Summary The Hospital Housekeeping Officer is located at the Long Beach 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 Recruitment/Relocation Incentive Responsibilities https://vacareers.va.gov/employment-benefits/ Duties include, but are not limited to the following: The Hospital Housekeeping Officer initiates and coordinates policies, establishes objectives, and plans and develops management systems and procedures to ensure program functions associated with EMS are effectively implemented and maintained at each VALBHS facility. The incumbent is responsible for organization and direction for the overall operations, development and application of internal programs of management review, and appraisal and quality improvement to assure that the highest degree of a clean and sterile environment for quality patient care is always maintained. The effectiveness of EMS operations directly impacts the image of VHA medical facilities, as patients, visitors, employees and the public often base their impression of the adequacy of the medical care upon the appearance and cleanliness of the medical facilities themselves. The Hospital Housekeeping Officer ensures EMS stays in compliance with standards of The Joint Commission (TJC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Fire Protection Associations (NFPA), Green Environmental Management Systems (GEMS), Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Inspector General (OIG), Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program (CHIP), Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), and Center for Disease Control (CDC). The incumbent is also responsible for complying with standards established by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Health Administration Central Office (VACO), VISN 22 and the administration of the VALBHS. The Hospital Housekeeping Officer is responsible for an effective performance management system to include position reviews, development of position descriptions, performance plans, disciplinary/adverse actions, promotions, awards and the selection of personnel. The incumbent plans and administers a continuous program of supervisory and employee training and provides guidance to all supervisory levels involved in program management. The Hospital Housekeeping Officer is responsible for planning, directing and maintenance of a total program to provide an environmental Sanitation Program of floors, walls, ceiling, stripping and refinishing including cleaning of other floor coverings, cleaning virtually all areas of the VALBHS and the outpatient clinics, as well as all patient beds and equipment. Full sanitation services are provided through a 7-day/24-hours coverage, depending upon the demands of the area. Providing 7 days a week sanitation program is sensitive to the needs and goals of management. The incumbent actively participates with management in developing systems and procedures by identifying needs and goals, and mobilizing and coordinating the efforts of staff with specialized skills, techniques and resources to resolve problems that have been defined. Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 7:30am-4:00pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Telework: Ad-hoc, based on management approval Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Hospital Housekeeping Officer/PD12601O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May Be Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized 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 Must have valid driver's license 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, 11/25/2025. 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. You may 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-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Experience in two or more of the following areas, or other work related to the position to be filled required: 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. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and Management Leadership Performance Management Strategic Thinking 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.
