Summary The Hospital Housekeeping Officer is located at the Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System and is the Chief of the Environmental Management Service (EMS). The incumbent is responsible for managing all sections of EMS. This position is authorized for a Relocation Incentive Responsibilities Duties include but not limited to: 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 VA Central Office as required. Establishes personnel management policies for Environmental Management section consistent with local personnel policies assuring compatibility with negotiated labor agreements. Formulates the advance overall operating plan and serves on committees designed to facilitate the making of upper management decisions. Ensures the development and maintenance of standards for cleanliness and sanitation, frequency of cleaning, methods, procedures and necessary supplies and safety precautions to be followed. Runs a continuous program of supply and equipment tests and measurements will be carried out in order to keep up with an ever-changing program of treatment of diseases and changes in the number of medical, surgical, psychiatric and Geriatrics and Extended Care specialties available. Responsible for the coordination and control of the employee uniform program and advises the CEO when requests for deviations and exceptions are made. Responsible for seeing that the terms of the Pest Control Contract are complied with. Develops and conducts an orderly system for program review and evaluation, including quality assurance, risk assessments and internal control reviews which result in identification of needs and in the development of realistic plans to improve the program. Determines through continuous evaluation of various kinds and @types of supplies, equipment and material those best suited to reach and maintain the sanitation levels desired and which will provide the greatest protection to surfaces maintained. Develops and administers a training program for section personnel covering methods and techniques essential to providing a high level of service to a complex level one Medical Center. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Hospital Housekeeping Officer/PD029140 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements 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, 10/20/2025. 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. All applicants must meet one of the Individual Occupational Requirements to be eligible for further consideration for this position. 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: If you are basing your IOR eligibility on Undergraduate or Graduate Education, you must submit a copy of your transcripts with your application. 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 waste 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. Other: One year of formalized hospital administrative residency or internship in hospital administration or hospital housekeeping management is equivalent to 1 year of GS-5 level specialized experience. In addition to the Individual Occupational Requirement, all applicants must meet the following to qualify for this position. 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 is not limited to: 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; broad spectrum of factors including JCAHO and OSHA requirements, public relations, economic impact, labor/management relations and effect on other hospital activities; Interprets local and agency policies and communicates them throughout the section; administrative and management responsibilities for the environmental sanitation program assuring top management of quality service. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Accountability Administration and Management Infection Control 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: Although many of the incumbent's duties are sedentary in nature, staff meetings, environmental rounds, conducting training sessions, inspections and supervisory duties require walking, climbing, stooping, kneeling, crawling and reaching. The work requires some physical exertion such as long periods of standing or moving about in an instructional environment or walking, with some recurring stretching, reaching, or similar activities; and recurring carrying or lifting of books, paper, binders, laptop computers, manuals, etc. 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/. Education There is no educational substitution at this grade level. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
