Summary This position is located in the Environmental Management Service of the VA Medical Center in Northampton (Leeds), MA. Responsibilities Operating a vehicle on and off station to provide services that include the transportation of contaminated waste, furniture, and everyday trash; Operating gasoline, diesel, or electric powered wheeled vehicles to haul cargo, transport sewage, and transport regulated medical waste (RMW); Operating pickp, panel flatbed trucks, carryalls, sedans, crew cab pickup trucks, vans, and wheelchair vans with a gross vehicle weight of up to 10,000 pounds; Performing routine operator maintenance on driven vehicles; Driving regularly established schedules and routes as well as specific trip assignments; Using common cleaning tools and lightweight cleaning equipment; Preparing manifests for the transportation of contaminated needles and RMW for pick up or transport; Using, moving, and controlling heavy equipment and carrying and setting up ladders; Performing custodial duties such as sweeping/scrubbing/waxing floors, washing windows and walls, dusting and polishing furniture and fixtures, and emptying waste cans; Performing minor maintenance on vacuum cleaners, power scrubbers, buffers, and polishers; Lifting and moving objects and furniture to set up offices and hang pictures, whiteboards, etc. on walls; Performing related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 6:00am - 2:30pm. Recruitment & Relocation 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 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 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 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: Must be able to do a considerable amount of walking, standing, climbing ladders, stooping, bending, and crawling. Requires work in congested areas in tight, cramped, or awkward positions. Must be able to carry and set up ladders and indoor scaffolding/staging, lift/move heavy equipment or furniture that may weigh more than 50 pounds. There is exposure to cleaning chemicals and wearing PPE/respirators may be necessary. Considerable effort may be required to change tires on vehicles. Working Conditions: Work is performed throughout a medical facility and much of the work is done in patient care areas, so the employee must always be alert to the safety and well being of patients, visitors, staff, and fellow employees. Duties may be performed in tight, cramped, wet, dry, and dusty areas and the employee may be exposed to skin irritations from strong chemical solutions. The employee is subject to minor cuts, scrapes, and bruises. Vehicle operation occurs in all @types of weather and traffic conditions. 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: Interpret Instructions, Specifications (mobile equipment operations) Motor Vehicles Operate Safely (Non-Motor Vehicle) 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 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.
