Summary The employee serves as gardener within the Facilities Management Section at the Orlando VAMC in Orlando, FL. He/she is required to work with minimal supervision to perform a wide variety of duties to improve and maintain the appearance of lawns, trees, shrubs, plants, walkways, recreational areas, roads and parking lots at this facility. Gardner will report to Maintenance & Operations Supervisor WS-07. Responsibilities Duties include, but are not limited to: Use a variety of hand and power-operated garden tools and equipment such as seeders, spreaders, edgers, hedge trimmers, pruning shears and sprayers. Responsible for doing seasonal gardening tasks such as fertilizing, preparing seedbeds, transplanting, laying sod, aerating, pruning, trimming and applying chemicals to plants according to directions. Responsible for lawn mowing of the VA grounds and endures that the grounds are esthetically pleasing through proper watering, lawn cutting and fertilizing. Consider the seasonal schedules of project plants for their area, suitability of the weather, degree of moisture in teh soil and stage of plant growth in deciding when and how they will do their work. Trim and prune trees, shrubs, flowers, etc. to shape and remove excess growth. Adjust irrigation, fertilization and mineral content of soil to meet the requirements and characteristics of each @type of plant, tree, shrub or grass. Must use good gardening practices and make independent decisions as to proper @type of plants, shrubs, trees and grasses to be planted in areas such as terraces, heavy traffic areas, boarders and recreational areas. Work Schedule: Tuesday-Saturday or Sunday to Thursday or Monday to Friday 7:00 am - 3:30 pm, 3:00 pm - 11:30 pm, 11:00 pm - 7:30 am Position Description Title/PD#: Gardener/PD051440 Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Requirements 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 You may be required to serve a probationary/trial period Subject to background/security investigation Pre-employment physical required 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 To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/22/2025. EXPERIENCE: A specific length of training and experience is not required, but you must show evidence of training or experience of sufficient scope and quality of your ability to do the work of this position. Evidence which demonstrates you possess the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of this position must be supported by detailed descriptions of such on your resume. Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualification Standards. SCREEN-OUT ELEMENT: Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the on-line questionnaire. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements: Ability to Do the Work of the Position without More Than Normal Supervision Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (Other Than Blueprint Reading) Ability to Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment Knowledge of Equipment Assembly, Installation, and Repair, etc. Knowledge of Materials Technical Practices (Theoretical, Precise, Artistic) Troubleshooting 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 Requirements: Must be physically fit, as work requires prolonged periods of walking, standing, bending, stooping, pushing mowers, carts, edgers, wheelbarrows, etc. They must climb ladders in order to trim and prune. Employee must occasionally lift and carry heavy objects (weighing approximately 50 pounds) and frequently lift and carry moderately heavy objects weighing up to 40 pounds, such as bags of fertilizer containers of chemicals, trash bags, sod etc. Their work involves pulling, climbing and working with hands above the head. Working Conditions: Primary work area is outside on the grounds of the medical facility, with some work being performed inside. Employee is exposed to a variety of weather conditions inherent to the Central Florida region and the possibility of cuts, bruises, insect bites, and work is often dirty and dusty. Employee works with power equipment such as, but not limited to push mowers, power edgers, trimmers, chain saws, brush clippers, tractor mowers, street sweepers, etc. and is exposed to engine noise, heat and possible airborne debris. Education There is no educational requirement for this announcement. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or 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.
