Summary This position is located in the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center's (JHQVAMC) Environmental Management Service (EMS). EMS is an independent service line and the position reports directly to the EMS Housekeeping Officer (EMS Service Chief). The incumbent serves as a full Assistant to the EMS Chief, substantially sharing all technical and managerial responsibilities. The incumbent will share responsibility on a continuous basis as well as the managerial work in the absence of Chief. Responsibilities Duties include but are not limited to: Performs technical, administrative, or professional work involving managing, administering, operating or supporting services and programs related to the operation and safety of Federal facilities. Fully responsible for planning, organizing, directing, controlling and evaluating the entire program to include budgetary control and assessments. Implements policies, procedures, standards and goals. Develops and applies a program of management review appraisal and improvement. Assures the entire program operates at a high level of effectiveness within ceiling and budget constraints. Provides formal and on- the-job training. Develops, coordinates, directs, and manages a hospital housekeeping program that emphasizes the maintenance of environmental sanitation within acceptable levels of bacteriological as well as visual cleanliness. Establishes work assignments for front line employees and supervisors. Implements, coordinates, and controls a comprehensive program with the authority to make necessary changes needed for the benefit of patients, staff, and visitors. Develops cleaning procedures, frequency of cleaning schedules, and cleaning supply usage instructions designed to maintain high quality visual and bacteriological cleanliness of all floors, walls, ceilings, bathroom fixtures, furniture, housekeeping equipment, window treatments, cubicle curtains, light fixtures, stairwells, waste cans, and items. Maintaining the cleanliness by conducting an extensive in-service Sanitation Inspection Program covering the entire medical center. Initiating and closely monitoring bacteriological surveillance being conducted throughout the Medical Center. Develops specifications for and coordinate the operations of contract window washing services, as well as any other contracts necessary to fulfill the above responsibilities. Serves as the Contracting Officers Representative (COR) for the administration of Pest Control Services to include the control of all rodents and pests from both the interior and exterior of the facility. Develops specifications, treatment areas, and frequency of treatment schedules, interpret local, state and Federal directives and guidelines regarding the @type, use and storage of various pesticides and rodenticides and ensure compliance. Develops new ways to resolve major EMS problems or planning the most significant management aspects of the medical center-wide EMS improvement program; developing administrative guidelines and policy to conduct program operations; and/or developing new criteria for measuring program accomplishments. Work Schedule: Tuesday- Friday 6:00am- 4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Assistant Hospital Housekeeping Officer/PD60604-0 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved 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 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 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, 07/09/2026. Applicants must meet the time-in-grade requirement, Individual Occupational Requirement and specialized experience - these are 3 separate requirements. 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. In addition to meeting time-in-grade, applicants must meet the following IOR and specialized experience: Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR): Education: Undergraduate Education: Major study -- chemistry or biological sciences, sanitary science or administration, institutional sanitation or administration, hospital administration, hotel administration, public administration, business administration, or other fields related to the position. (Transcripts must be submitted with application reflecting coursework, hours and grades earned and degree conferred date.) Graduate Education: Major study -- public health or business administration with emphasis in hospital administration. (Transcripts must be submitted with application reflecting coursework, hours and grades earned and degree conferred date.) OR, Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Experience in two or more of the following areas, or other work related to the position to be filled: 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. OR, Other: One year of formalized hospital administrative residency or internship in hospital administration or hospital housekeeping management is equivalent to 1 year of GS-5 level specialized experience. In addition to meeting the time-in-grade requirement and Individual Occupational Requirement, applicants must also possess the following specialized experience: Specialized Experience: Applicant's 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. Specialized experience is defined as experience gained in 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: Clerical Conflict Management Contracting/Procurement Decision Making Manages and Organizes Information Written Communication 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 work is sedentary although there may be some nominal walking or standing for short periods or carrying light loads of papers, books, or reports that do not require special physical demands. 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.
