Sewing Machine Operator

Veterans Health Administration

Sioux Falls, SD

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JOB DETAILS

SKILLS

Assembly Equipment, Blueprints, Canvas, Clothes Making, Department of Veterans Affairs, Environmental Management, Equipment Maintenance/Repair, Federal Government, Government, Healthcare, Hospital, Human Resources, Legal, Onboarding, Operations Security (OPSEC), Organizational Skills, Peace Corps, Safety Compliance, Safety/Work Safety, Staff Requirements, Time Management, Training/Teaching, United States Citizen, Vaccination, Volunteer Experience

LOCATION

Sioux Falls, SD

POSTED

1 day ago

Summary

This announcement has been extended until May 22, 2026. If you have already applied, you do not need to reapply. You may, however, update your application materials during this time.

This position is located in the Environmental Management Service at VA Sioux Falls Health Care System - Royal C. Johnson Veterans' Memorial Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD.

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Duties

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This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of WG-06. At the WG-05 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of WG-06. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher-level work, and availability of funds.

The Sewing Machine Operator is responsible for receiving patient clothing for storage or uniforms to be either repaired or stored in the Autovalet system; maintaining working area and equipment in a clean, orderly condition; performing routine sewing duties independently using appropriate procedures used in sewing items in need of mending. Major duties and responsibilities include but not limited to:

Complying with health, safety, and environmental rules and procedures and performing work in a manner that enhances the safety of the work environment
Fabricating items which cannot be purchased or cost becomes prohibitive
Incorporating advances in medical technology requires linens to be specially adapted and customized
Altering lined/unlined linen and clothing as needed to accommodate patients and staff needs including repair or replacement of zippers, buttons and snaps
Hand stitching special items such as mattresses and mattress covers
Salvaging linen or uniforms that can't be repaired on an economical basis
Using a heat seal stamping machine, sealing clothing labels with employee identification labels and VA Property labels on linen and uniforms
Inventorying and labeling patient clothing for 3N and ECU utilizing generated label machine and heat seal machine
Responsible for the timely collection, organized storage and authorized signatures for safekeeping and control of patient belongings
Ensuring all services adhere to published policies with respect to the handling of patient belongings and uniforms
Getting all uniforms for the station delivered to their area where they places the hung items on the employee's assigned hanger location in the automated uniform dispenser machine
Assisting in verifying listing of employees receiving a uniform or a uniform allowance

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday; 07:00 a.m. to 03:30 p.m.

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

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 ( 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)

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.

Qualifications

PHYSICAL EFFORT: Incumbent is required to sit and bend over sewing machines or heat seal machine for long periods of time with continual movement of hands, arms and fingers in placing items in position and sewing. Some items such as the ironed wax cloth and scraper cloths are very large in size and are made of stiff canvas material. These cloths are approximately 15 feet long and 15 feet wide. These items require a very physical effort to work with when being sewn for the size and the weight of the canvas used to make these. Another item that needs repair that is very difficult to handle because of the size is the surgical drapes. These drapes are approximately 10 feet by 15 feet in size. These items are very slippery to handle due to the nature of the Compel linen used to make these. Incumbent also goes on ward rounds to pick up veteran's clothing that were admitted after hours. The incumbent has to push a rack to hang these items on, and this rack can become very heavy with clothes and is awkward to push down the hallways when the racks become full. This is done throughout the hospital daily and requires a considerable amount of walking. Incumbent is required to do heavy lifting of items onto the shelves in the clothing room of boxes and suitcases belonging to veterans. This is also a strenuous task when removing them from the shelves to deliver to the veteran. Incumbent must have good eyesight to do recordkeeping and to do the sewing. Incumbent is required to hang uniforms in the valet system that requires long periods of hanging clothes on an overhead rail system. This too can be quite strenuous to the arms, neck and back of the person doing this work.

WORK CONDITIONS: Incumbent's work is performed under generally adequate conditions as to heat, light and ventilation. Incumbent may be exposed to hostile veterans, veteran's families and employees. Incumbent may be exposed to contagious organisms and possible infections. Incumbent is subject to punctures and/or cuts from needles, pins, scissors, thread nippers, seam rippers, thread cuts, needle breaks on the machine while operating and foreign objects found in patient clothing

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:

Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair
Interpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading)
Materials
Measurement and Layout
Technical Practices
Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
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.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

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.

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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.

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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.

About the Company

Veterans Health Administration

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