Summary This position is located in the Environmental Management Service at Veterans Affairs (VA) Maine Health Care System - Togus VA Medical Center in Augusta, ME. The Hospital Housekeeping Officer exercises complete management and program responsibility for all hospital housekeeping operations and ancillary functions. Responsibilities THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION The Hospital Housekeeping Officer is responsible for planning, organizing, directing, managing, reviewing and evaluating an augmented program, which includes responsibility for Uniform Appropriation, Environmental Health and Sanitation, Pest Control, and Biohazardous Waste, management programs. This also includes, the more traditional functions of waste management and maintenance of sanitary and visual cleanliness for hospital floors, ceilings, windows and walls, as well as, overseeing the management of the Medical Center's unique programs such as Fitness Centers, Fisher House, etc. Major duties and responsibilities include but not limited to: Developing personnel management policies and effects all related personnel actions for the Service staff Ensuring the establishment of adequate training program and compliance with Veterans Health Administration and/or local policies Setting objectives, and coordinating program reviews and evaluations, resulting in a clean and aesthetically pleasing hospital environment Serving on standing committees of the facility, such as the Administrative Executive Board and the Strategic Planning Board in addition to its subordinate entities Participating in resolving a wide variety of hospital problems throughout the physical plant and outpatient clinics Providing input to determine long- and short-range planning, for establishing overall policy, and budgeting for the Center as well as for the Environmental Management Program and assisting in formulating the overall hospital mission Acting as a primary focal point and advocate for management improvement within the facility and its dependent facilities Serving as the primary coordinator and liaison between Administrative Services and Clinical Services for epidemiology and infection control Serving on the Infection Prevention and Surgical Services Committee and keeping pace with advancing sophisticated technology while being a leading contributor to the Infection Control Committee Providing input to such areas as Clostridium difficile control, disinfection, handling, and disposal of biohazardous waste, bloodborne pathogen precautions and disposal of anti-neoplastic materials Applying knowledge of universal precautions and considering and determining special protection appropriate to the control of resistant strains of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection or Tuberculosis (TB) microorganisms Work Schedule: Monday through Friday; 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Maybe authorized for highly qualified candidate Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position. AND To qualify for this position at the GS-13 level, you must meet the following requirement: Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-12) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Hospital Housekeeping Officer and that is typically in or related to the work of the position. Qualifying experience at this level includes performing or assisting in performing duties associated with planning, directing, managing and monitoring all aspects of an environmental management services in a healthcare setting; exercising both administrative and managerial responsibilities in overseeing areas to include environmental sanitation, pest management, waste management and recycling, interior design, and laundry/linen service; assisting with determining long range, intermediate and short-range environmental management program goals and policies; training, counseling, disciplining, evaluating, and promoting the growth of employees; participating in setting employee performance standards; and communicating with individuals with varying levels of understand both in person and in writing. Specialized experience must include experience in two or more of the following areas, or work directly related to the position to be filled. (Important: Please make sure your resume clearly indicates your areas of specialized experience and sufficient detail is provided. We cannot make assumptions regarding your experience). 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 knowledge of pest management, including alternative methods of control and the selection and application of chemicals. (CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must show complete information for each job entry, such as beginning and ending dates of employment, duties performed, and/or total hours worked per week.) You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Administration and Management Customer Service Influencing/Negotiating Technical Competence IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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; religious; 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. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. There will be episodes of moderate lifting or prolonged periods of standing and bending in searching various files. There is lifting and carrying of such items as record boxes and bulky files. The work involves considerable walking, standing and bending conducting rounds, auditing and providing training to both on-site and off-site personnel. 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. NOTE: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov). Additional Information Note: Per "Executive Order 14251: Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs", this position is no longer eligible for bargaining unit participation. 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.
