What are the responsibilities and job description for the Environmental Services Technician position at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs?
Summary
The Housekeeping Aid performs the full range of manual cleaning tasks (ex: sweeping - mopping - scrubbing - polishing - dusting - sanitizing - decontaminating and disinfecting).
Qualifications
To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 05/06/2026. Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualifications. For this position - the job element method is used to match what you - the applicant - can do against what the work calls for. Your knowledge - skills and abilities will be compared to the knowledge - skills and abilities (called job elements) needed for success. Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element (WG-2 and higher only; screen-outs are not applicable to WG-1). Applicants who appear to meet the screen out element are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated from consideration. While a specific length of training and experience is not required - your responses to the questionnaire must be supported by detailed descriptions of your experience on your resume. 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 EFFORT: 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 30-100-pound power equipment or handling hazardous materials.
Duties
The Housekeeping Aid performs the full range of manual cleaning tasks (ex: sweeping - mopping - scrubbing - polishing - dusting - sanitizing - decontaminating and disinfecting).
Qualifications
To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 05/06/2026. Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualifications. For this position - the job element method is used to match what you - the applicant - can do against what the work calls for. Your knowledge - skills and abilities will be compared to the knowledge - skills and abilities (called job elements) needed for success. Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element (WG-2 and higher only; screen-outs are not applicable to WG-1). Applicants who appear to meet the screen out element are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated from consideration. While a specific length of training and experience is not required - your responses to the questionnaire must be supported by detailed descriptions of your experience on your resume. 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 EFFORT: 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 30-100-pound power equipment or handling hazardous materials.
Duties
- The Housekeeping Aid (HKA) - Environmental Services (EVS) Technicians who maintain VA facilities for Veterans and their families are essential to the patient care experience at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
- A VA healthcare career as a HKA-EVS Technician means working alongside other Veterans - who make up 85 percent of the housekeeping staff
- As a HKA-EVS Technician - you will perform a full range of light and heavy cleaning duties and routine housekeeping duties
- Veterans rely on the skills of these professionals to keep patient areas clean and safe by addressing spills quickly - discarding trash - installing light bulbs in halls and rooms - and vacuuming and polishing floors
- Duties include cleaning wards - patient rooms - storerooms - offices - corridors - restrooms - shower rooms - and other areas
- HKA-EVS Technicians sweep - mop - scrub (machine) floors - vacuum carpets and upholstered furniture - empty waste baskets - clean light globes and Venetian blinds - wash walls - windows and ceilings by climbing small ladders - refill toilet tissue and towel dispensers and move furniture
- HKA-EVS Technicians carry out assignments with minimal supervision
- Work Schedule: Multiple Shifts to include days - evenings - nights - weekends - and holidays at the needs of the service Position Description Title/PD#: Environmental Services Technician/PD99909S 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.
Salary : $20 - $24