Summary This position is located within the Facility Support Directorate, in Environmental Management Services (EMS), located at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC), North Chicago, Illinois The primary function of this position is to serve as an Environmental Care Specialist with a focus on program analysis for EMS. The EMS Department is comprised of approximately 140 Full Time Employees working in four sections. Responsibilities Major Duties Includes: The employee is responsible for the budgeting and financial management oversight for EMS Reviews the processes and programs associated with budget formulation, justification, and execution Provides oversight for monitoring balances, and status of projects, and recommends reprogramming of funds as needed. The employee serves as the primary COR for all EMS contracts, responsible for oversight of contracts and the procurement process, including, but not limited to, goods and services, and equipment procurements for the Environmental Management Services Department. Prepares and reviews purchase orders for supplies and non-expendable property such as equipment, sets up and maintains system to control purchasing and use of supplies. Initiates and prepares contracts to secure adequate resources to facilitate operations (e.g., determining appropriate costs, performing cost analysis soliciting bids, writing sole source justifications, and communicating both orally and in writing with contractors Requires scheduling, monitoring attendance and deficiency reporting and providing updated information to medical center leadership and inspecting team members. Data will be extracted as needed to provide the office of quality the Environmental Care Specialist is designated as the facility CEOC Coordinator. Requires management and accrediting bodies performing program and organizational reviews. Routinely reviews incoming correspondence and work orders prior to them being routed to the appropriate EMS manager/supervisor. Makes complex decisions based on a full assessment of the varying requirements of different hospital departments. Promotion Potential: This Position is at full performance level Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am -4:00pm Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Environmental Care Specialist/PD242540 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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, 05/11/2026. 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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: knowledge of pertinent laws, policies and regulations including Joint Commission regulations; knowledge of the concepts, theories, techniques, principles, and practices of government and cost accounting, including auditing, budgeting and analysis of financial statements; knowledge of the program administrative process of the major sections within the medical center, PAID system, used in compiling employment data, clinical and administrative programs, and medical center policies, practices, and procedures; and knowledge of management functions and operations of daily activities. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). 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 . You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Clerical Customer Service Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Organizational Awareness Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork 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: The Environmental Care Specialist has no physical demands other than those normal for an office function. 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 A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information 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.
