Housekeeping Aid (Leader)

Veterans Health Administration•Bath, NY

About The Position

This position is a working leader in Environmental Management Services at a Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The employee leads three or more Housekeeping Aids and other assigned employees while also performing the full range of housekeeping work needed to keep the medical center and other facility units clean, organized, and sanitary. The role follows EMS and Medical Center policies and procedures, VA regulations, and verbal direction from EMS Management. The leader relays supervisor instructions, checks that assigned work is completed, coordinates projects with nurses and other area supervisors, demonstrates methods and equipment use, sets the pace of tasks, and trains and motivates employees. The leader reports employee progress and recommends action on work progress, policy or procedure infractions, safety, and remedial training needs. Housekeeping work may take place in outpatient surgery, clinics, central sterile areas, clean rooms, patient areas, laboratories, pharmacies, offices, storage areas, corridors, stairwells, and restrooms, among other locations. Duties include dust and damp mopping; emptying waste and medical-waste receptacles; washing walls and cleaning fixtures and surfaces; replenishing tissue, towels, and soap; making beds and turning mattresses; and scrubbing, stripping, refinishing, and polishing floors with hand-operated and industrial equipment. The employee may also lead textile distribution and inventory, uniform management, or the Patient Assistance Program; move furniture and set up rooms; and provide on-the-job training. The stated work schedule is 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with Monday and Tuesday off. Tour-of-duty hours will be discussed further during the interview. The work occurs in varied clinical, patient-care, public, recreational, and administrative areas, and may involve working indoors and outdoors, exposure to cleaning solutions, bodily fluids, communicable diseases, or hazardous cleaning chemicals, and interaction with medical and psychiatric patients. Protective clothing and personal protective equipment may be required.

Requirements

Evidence of training or experience of sufficient scope and quality to demonstrate the ability to perform the work; no specific length of training or experience is required.
Submit detailed descriptions of relevant duties and responsibilities on the resume to support qualifications.
Ability to perform housekeeping work and meet the job elements, including handling weights and loads, leading or supervising, reliability and dependability, housekeeping aptitude, and work practices.
U.S. citizenship is required.
Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
Subject to background/security investigation and a pre-employment physical.
Must complete the online onboarding process and provide acceptable identification for pre-employment requirements.
Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as a VA health care personnel employee.
Must serve a one-year probationary period.
Physical ability to occasionally bend, stoop, crouch, and kneel; lift up to 50 pounds; and use manual dexterity to operate equipment and a phone.
Hearing and visual acuity are required.
Must be able to work in varied facility areas, potentially indoors and outdoors, and use required protective clothing and personal protective equipment.

Responsibilities

Lead three or more Housekeeping Aids and other assigned employees while performing housekeeping duties.
Communicate supervisor instructions to employees and validate completion of assigned work.
Coordinate projects with nurses and other area supervisors to support timely, successful completion.
Set the pace of tasks, demonstrate cleaning methods and techniques, and direct employees in proper use of supplies and equipment.
Motivate and train employees in proper procedures, techniques, workload expectations, and safety practices.
Report employee progress to the Supervisor and recommend action concerning work progress, policy or procedure infractions, safety compliance, and remedial training.
Clean and maintain facility areas in a clean, organized, and sanitary condition, including patient, clinical, laboratory, pharmacy, office, storage, and public areas.
Dust mop and damp mop; empty waste and medical-waste receptacles; wash walls; clean light fixtures and surfaces; and replenish restroom supplies.
Make beds and turn mattresses.
Scrub, strip, refinish, and polish floors using hand-operated and industrial equipment.
As assigned, lead textile distribution and inventory management, uniform management, and the Patient Assistance Program.
Move furniture and set up conference rooms for meetings, training, or other events.
Perform other duties as assigned.