Summary This position is located within the Environmental Management Service (EMS) at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, 3900 Woodland Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104, reporting directly to the EMS Chief and assuming total responsibility during his absence. The primary purpose is for the administrative and management of the overall EMS Program and its operational services at this prestigious Inter City location in the local community and the VA Healthcare System. Responsibilities NON-SUPERVISORY DUTIES: Assists the Chief Hospital Housekeeping Officer in a workforce that is on duty seven days per week, 24 working hours per day spread over the Medical Center, Community Living Center, Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), Annexes, Dialysis Center and Residential Treatment Program. Responsible for oversight of contracts for off-site locations, renewing and initiating contracts for services at future off-site locations. Involved in short and long range planning, establishing policy and budgeting. Provides staff support in such activities as chairing Boards of Survey, Traumatic Injury Investigations, EEO discriminations, and disciplinary action cases. ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION: Plans/directs an operation to fully coordinate the EMS activities with an absolute minimal amount of disruption. Contracts with private companies to augment in-house staff operations for remote clinics. Develops standards for the handling of toxic, radioactive and highly contagious bio-hazardous waste assuring the medical center complies with local, state and federal regulations. Provides specialized training concerning the handling of contaminated and non-contaminated linen and waste. Reports and directs the follow up of EMS issues ensuring timely correction of any identified deficiencies. TEXTILE CARE MANAGEMENT DIVISION: Oversees the operations of the Textile Care Management Division which includes consolidated laundry, linen management, uniform management and patient assistance program. In collaboration with the Chief, develops and implements an orderly system of management objectives and program review and evaluation procedures resulting in an effective service. WASTE MANAGEMENT: Directs efforts to meet regulatory goals for reducing solid waste disposal. Accountable for the implementation of all regulations to include a recycling program to decrease disposal and generate revenue. INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT: Plans, organizes, directs, controls, and evaluates the effectiveness of the program through an in-house service. Requires conscientious monitoring to prevent and manage infestations of pests and vermin and adherence to local, state and federal regulations. CLEANING & DISINFECTION OF NON-CRITICAL REUSABLE EQUIPMENT/ITEMS FOR PATIENTS: Cleans and Disinfects Non-Critical Reusable equipment/items for patients. Reduces the transmission of microorganisms due to contaminated non-critical reusable equipment/items for patient care. LINEN DISTRIBUTION: Plans, controls, and directs to include budget development, staff needs, equipment needs and utilization of resources ensuring adequate supplies of linen. Items must be mended and replaced on and on as needed basis. EMPLOYEE UNIFORMS: Distributes, purchases, issues and processes government owned uniforms for all authorized personnel. Resolves any discrepancy between staff receiving a financial uniform allowance or government issued uniforms. REMODELING/NEW CONSTRUCTION: Involved in operational impact issues related to remodeling and/or new construction projects ensuring the continuity of support service for patient care. PATIENT EFFECTS/LOST AND FOUND: Stores/cares for Veterans personal items during treatment and stay at the medical center. Collaborates with Nursing to ensure the facility's inventory and receipt record is maintained on valuables accepted for safekeeping. Administers the Lost and Found service. SUPERVISORY DUTES: Analyzes problems and makes decisions; furthers the goals of equal employment opportunity; initiates nondiscriminatory practices and affirmative action; fair treatment of all employees, and so forth. Manages work of individuals and with teams of design, construction, and contracting professionals in developing, maintaining, and sustaining facility grounds. Assigns work to subordinates, evaluates work; provides advice/counsel; effects minor disciplinary measures; identifies/arranges for developmental training needs; develops performance standards, using supervisors, leaders, group coordinators, or committee chairs. Personal contacts with all levels of staff and management, AFGE officers and stewards, EEO, senior EMS national program managers, contractors, veterans service organization officials, volunteers and sales representative, VACO personnel, consultants, and/or any other person/s that can help benefit the mission. Work Environment: Work is generally performed in a typical office setting with adequate heat, light and ventilation. Work Schedule: Full Time, Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Position Description/PD#: 01010-0 Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. 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, 09/04/2026. 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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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. All current, permanent federal employees applicants must ensure that they have included one or more SF50's showing both current (SF50 dated 2023 for GS OR SF50 dated 2022 for WG) employment status AND if applicable, include additional SF50s to demonstrate AT LEAST FULL ONE year equivalent to a GS-11 grade level or higher. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: Experience at the GS-11 level in TWO or MORE OF THE FOLLOWING AREAS OR OTHER WORK DIRECTLY RELATED TO THIS POSITION ( This occupational series includes an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) as identified by OPM) Experience demonstrating 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. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and Management Environmental Engineering Hazardous Materials Lead or Supervise Pest Control 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: Work is mostly sedentary, generally performed in an office setting and involves very little physical effort. Some walking, standing and occasional moderate lifting is 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 There is no educational substitution at this grade level. 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.
