Job Title

Summary This position is located within the Environmental Management Services Division of a VA Medical Center. This position is under the direct supervision of the Housekeeping Supervisor or designee. This position performs both janitorial and custodial services at the VA Medical Center located in Battle Creek VA Medical Center. Click the "Learn more about this agency" link below to discover the perks and benefits of a Housekeeping - Environmental Service career! Responsibilities The Housekeeping Aid (HKA) - Environmental Services (EVS) Technicians who maintain VA facilities for Veterans and their families are essential to the patient care experience at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). A VA healthcare career as a HKA-EVS Technician means working alongside other Veterans, who make up 85 percent of the housekeeping staff. As a HKA-EVS Technician, you will perform a full range of light and heavy cleaning duties and routine housekeeping duties. Veterans rely on the skills of these professionals to keep patient areas clean and safe by addressing spills quickly, discarding trash, installing light bulbs in halls and rooms, and vacuuming and polishing floors. The Environmental Services Technician (Housekeeping Aide) executes a full range of housekeeping activities in patient and non-patient care areas. The position may be assigned to any tour and may be required to work in various designated areas during any tour of duty. Typically, the position works independently with general supervision, or works with a team and is responsible for the full-range of cleaning duties in an assigned area throughout the medical facility. These duties include, but are limited to the following: Performs floor maintenance, wall washing. Cleans doors, doorframes, baseboard corners and edges, and stairwells. Tasks are accomplished by sweeping, dust mopping, damp and wet mopping, scrubbing, stripping, refinishing, buffing, vacuuming and extracting carpets and runners, spot cleaning areas, and high and low dusting. Periodically utilizes pressure washers and heavy industrial powered and battery-operated equipment the above task. Adjusts, cleans, and performs minor maintenance on this equipment and changes attachments for their proper use in achieving the best results. Empties trash and wastebaskets, replaces liners. Transports general refuse regulated medical waste and recycling to central collection areas. Cleans rest rooms, bathrooms, and shower rooms, ensuring that they are cleaned and meet acceptable standards (cleans, disinfects, and deodorizes lavatories, showers, bathtubs, urinals, and toilet bowls; cleans mirrors, sinks, and water fountains; washes and polishes light and toilet fixtures). Replenishes supplies of paper towels, toilet paper, hand sanitizers, and soap in all areas where dispensers are located. Moves and arranges furniture, patient wardrobes, beds, etc. in the assigned area to accomplish cleaning tasks. Provides services in patient care areas and OD rooms; cleans mattresses and bed frames; and cleans bedside stands, over bed lights, bed tables, etc. in patient rooms. Removes bags of soiled textiles from patient rooms and transports to the designated soiled room in each ward area; Loads and unloads clean textiles from bulk carts. Restocks clean textile closets, cabinets, shelves, carts, and participates in inventory management activities. Cleans patient care ice machines in nourishment kitchen areas; cleans stainless steel on storage instrument cabinets and counters, elevators in lobbies, wards, diet-kitchens, nurse utility rooms, and water fountains. Provides interim cleaning of windows and window ledges from the inside, cleans glass door and other glass surfaces; and replaces curtains and cleans blinds. Cleans and/or replaces needle boxes. Periodically cleans specific non-critical Reusable Medical Equipment (RME) in inpatient and clinical areas of the medical center. Additionally, the position may work with and provide guidance to a Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) worker, and perform other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Full time Monday Thru Friday 7:00am to 3:30pm;Full time Monday Thru Friday 3:30pm to 12:00am (Midnight);Part time Saturday and Sunday 7:00am to 3:30pm;Part time Saturday and Sunday 2:30pm to 11:00pm; Position Description Title/PD#: Environmental Service Technician (Housekeeping Aid)/PD99909S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved 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 Pre-employment physical required 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, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/31/2024. This is an open continuous announcement until December 31, 2024. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available. 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: Dexterity and Safety Follow Directions Handle Weights and Loads Reliability And Dependability Special Aptitude - Housekeeping Work Work Practices 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. PHYSICAL EFFORT: Heavy lifting (45 pounds and over); Moderate lifting (15-44 pounds); Heavy Carrying (45 pounds and over); Moderate Carrying (15-44 pounds); Straight pulling (4 hours); Pulling hand over hand (2 hours); Pushing (6 hours); Reaching above shoulders; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking (8 hours); Standing (8 hours); Crawling (1 hour); Kneeling (2 hours); Repeated bending (4 hours); Climbing, use of legs and arms; Both legs required; Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; Both eyes required; Depth perception; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Ability to distinguish shades of colors; Hearing (aid may be permitted); Mental and Emotional Stability; Physically Meets Standards; No Lumbar restrictions WORKING CONDITIONS: Work is normally performed indoors with adequate heat, light, and ventilation. Some work may be performed outdoors where there may be exposed to varying degrees of heat and cold as well as inclement weather. PPE may be required in some circumstance as exposure to possible contagious diseases, blood and bloody secretion are inherent to this position. Care is required to avoid serious injuries (i.e., broken bones) when working on ladders, or when using 30-100-pound power equipment or handling hazardous materials. 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. Education Not applicable. Additional Information 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. Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.