AddressSummary Located within the Environmental Management Service (EMS) at the VA Medical Center in Northport, NY, the Environmental Care Specialist is responsible for the operation and direction of the hospital Sanitation Unit. This position works in coordination with the Chief and Assistant Chief to plan, coordinate, and direct EMS activities, including pest control, laundry and linen, solid waste management, and housekeeping. Responsibilities 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 and responsibilities include: Utilizes expertise in sanitation management to plan, schedule, and coordinates long-range work assignments Analyzes medical Center Sanitation needs, seasonal changes in workload, staff, equipment, and operations Projects supply needs based upon actual and proposed facility changes Provides annual budget projections Established a good work environment for employees Provides guidance in establishing work priorities Assigns work in accordance with workload requirements, emergency/priority requests, and staffing needs Provides guidance and assistance on procedures, cleaning solutions, and equipment used Performs weekly inspection of Medical Center to ensure cleanliness Communicates with supervisors regarding workload, costs, personnel utilization, etc. Develops a comprehensive training program for the Sanitation Unit to include orientation, on-the-job training, and classroom instruction Housekeeping staff Prepares management reports to include sick leave studies, five-year plan, budget forecast, supply usage Conducts patient satisfaction surveys Develops and monitors EMS Quality Assurance Program Performs other related duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required 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 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position at the GS-11 level you must meet one of the following: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: At least one (1) full year of specialized experience that equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties this Environmental Care Specialist - Hospital/Medical Center Sanitation, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-9) in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes performing administrative or management work, under general supervision, that supports an Environmental Care, housekeeping, or janitorial program in a health care institution or other large public facility. Such experience must also include planning, directing, and coordinating activities; monitoring facilities for cleanliness, and meeting environmental health and safety standards; and collecting data and preparing reports. Note: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hour worked per week. OR EDUCATION SUBSTITUTION: Three (3) full years of progressively higher level graduate education or a doctoral degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) related to the work of this position. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this Environmental Care Specialist - Hospital/Medical Center Sanitation. This education must have been obtained at an accredited college or university. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcript with your application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR COMBINATION: Equivalent combination of successfully completed higher level graduate education (beyond the second year/masters level) and specialized experience, as described above, which meets the total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Your experience must be documented in your resume and you must submit a copy of your transcript with your application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Administration and Management Computer Skills Financial Management Managing Human Resources Performance Measurement Technical Competence 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 and Work Conditions: Requires walking, standing, bending, and stretching for long periods of time. Work is primarily performed indoors. However, exposure to changes in temperature and inclement weather may occur during inspection. Exposed to contaminated areas and noxious fumes. 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 IMPORTANT: 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov). 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. Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities (i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities), and/or disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. For more information on how to apply using this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator within the office, contact the facility Human Resources Department at (631) 261-4400. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. 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/. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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.
