Summary The employee will serve as a Gardner within the Facilities Management, Grounds/Vehicle Operations Section, located at the Kansas City Medical Center (VAMC) in Kansas City, MO. Responsibilities Duties include, but may not be limited to the following: Plan and carry out work according to schedule or project assigned. Perform professional gardening work concerned with the maintenance and improvement of the acres at the Medical Center. Determine corrective actions if necessary to improve plant health. Use hand tools and other equipment in addition to chemicals of various @types without injury to plant material. Assist in snow and ice removal. Determine and set priorities to accomplish work. Perform other duties, as necessary. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 6:30am-2:30pm 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 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) 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 SCREEN-OUT/JOB ELEMENT: Requires the ability to do the work of a Gardener without more than normal supervision. Such experience must include performing gardening tasks such as maintaining shrub and flower beds to include cutting, weeding, trimming, pruning and planting; using various @types of landscaping hand/power tools and equipment; assisting with fertilizing, transplanting, aerating, and applying chemicals according to directions. (See detailed position criteria in the announcement duties section. Resume(s) must clearly support this experience to receive credit.) PHYSICAL EFFORT AND WORK CONDITIONS: The work will be performed over 96 acres and requires frequent walking and the use of a tractor for transportation of equipment and materials. Frequent bending, stooping and standing are required due to the nature of the work. The gardener will climb ladders to prune, plant material or to place Christmas lights. Will be required to lift heavy objects such as fertilizer, salt, plant material and maneuver loaded wheelbarrows. The majority of the work is one outdoors. The gardener will be subject to discomfort from long periods of heat and humidity, cold, wind, rain and snow, and will perform responsibilities with minimum interruption under these conditions. The gardener will be exposed to chemical sprays and dust. Will be provided with protective clothing and equipment such as gloves, respirator, safety shoes and boots. During extreme weather conditions, such as heavy rain or severe cold, the incumbent may be given assignments to assist other members of the section in moving materials and equipment, shop maintenance and other tasks which may be outside the range of gardening 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: Interpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading) Materials Measuring Instruments 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 Additional Information Note: Per "Executive Order 14251: Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs", this position is no longer eligible for bargaining unit participation. 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.
