Environmental Services Technician (EVS) - Housekeeping Aid (Leader)

Veterans Health Administration • Fayetteville, AR

9d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is within Environmental Management Services at a Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Generally aligned under the Housekeeping Supervisor, the position supports and performs tasks related to Environmental Management Services goals and objectives, including environment of care, textile distribution, and training. It serves as a working leader for housekeeping operations throughout the VA Medical Center(s).

The role applies housekeeping principles and medical-center policies to maintain assigned areas, uses aseptic cleaning and disinfection techniques, and operates and performs minor maintenance on floor and vacuum equipment. It also assigns and changes housekeeping aides' work assignments to ensure facility coverage.

The work takes place in varied clinical and public areas, including operating, treatment, examination, imaging, and patient rooms, as well as wards and administrative and recreational spaces. Duties may involve contact with patients and exposure to cleaning solutions, bodily fluids, communicable disease, and hazardous cleaning chemicals. Protective clothing and personal protective equipment are required for some tasks; work may be indoors or outdoors.

The schedule is Thursday through Monday, 3:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., and may change based on facility needs. The position has occasional bending, stooping, crouching, and kneeling; lifting up to 50 pounds; and requirements for standing, walking, sitting, hearing, visual acuity, and manual dexterity.

Requirements

• Demonstrated training or experience of sufficient scope and quality to show ability to perform the work; no specific length of training or experience is required.
• Ability to apply housekeeping principles, including chemistry, biology, and bacteriology, to hospital housekeeping requirements.
• Ability to interpret and follow verbal and written instructions and medical center policies.
• Ability to use aseptic cleaning and disinfection techniques and standard precautions.
• Ability to operate and perform minor maintenance on housekeeping equipment.
• Ability to handle infectious and non-infectious waste safely.
• Ability to lead or supervise housekeeping aides and assign work.
• U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Suitability for federal employment as determined by a background investigation.
• Applicants tentatively selected for a testing-designated position must submit to urinalysis for illegal drug use before appointment.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Selected applicants must complete the online onboarding process and provide acceptable identification and required application documents.
• Must serve a one-year probationary period.
• Must participate in the VA seasonal influenza program by receiving annual vaccination or obtaining a medical or religious exemption; masking is required when an exemption is granted.

Responsibilities

• Apply principles of chemistry, biology, and bacteriology to hospital housekeeping requirements.
• Interpret and follow verbal and written instructions from the supervisor and adhere to medical center policies.
• Use aseptic cleaning and disinfection techniques and standard precautions, including appropriate personal protective equipment.
• Operate and perform minor maintenance on floor scrubbers and buffers, wet-pickup and dry vacuums, and battery-powered scrubbers.
• Scrub, strip, wax, and polish floors; sweep, mop, vacuum, and shampoo rugs and carpets.
• Assign and change housekeeping aides' assignments to ensure coverage of all areas of the medical center.
• Apply policies, guides, standards, and requirements related to hospital housekeeping programs.
• Safely handle non-infectious and infectious waste.
• Operate battery-powered equipment, move furniture, and set up ladders or other heavy equipment as required.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits are available to eligible employees; specific benefits depend on position type and eligibility.
• VA may grant credit for job-related non-federal experience or active-duty uniformed military service when determining annual leave accrual, subject to request and approval before appointment and not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed