Hospital Housekeeping Officer

Summary

This position is located in the Environmental Management Service (EMS) of the Captain James A. Lovell Health Care Center in North Chicago, IL. The Hospital Housekeeping Officer is responsible for the planning, organization, staffing, controlling, evaluation, and direction of the functions of an expanded EMS for a 100-acre campus and 7 Outpatient Clinics in Wisconsin and Illinois.

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Duties

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***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***

Major duties include but are not limited to:

• Offering guidance that affects the full range of organizational and clinical operations of a hospital;
• Interpreting local and agency policies, and drafting policies for local facility approval;
• Delegating work to subordinate supervisors and holding them accountable for the performance of their assigned duties;
• Ensuring environmental regulatory compliance in the service by the effective implementation of applicable environmental programs and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs);
• Exercising independent judgment and initiative in directing the accomplishment of assigned work operations and program management responsibilities within the limits established by the Facility Support Directorate;
• Adhering to the provisions of the Equal Opportunity Program;
• Ensuring that all employees are knowledgeable of and comply with safety rules, that all employees receive pertinent and required safety training, and that safety programs are met;
• Reviewing and evaluating activities in the Sanitation Section to measure the extent of achievement of objectives and to evaluate the effectiveness of cleaning methods, techniques, and procedures;
• Training, counseling, disciplining, evaluating, and promoting the growth of employees within the department;
• Developing and implementing organizational structures and operating plans/procedures to achieve program goals, and determining the need for resources and their appropriate allocation and effectiveness;
• Preparing, maintaining, and monitoring work plans for staff utilization;
• Identifying training and competency needs and ensuring on the job training is conducted to develop technical competence;
• Overseeing various program areas/contracts (environmental sanitation, linen management, waste management and recycling, pest control); and
• Performing other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: 7:00am - 3:30pm or as needed to meet operational needs.

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved.

Requirements

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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. This position requires the application, assessment, and questionnaire to be fully completed. The assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 ( 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) - See "Required Documents" below for details.

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, 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 at the GS-13 level, you must meet the following requirement:

Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-12) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Hospital Housekeeping Officer and that is typically in or related to the work of the position. Qualifying experience at this level includes performing duties associated with planning, directing, managing and monitoring all aspects of an environmental management services in a healthcare setting; exercising both administrative and managerial responsibilities in overseeing areas to include environmental sanitation, pest management, waste management and recycling, interior design, and laundry/linen service; assisting with determining long range, intermediate and short-range environmental management program goals and policies; training, counseling, disciplining, evaluating, and promoting the growth of employees; participating in setting employee performance standards; and communicating with individuals with varying levels of understand both in person and in writing.

Specialized experience must include experience in two or more of the following areas, or work directly related to the position to be filled. (Important: Please make sure your resume clearly indicates your areas of specialized experience and sufficient detail is provided. We cannot make assumptions regarding your experience).

• 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 knowledge of pest management, including alternative methods of control and the selection and application of chemicals.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

• Conflict Management
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Manages Resources
• Partnering
• Planning and Evaluating

Supervisory Situational Judgment Test . Applicants will be required to complete a Supervisory Situational Judgment Test (SSJT) as part of the assessment process for this position. The SSJT evaluates judgment and decision-making skills that align with relevant competencies, organizational values, and best practices. Assessment results may be used as part of the evaluation, ranking and referral process. This is not a timed test, however, the assessment is expected to take approximately 45 minutes or less to complete. The assessment for this application does not include a cut score for a minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. However, you must answer each item in the assessment.

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.

Physical Requirements: Responsibility spans throughout the medical center situated on 100 acres consisting of 56 patient care and administrative buildings encompassing over 2 million square feet which makes supervision very challenging. The work will require some physical exertion such as long periods of standing, or recurring and considerable crouching, bending, standing, stooping, stretching, or walking when performing cleaning activities and inspections of employee/contractor work. Work could also include frequent lifting of moderately heavy items weighing less than 50 pounds, such as boxes and equipment.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

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.

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.