The position serves as Pest Controller in the Environmental Management Service at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. The primary purpose of the position is to provide a complete facility pest control program at this facility.
Learn more about this agency
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
MAJOR DUTIES:
- Plans, implements, and carries out a comprehensive Integrated Pest Management Program (IPMP).
- Identifies, controls, and prevents infestations of common household, structural, public health, nuisance, and plant pests.
- Inspects for pests in a variety of interior and exterior environments, including domiciliary residences, patient rooms, administrative and medical offices, food service areas, storage areas, warehouses, and Medical Center grounds.
- Develops pest maintenance schedules, material requirements, and application methods for appropriate pest management measures.
- Devises and maintains program plans and records; conducts ongoing surveillance and troubleshooting; and determines appropriate pest control measures without supervisory guidance.
- Applies in-depth knowledge of pest species and demonstrates proficiency in the safe handling, mixing, application, and disposal of pesticides in accordance with the Integrated Pest Management Program.
- Determines appropriate approaches, methods, and courses of action, including the use of chemical or physical methods to control pest infestations.
- Plans all required work, reviews and responds to complaints received, documents treatments provided, and identifies developing pest trends.
- Develops inspection, survey, and treatment schedules and selects appropriate materials and equipment.
- Selects, mixes, and applies restricted-use and general-use/ready-to-use pesticides necessary to control identified pests.
- Provides interior and exterior pesticide treatments and selects and sets various types of baits and traps to control insect, invertebrate, vertebrate, and weed pests.
- Completes required reports and maintains records to meet all regulatory agency requirements.
- Complies with all applicable Federal, State, local, and Medical Center directives pertaining to an effective Integrated Pest Management Program.
- Receives technical advice and guidance, as appropriate, while building and maintaining professional relationships with Federal, State, local, and consulting entomologists and other pest management officials regarding program development and specialized pest management needs.
- Works independently with minimal supervision and monitors contractor quality control and compliance, as applicable.
- Serves as the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for pest control contracts.
- Prepares and submits required reports.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved
- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
- Pre-employment physical required
- 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 identification 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)
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT: You must be certified as a California Certified Pesticide Applicator by the Office of Pest Management (OPM) to provide pest management services. Please provide certification information in your resume/application.
PHYSICAL EFFORT AND WORK CONDITIONS: Required to lift and handle materials weighing over 23 kilograms (50 pounds) and carry chemical solutions and equipment weighing up to 18 kilograms (40 pounds) for extended periods. May work in cramped and inconvenient surroundings requiring manipulation of equipment in awkward positions for prolonged periods. Work frequently requires standing, stooping, bending, kneeling, climbing, and working in tiring and uncomfortable positions for extended periods of time. May also be asked to move furniture and equipment as well as various carpentry and masonry tools. Mus be medically qualified to wear a respirator. Work is accomplished both inside and outside. When working outside, may be exposed to hot sun for extended periods of time and occasionally to sever weather. Outside work may be done in marsh areas or under hot and dusty conditions for extended periods of time. Inside work is often accomplished in structural areas with minimum ventilation and/or limited access. May mix substances and apply pesticides while wearing respirators, gloves, and other personal protective equipment designed to nullify the risk of exposure to toxic dust and sprays which might damage their health. Damage to health may occur if appropriate safety procedures are not followed. Discomfort may be experienced while wearing protective clothing, respirators, goggles, or face masks for extended periods of time. May be exposed to poisonous insects, reptiles, and plants and wild and rabid animals.
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. The potential eligibles are rated against the remainder of the job elements. 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.
You will be rated on the following Job Elements as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:
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Dexterity and Safety
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Interpret Instructions, Specifications (includes blueprint reading)
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Materials
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Measuring Instruments
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Technical Practices
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Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
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Without more than normal supervision
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.
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
Receiving Service Credit for 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.
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.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).
Your responses to the assessment questionnaire will be reviewed along with the information provided in your resume and supporting documentation to determine if you are qualified for the position. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered and/or you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.
Candidates who apply under All U.S. Citizens announcements will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The categories are defined as follows:
- Best qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position;
- Well qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the job; and
- Qualified - applicants possessing experience and/or education that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors.
Application of Veterans' Preference: Category rating and selection procedures place those with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligible applicants that meet the eligibility and qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.
IMPORTANT: Please ensure your resume include up-to-date contact information (phone number(s), email address(s), etc.)
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).
- Cover Letter
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DD-214/ Statement of Service
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Disability Letter (VA)
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Other (1)
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Other (2)
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Resume
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Separation Notice (RIF)
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SF-15
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SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
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Transcript
Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation, i.e., Letter of Intent, related to your active-duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must refer to the SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" and submit required documents as applicable and stated on the form.
Documentation is mandatory to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.
All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 08/04/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13014982.
- To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
- Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed.
Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.
Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.
Helpful Hints for Creating a Two-Page Resume:
- Prioritize most relevant and recent experience
- Use concise, results focused language
- Align language from the job announcement
- Focus on demonstrating skills and competencies
- Remove outdated or unrelated experience
- Use the USAJOBS resume builder
Additional guidance on this new requirement and resume building tools can be found at:
- https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/page-limit
- https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/merit-hiring-plan-resources/applicant-guidance-on-the-two-page-resume-limit/
Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities (i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities), and/or disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. For more information on how to apply using this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator within the office, contact the facility Human Resources Department at (650) 493-5000.
The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
VHA National Recruitment Center
Phone
(844)456-5208
Email
Address
Palo Alto VA Medical Center
3801 Miranda Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94304
US
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications per Category Rating procedures to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. If initial application submission is updated and resubmitted with a new resume, only the most current resume will be reviewed for consideration. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza 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.
Accepting applications
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
No matching locations found.
Work site options
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$39.52 - $46.03 per hour
Pay scale & grade
WG 10
Learn more about pay scale and grade
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
CARZ-13014982-26-AIH
