Environmental Care Specialist

Veterans Health Administration • Bronx, NY

24d • Onsite

About The Position

This position serves as an Environmental Care Specialist in the Environmental Management Service Department at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center in Bronx, New York. It is a multi-grade career-ladder position at GS-9 and GS-11. At GS-9, assignments are more limited in scope and performed with less independence; the employee progressively develops the background needed to work at the GS-11 full-performance level. Promotion is at the supervisor’s discretion and depends on satisfactory performance, availability of higher-level work, and available funds. The position is not virtual; the employee must live within or be willing to relocate within commuting distance of the duty location.

The role plans and oversees work supporting Environmental Management Service Center goals, assigns and prioritizes work, evaluates associate performance, and helps ensure the environmental housekeeping program meets applicable policies and requirements. The work includes understanding complex written instructions and regulations, planning quality-control measures and cleaning schedules, and implementing program responsibilities under the direction of Environmental Management Service Center leadership.

The position requires moderate-to-heavy physical effort, including frequent bending, stretching, stooping, and reaching for inspections; moving furniture and supplies; and operating housekeeping equipment. The full-time work schedule is 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Recruitment and relocation incentives are not authorized.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Meet the GS-9 or GS-11 qualification requirements through the specified specialized experience, education, or an allowable combination of education and experience.
• GS-9 specialized experience: at least one year equivalent to GS-7, involving administrative support for environmental care, data collection, and preparation of reports and spreadsheets supporting environmental sanitation functions.
• GS-9 education substitution: a related master’s or equivalent graduate degree, two full years of progressively higher-level related graduate education leading to such a degree, or a related LL.B. or J.D.
• GS-11 specialized experience: at least one year equivalent to GS-9, involving administrative duties supporting environmental care, data collection, reports and spreadsheets for environmental sanitation, and maintaining, updating, and presenting relevant manuals, policies, plans, or infection-control guidelines.
• GS-11 education substitution: a related Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, three full years of progressively higher-level related graduate education leading to such a degree, or a related LL.M.
• Experience must be documented on the resume with job title, duties, start and end month/year, and hours worked per week.
• Submit transcripts when using education to qualify; education must be from an appropriately accredited institution. Foreign education requires a certificate of foreign equivalency.
• Complete the application, questionnaire, and required online assessment.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service.
• Subject to a background/security investigation and required online onboarding; acceptable identification is required for pre-employment requirements.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
• Serve a one-year probationary period, with continued employment subject to written certification that it advances the public interest.
• Be able to perform the stated physical duties, including frequent bending, stretching, stooping, and reaching; moving heavy objects and equipment; and operating housekeeping equipment.
• Live within or be willing to relocate within commuting distance of the Bronx duty location.

Responsibilities

• Plan and oversee work supporting Environmental Management Service Center goals and objectives.
• Set and adjust short-term daily, weekly, or monthly priorities.
• Assign work to Environmental Management Service Center Associates based on priorities, assignment difficulty, and associate capabilities.
• Evaluate associates’ work performance and recommend performance ratings.
• Understand and apply complex written instructions, policies, and environmental laws and regulations, including VA, VHA, OSHA, JCAHO, and EPA requirements.
• Plan quality-control measures, work schedules, production standards, and cleaning frequencies for the health care facility.
• Carry out directions, policies, and procedures from the Director, Environmental Management Service Center and the Assistant Hospital Housekeeping Officer to implement the program and ensure functional and program responsibilities are met.
• Perform other assigned duties.
• At the GS-11 level, maintain, update, and present manuals, policies, pest-management and waste-management plans, and program infection-control guidelines for review by management officials.
• Perform inspection tasks and demonstrate housekeeping work activities and setups.
• Operate housekeeping equipment, including scrubbers, vacuum cleaners, floor polishers and burnishers, wet-pickup vacuum cleaners, and walk-behind automatic scrubbing equipment; occasionally operate heavy ride-on scrubbing equipment.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package; the specific benefits offered depend on position eligibility and should be confirmed with the hiring agency.
• VA may consider credit for job-related non-federal experience or active-duty uniformed military service when determining annual-leave accrual; approval is required and not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level