About this role
Job Summary
The position is located in the Grounds Unit of the Facilities Management Service.
Qualifications
PHYSICAL EFFORT AND WORK CONDITIONS
The employee must be strong and sturdy and in good physical condition in order to operate trucks, tractors, snow equipment, jack hammers and other horticultural equipment. The employee must have full use of all extremities. The employee is subject to working outdoors in all types of weather, during all seasons. The employee will be required to climb ladders and scaffolds, and to lift heavy objects under adverse conditions. Employee will also be subject to odors and dust. 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 (includes blueprint reading) Materials 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.
Major Duties
- Major duties and responsibilities include: Performing a variety of gardening tasks such as planting, seeding, sodding, grading, cultivating, fertilizing and spraying.
- Operating and maintaining varied motorized and other grounds equipment with attachments such as tractor, mowers, sprayers, spreaders, aerators,. plows, sidewalk and street brooms, snow blower and snow plow, weed eaters, push mowers, back pack blowers, leaf/street vacuums.
- Driving trucks and tractors with utility trailers for trash pick-up, hauling garden tools, road patch, salt, branches, leaves, snow plowing, salt spreading, picking up supply's, moving stone, mulch, dirt and transporting equipment such as wood chipper, street blower, air compressor, brush hog, but not limited to the above.
- Pruning, trimming and transplanting shrubs and trees; grading and replacing sod and providing technical advice to assistants in grading lawns and cultivating shrubbery.
- Operating the following grounds maintenance equipment: snow blower, steam cleaner, all tillage equipment, snow plow, rotary sidewalk broom, aerator, tractor and chain saw, deck mowers and riding mowers.
- Operating service equipment including portable air compressor, chain hoist, tackle, lift and similar equipment used for rigging or moving heavy and/or bulky equipment.
- Spreading fertilizer weed killers and top dressing; adjusting hand power mowers for proper cut and height; tillering, plowing and aerating for depth; power brooms for tension.
- Mounting equipment on tractors, checks and replaces filters, tires, radiator fluids, oil levels, hitches, drawbars, and synchronizes draft controls of hydraulic systems with 3-point tractor systems or other types of tractor lift systems.
- Performing other duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 6:30 am - 2:30 pm.
Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved
Requirements
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 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.