Lead Housekeeping Aid - Environmental Services Technician

About the role

This position is located within Environmental Management Services (EMS) of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center. It is generally aligned under the Housekeeping Supervisor and is responsible for supporting and performing tasks related to the environment of care, textile distribution, and training to meet EMS goals and objectives. The role has no formal disciplinary authority over staff.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. A specific length of training and experience is not required, but candidates must provide evidence of sufficient training or experience to perform the duties of this position. Detailed descriptions of relevant experience should be included on the resume. Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualification Standards.

Screen‑out element: Applicants will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen‑out element in the online questionnaire. Those meeting the minimal qualification are considered for further rating; others are eliminated.

Job elements considered for rating include:

• Dexterity and safety
• Interpret instructions – specifications (other than blueprint reading)
• Use and maintain tools and equipment
• Work with only normal supervision

Experience may include paid, unpaid, or volunteer work (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, professional, philanthropic, religious, community, student, or social organizations). A full year of work is considered 35‑40 hours per week; part‑time experience is credited based on actual hours.

Responsibilities

• Lead three or more employees in performing housekeeping tasks to maintain the medical center and other facility units in a clean, organized, and sanitary condition.
• Communicate instructions from the supervisor to employees and validate completion of assigned work.
• Coordinate projects with nurses and other area supervisors to ensure timely and successful completion.
• Set the pace of each task, demonstrate methods and techniques, and provide direction on proper use of cleaning supplies and equipment.
• Ensure all tasks are completed and deadlines are met.
• Engage employees to provide purpose, direction, and motivation; train them in proper procedures and techniques to meet or exceed workload and safety outcomes.
• Report employee progress to the supervisor and make recommendations regarding work progress, policy infractions, and safety compliance.
• Perform full range of housekeeping duties, including cleaning horizontal and vertical surfaces in outpatient surgery, clinics, central sterile, clean rooms, patient areas, laboratories, pharmacy, offices, isolation rooms, storage, corridors, stairwells, toilets, showers, and other medical center areas as required.
• Use proper procedures for dust mopping, damp mopping, emptying waste receptacles, replacing medical waste containers, washing walls, cleaning light fixtures, refilling toilet tissue, paper towels, and soap dispensers.
• Make beds and turn mattresses.
• May lead textile distribution and inventory management, including uniform management and Patient Assistance Program.
• Provide on‑the‑job training to all assigned employees.
• Identify and recommend remedial training for employees based on observations.
• May move furniture and set up conference rooms for meetings, trainings, or other events.
• Scrub, strip, refinish, and polish floors using hand‑operated and industrial equipment.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Physical Requirements

• Heavy lifting and carrying – 45 pounds and over
• Straight pulling and pushing
• Reaching above shoulder
• Use of fingers and both hands
• Walking (approximately 6 hours), standing (2 hours), crawling (1‑2 hours), kneeling (1‑2 hours), repeated bending (1‑2 hours), climbing (legs only 1‑2 hours; legs and arms as needed)
• Both legs required for climbing
• Rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously
• Near vision correctable to 13‑16 inches (Jaeger 1‑4); far vision correctable to 20/20 in one eye and 20/40 in the other
• Depth perception, basic color discrimination, and shade discrimination
• Hearing (aids permitted)

Work Schedule

7:00 am – 3:45 pm, Sunday through Saturday, including holidays.