Summary This position is located within the Textile Care Plant of the Environmental Management Service at the St. Cloud VA Health Care System in St. Cloud, MN. The Laundry Machine Operator processes a variety of soiled linens and textiles into clean and sanitary items for reuse by customers and is also responsible for repairing torn and tattered apparel. This also includes altering and repairing linens. Responsibilities The major duties include but are not limited to: Provides secondary support to the uniform distribution care for the Sewing and Uniform Issue Room Performs tacking/pinning on regular and special items Determines repair versus salvage and records salvaged items Issues, alters, repairs, and replaces uniforms and scrubs Operates five washer/extractors 100-600 pounds simultaneously Operates commercial dryers 100-400 pounds, garment finishers, and flatwork ironers Loads/unloads machines and feeds damp linen manually or with spreading devices Loading machines to rated capacity and selecting proper wash formulas based on textile @type and soil level Inspects wet linen for knots, damage, and stains; shaking out items before finishing Performs stain removal using specialty chemicals and spotting procedures Cleans and waxes flatwork ironer, replaces ribbons, and makes minor equipment adjustments as authorized Maintains written records of productivity, chemical usage, and incoming weights Trains other operators on machine operation, wash formulas, and proper procedures Assists in linen distribution and production areas as needed Performs other duties as needed Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved 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 Pre-employment physical required 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 PHYSICAL EFFORT: The employee needs strength and stamina for performing heavy tasks for long periods of time. Must pull wet, compact laundry from washers/extractors and push heavily loaded carts, etc. Continually handles bundles that may weigh in excess of 50 pounds. Continually walks and stands on hard surfaced floors. Operators sit or stand for long periods of time with continual movement of arms and hands while performing sewing tasks, mending, hemming, and patching of a wide variety of linen items. They may also have to lift boxes of new items up to 20-30 pounds and pushes small carts on a daily basis filled with linen. The employee will be required to reach overhead when hanging uniforms, scrubs, and lab coats on the conveyer systems. They will also assist in the hanging of scrubs, folding of dry fold and various other duties if needed in the Laundry Department. They will be responsible for the sorting of the mending bins and then will repair or discard the linen that cannot be mended. WORK CONDITIONS: The employee is exposed to disagreeable odors and possibly infectious organisms from soiled linens, patient clothing, and employee uniforms. These conditions are separated from the clean processing and production of the textile care work force by a staph barrier wall. The employee is exposed to noise and hot and humid conditions. The employee is exposed to the possibility of cuts and bruises from carts and machinery as well as minor burns from the presence of steam pipes and the flatwork-ironer. The employee may be subjected to inclement weather while performing the duties of the position. Often the areas are subject to drafts and cool air from open doors and noise from the generator room when the monthly testing is done. The employee is interrupted on a constant basis by hospital staff in need of their assistance with uniforms, scrubs, lab coats, jackets, etc. Operators are subject to possible needle punctures, minor thread cuts, and sharp cutting instruments i.e. scissors and rotary cutters. There is also the possibility of getting minor burns from thermo patch machine or iron. Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualifications. For this position, the job element method is used to match what you, the applicant, can do against what the work calls for. Your knowledge, skills and abilities will be compared to the knowledge, skills and abilities (called job elements) needed for success. Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element (WG-2 and higher only; screen-outs are not applicable to WG-1). Applicants who appear to meet the screen out element are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated from consideration. The potential eligibles are rated against the remainder of the job elements. While a specific length of training and experience is not required, your responses to the questionnaire must be supported by detailed descriptions of your experience on your resume. You will be rated on the following Job Elements as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair Interpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading) Materials Measurement and Layout Technical Practices Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment Without more than normal supervision Work Practices 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. Education Additional Information Note: Per "Executive Order 14251: Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs", this position is no longer eligible for bargaining unit participation. Receiving Service Credit for 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.
