Facilities Maintenance Specialist

We are seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented individual to join our team as a Housekeeping Aid at the Veterans Health Administration. As a key member of our facilities maintenance team, you will play a critical role in ensuring the cleanliness and safety of our medical facilities.

• Execute a full range of housekeeping activities in patient and non-patient care areas, including floor maintenance, wall washing, and cleaning of doors, doorframes, baseboard corners, and edges.
• Empties trash and wastebaskets, replaces liners, and cleans rest rooms, bathrooms, and shower rooms to meet acceptable standards.
• 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 bed-making services in patient care areas and cleans mattresses, springs, and bed frames.
• 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 and restocks clean textile closets, cabinets, shelves, carts, and participates in inventory management activities.
• Defrosts and cleans patient care refrigerators and ice machines in nourishment kitchen areas, cleans stainless steel on storage instrument cabinets and counters, elevators in lobbies, wards, diet-kitchens, and nurse utility rooms.
• Cleans ashtrays, smoke stands, sand urns in designated smoke areas and water fountains, and provides interim cleaning of windows and window ledges from the inside.
• Cleans and/or replaces needle boxes and periodically cleans specific non-critical Reusable Medical Equipment (RME) in inpatient and clinical areas of the medical center.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment.
• 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).

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

EXPERIENCE: A specific length of training and experience is not required, but you must show evidence of training or experience of sufficient scope and quality of your ability to do the work of this position.

SCREEN-OUT ELEMENT: Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the on-line questionnaire.

Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated.

The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements:

• 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.

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.

Physical Requirements:

The position demands continuous walking, standing, stooping, kneeling, pulling, and pushing.

The work requires the occasional use of heavy powered cleaning equipment (e.g., wall washers, industrial type buffers) weighing over 50 pounds.

The duties necessitate considerable dexterity, hand, foot, and eye coordination, and concentration as well as visual acuity to see dirt, dust, and debris.

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 pound power equipment or handling hazardous materials.

Education:

No Educational Requirement

Additional information:

This occupation is being considered for a Veterans Health Administration enterprise-wide Critical Skills Incentive (CSI).

Candidates may be eligible for a lump sum CSI.

The amount of lump sum CSI is determined based on appointment date and may be pro-rated as determined by the end date of the CSI.

Eligible candidates will be required to sign a service agreement agreeing to an obligated service period and failure to complete the obligated service period may result in a debt for the unearned portion of the CSI.

This occupation is currently approved for a Veterans Health Administration enterprise-wide Critical Skills Incentive through [insert date].

Candidates may be eligible for a lump sum CSI for a pro-rated amount if onboard prior to the CSI expiration date.

Eligible candidates will be required to sign a service agreement agreeing to an obligated service period and failure to complete the obligated service period may result in a debt for the unearned portion of the CSI.

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave:

Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee.

Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience.

This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave.

Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Pursuant to VHA Directive, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy).

VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations.

If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date.

The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a condition of employment and 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.