Summary This position is located within the Environmental Management Services and Grounds Section at the Fayetteville VA Medical Center in Fayetteville, NC. The Gardener (Motor Vehicle Operator) performs a variety of tasks related to exterior and interior gardening, landscaping, and grounds maintenance in support of the mission and goals of the Medical Center. Responsibilities The major duties include but are not limited to: Performs seasonal gardening tasks and cultivating a wide variety of plants in flower and shrub beds throughout the Medical Center campus; Prepares soil for plants, seeding, thinning, transplanting, trimming, pruning, fertilizing, aerating, mulching, spraying and dusting of ground cover, flowers, shrubs and trees as instructed; Inspects plants, trees, and shrubs for disease, insects, and/or unusual or poor plant growth; Transplants trees, shrubbery, and plants when relocation is required due to construction or building maintenance issues; Waters, fertilizes, plants, prunes, and trims plants, shrubs, trees, and other tasks and projects as assigned; Performs grounds maintenance tasks to include lawn mowing, trimming, fertilizing, watering, weed eating, edging sidewalks, blowing leaves, ensuring entranceways are free of debris and obstacles, etc.; Replaces mulch in flower beds and ornamental gardens, removing weeds by hand, tools, application of chemicals, etc.; Operates high reach manual equipment for pruning tall trees and shrubs, removing dead tree limbs, cleaning out gutters, or removing debris from rooftops, etc.; Performs gardening duties for interior gardens such as the Plant Atrium and Serenity Garden; Operates motor vehicles, pick-up trucks, vans, and heavy equipment like back hoes, etc. to haul equipment to and from work sites, pickup supplies, and transport lawn maintenance equipment throughout the facility; Collects trash, garbage, and contaminated waste as needed; Assists in the pick-up and delivery of vehicles for routine maintenance; and, Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved 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 period 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 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 PHYSICAL EFFORT AND WORK CONDITIONS: The position requires walking, standing, bending, pushing, pulling, stretching, and stooping for long periods of time. Carries materials, equipment, and objects of varying weights, sizes, and shapes up to 100 lbs. Frequently ladders are used for pruning and trimming large shrubbery and trees and cleaning out building gutters, etc. Requires muscular effort to operate motor vehicles, as well as loading and unloading materials and supplies. Muscular effort and coordination are also required to operate the various controls on power lawn equipment. The work is performed primarily outside. Working conditions are often dirty and noisy, subject to discomfort from long periods in the hot sun and to cold and rainy weather in the winter. The person in the position will be exposed to grass clippings, brush, environmental smell/odors, chemical sprays, fertilizer dust, pollen, etc. On occasion, work is required in areas that may pose health hazards if proper precautions are not taken. Working conditions are such that the worker must constantly be mindful of safety precautions to limit the possibility of accidents, contamination, and personal injury or injury to others within the work area. 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: Dexterity and Safety Interpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading) Materials Measuring Instruments Technical Practices 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 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.
