Summary This position is located in the Environmental Management Service (EMS) of the Captain James A. Lovell Health Care Center in North Chicago, IL. The Hospital Housekeeping Officer is responsible for the planning, organization, staffing, controlling, evaluation, and direction of the functions of an expanded EMS for a 100-acre campus and 7 Outpatient Clinics in Wisconsin and Illinois. Responsibilities ***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** Offering guidance that affects the full range of organizational and clinical operations of a hospital; Interpreting local and agency policies, and drafting policies for local facility approval; Delegating work to subordinate supervisors and holding them accountable for the performance of their assigned duties; Ensuring environmental regulatory compliance in the service by the effective implementation of applicable environmental programs and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs); Exercising independent judgment and initiative in directing the accomplishment of assigned work operations and program management responsibilities within the limits established by the Facility Support Directorate; Adhering to the provisions of the Equal Opportunity Program; Ensuring that all employees are knowledgeable of and comply with safety rules, that all employees receive pertinent and required safety training, and that safety programs are met; Reviewing and evaluating activities in the Sanitation Section to measure the extent of achievement of objectives and to evaluate the effectiveness of cleaning methods, techniques, and procedures; Training, counseling, disciplining, evaluating, and promoting the growth of employees within the department; Developing and implementing organizational structures and operating plans/procedures to achieve program goals, and determining the need for resources and their appropriate allocation and effectiveness; Preparing, maintaining, and monitoring work plans for staff utilization; Identifying training and competency needs and ensuring on the job training is conducted to develop technical competence; Overseeing various program areas/contracts (environmental sanitation, linen management, waste management and recycling, pest control). Performing other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: 7:00am - 3:30pm or as needed to meet operational needs. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized. Requirements Conditions of Employment 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. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. 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 Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Qualifications SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: One year of specialized experience that equipped them with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes experience in two or more of the following areas, or other work related to the position to be filled: (1) Experience that demonstrated a practical working knowledge of the basic principles of chemistry, biology, and bacteriology as applied to environmental sanitation, infection control, and to the choice and use of antimicrobial agents in the disinfection, sanitization, and/or sterilization of surfaces and equipment; (2) Experience in laundry and linen management; (3) Experience in interior design management; (4) Experience that demonstrated knowledge of waste management, including the requirements relating to hazardous, toxic, and infectious wastes and provisions for their final disposition; (5) Experience that demonstrated knowledge of pest management, including alternative methods of control and the selection and application of chemicals. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Administration and Management Communication Hazardous Materials Organizational Performance Analysis Vision IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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; religious; 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. Physical Requirements: Responsibility spans throughout the medical center situated on 100 acres consisting of 56 patient care and administrative buildings encompassing over 2 million square feet which makes supervision very challenging. The work will require some physical exertion such as long periods of standing, or recurring and considerable crouching, bending, standing, stooping, stretching, or walking when performing cleaning activities and inspections of employee/contractor work. Work could also include frequent lifting of moderately heavy items weighing less than 50 pounds, such as boxes and equipment. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education There is no educational substitution at this grade level. NOTE: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov). Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.