Summary The Environmental Care Specialist is responsible for the development, preparation, coordination, and ongoing maintenance of the Environment of Care Program (EOC) at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Responsibilities VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan (VISN 10) advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the @context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being. Major Duties: Oversees and facilitates Environment of Care program for accreditation with various groups (Joint Commission, CARF) throughout the entire medical center Identifies team members for improvement projects Develops competencies in team functions such as IV Lab and Operating Room Competencies Extensive, high data analysis for daily room inspections, fluorescent inspections, and ATP swap testing for Environmental Management Services Ensures that quality improvement initiatives are complete, that all technical requirements are met, and all implementation requirements are accurately identified Familiar with and proficient in the use of Microsoft Office Supports and maintains environment of care database (Performance Logic or equivalent), functions in the role of expert advisor Resident expert on Environment of Care and how it relates to services within the healthcare system Identifies trending and repeat issues in the Environment of Care program Serves as the facility point of contact for all accrediting programs related to Environment of Care Inspecting or surveying workplace, processes, products, policies, and other systems for compliance with established safety and occupational health policies or standards to identify potential new hazards during EOC rounds Acts as liaison on performance improvement issues to facility Associate Director, Supervisory Occupational Health & Safety Manager, Joint Commission, and others Serves as member of various medical center committees Performs other related duties, as assigned Work Schedule: TBD Based on Service needs Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Environmental Care Specialist/PD93508A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Physical Requirements: The work is a mixture of sedentary and mobile efforts, although there may be long periods of walking or standing while performing environmental rounds, and exposure to noise related to housekeeping. The incumbent may carry light loads of papers, books, or reports that do not require special physical demands. The work is usually performed in an office setting. However, the Incumbent may be subjected to dusk, lint, harsh chemicals, noise and heat, etc. while performing environmental rounds. The incumbent is required to travel to all the Cincinnati VAMC sites 35% in the performance of the duty. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. DRIVER'S LICENSE REQUIREMENT: A driver's license in the State or Territory in which assigned is required. Candidates must pass a Federal service driving test and/or complete any related requirements. 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 identification 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, 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, 06/26/2026. 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-9. 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-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: ability to apply analytical and evaluative methods to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of environmental management programs, skill in collecting and analyzing data to prepare comprehensive reports, ability to conduct thorough quality control inspections and ensuring deficiencies are corrected, ability to track and trend issues, identify training needs, and understand organizational workflows to analyze complex functions and work processes, knowledge of statutes, regulations and licensing and permitting requirements related to environmental and textile care programs, understanding of data systems to determine program needs and ensure regulatory compliance, and ability to administer a comprehensive bacteriological containment program for exterior hospital surfaces and understand the varying aseptic requirements across different areas of a medical facility. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 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., which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. (transcripts must be submitted with your application). OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and graduate education beyond the first two years (Master's Degree) or equivalent. To meet this requirement, education and experience must be related to the position, as described above. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) 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 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. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
