improvement in environmental management practices.
- Supervise administrative and technical staff.
- Plan, manage, and assign work, prioritizing tasks and setting deadlines.
- Evaluate subordinates' work for completeness, timeliness, and goal achievement; accept, amend, or reject as needed.
- Balance workload and adjust assignments to improve effectiveness.
- Assess operational effectiveness and report issues to higher management.
- Address problems with subordinates or contractors and ensure contractor work meets quality standards for payment.
- Develop and evaluate performance standards; conduct appraisals and performance discussions.
- Ensure fairness in performance evaluations of staff and contractors.
- Resolve employee complaints and implement disciplinary actions when necessary.
- Schedule and approve employee leave.
- Assess training needs and recommend development programs.
- Provide guidance on work-related and administrative matters.
- Makes decisions on problems presented by subordinate supervisors.
- Establishes minimum standards for quality and productivity.
- Directs program implementation.
- Conducts special studies to resolve administrative problems that arise during normal operations and presents conclusions and recommendations.
- Contract services provided are window washing, pest management, waste removal, and other contracted services within the scope of EMS.
- Laundry operations process approximately 2,280,000 pounds annually.
- The management of pests covers a broad range of pests and vermin; this function requires conscientious monitoring to prevent and manage infestations.
- Maintains the various contracts as a Contracting Officer Representative (COR), tracks waste management and recycling, maintains records and acts as point of contact for all environmental contracting issues.
- Responsible for education of VAEKHCS staff concerning recycling and waste management, along with their benefits.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.



Work Schedule: 08:00am- 4:30pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Hospital Housekeeping Officer/PD103860
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
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. This position requires the application, assessment, and questionnaire to be fully completed. The assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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, 11/09/2026.

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

• 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: 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. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have:
  • Undergraduate Education- You should have a major in one of the following areas: chemistry, biological sciences, sanitary science, institutional sanitation, hospital administration, hotel administration, public administration, business administration, or other fields related to the position.
  • Graduate Education- You should hold a degree in public health or business administration, with a focus on hospital administration. 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.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

• Conflict Management
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Manages Resources
• Partnering
• Planning and Evaluating

Supervisory Situational Judgment Test. Applicants will be required to complete a Supervisory Situational Judgment Test (SSJT) as part of the assessment process for this position. The SSJT evaluates judgment and decision-making skills that align with relevant competencies, organizational values, and best practices. Assessment results may be used as part of the evaluation, ranking and referral process. This is not a timed test, however, the assessment is expected to take approximately 45 minutes or less to complete. The assessment for this application does not include a cut score for a minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. However, you must answer each item in the assessment.

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 required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.

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.