Summary The incumbent works in the Grounds Transportation Unit of Engineering Service under the direct supervision of the Grounds Transportation Unit Supervisor with assistance from the lead gardener, who coordinates, schedules, and assigns all grounds and gardening maintenance, transportation operations, equipment usage, and aerial lift work. Work includes gardening, mowing, leaf collection, snow removal according to seasonal or periodic demand, and station plans. Responsibilities Duties include but not limited to: Incumbent conducts seasonal gardening tasks including fertilizing, preparing seedbeds, transplanting, laying sod, aerating, pruning (trees and shrubs), trimming, and applying chemicals to grounds, plants and lawn according to schedules, project plans and regulations. He/she make determinations pertaining to suitability, weather, percent of moisture in the soil, and stage of plant growth to maintain the horticulture and beautify the station grounds. The gardener will start and maintain seasonal nursery or cold frame beds to assist inventory of proper plants on hand for specific seasons. The gardener will select necessary fungicides, insecticides, herbicides for control of common plant diseases insects and weeds. Gardening practices also include seeding, treating soil, mowing, removing, bra9ing, and cabling trees or plant life which are diseased or injured, edge and weed a vast lawn, leaf collection, and mulching. Gardener is responsible to maintain a mulch pile for beds and grounds. Incumbent operates vehicles grossing 5,000-22,000 pounds such as, cars, vans, trucks, buses and other vehicular means of patient transportation., He/she drives assigned vehicles to transport patients and employees around and to and from the station. He/she is responsible to enter vehicle usage and patient transport data into computer systems. The incumbent He/she drives long distances. to swap government vehicles and provide road side assistance to other government drivers. He/she is responsible for the operation of a tractor w/attachments (disc, tiller, gill to prepare ground for seeding, etc.), farm @type vehicles, any make or model of motor vehicle or motorized equipment, skip loader, street sweeper, backhoe/ dump-truck, ambulance or wheelchair van, lawn mowers of various sizes and configurations, four wheel tractor, aerial lift, bobcat, van or cargo vehicle and push/pulled operated equipment as assigned. Incumbent may load and unload patients from patient transport vehicles, cargo trucks and other conveyances; uncrates and unpacks supplies and equipment, operating hand tools, chainsaws, trimmers, edger's, and inspects all equipment for oil, gas, hydraulic fluid, fuel, water, and greasing all fittings. The incumbent assists the automotive mechanic as assigned to perform maintenance on large equipment as described above. He/she assists by making entries in the computer to record fuel usage, mileage, and maintenance expenses. He/she drives vehicles to and from repair facilities to facilitate oil changes tire rotation, front end alignment, and other routine maintenance of government vehicles. He/she performs vehicle and equipment preventative maintenance services and makes minor adjustments on vehicles and equipment as needed for proper operation. The incumbent must have knowledge of and experience in good gardening skills including: planting and maintaining flowerbeds, shrubs, trees, a vast lawn with an array of difficulty, mowing, pruning, sodding, trimming, planting, assessing soil mixtures, and preparing and applying pesticides/humus/insecticides, etc. The incumbent must have knowledge in reading blueprints, schedules and plans to determine location and depth of underground lines, cables including high voltage electrical lines to prevent damage. He/she must poses knowledge how to asses plant diseases, distinguish when plants, shrubs and trees require attention to prevent disease and damage. The gardener must know when and how to plant annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees. Incumbent must poses skills in operating a variety of motor vehicles including tractors and accessories; mowers of any kind, vans, patient transport vehicles, dump trucks, busses, and cars. He/she is responsible to perform maintenance on vehicles/hand tools, tractors, lawn mowers, string trimmers, blowers, etc. The incumbent regularly operates or maneuvers all' equipment aforementioned, Class 8 CDL preferred, handling, controlling and securing patients/personnel in wheelchair van or ambulance to prevent injury. Knowledge required in securing patients and cargo to prevent damage to self and others. Work Schedule: Mon to Fri 6:45am to 3:30pm Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not Authorized Position Description Title/PD#: Gardener/PD60220A 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 Subject to background/security investigation Valid Drivers License Preferred Class B CDL 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) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial 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 or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/27/2026. 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 Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment Dexterity and Safety Knowledge of Materials Technical Practices (Theoretical, Precise, Artistic) Use of Measuring Instruments 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/Working Conditions: Work requires frequent walking, standing, bending, stooping, climbing, turning, and moving of hands, arms, feet and legs: Strain is caused by the constant vibration of the equipment arid the jerking, and jolting from operating over rough surfaces. Climbing adders to trim, prune, cut and work on shrubs ·and trees required. Frequently lifts heavy items, such as fertilizer buckets or bags, grass seed, equipment, and furnishings up to 100 pounds. Because of the location of some of the controls and attachments, the operator is frequently required to work in awkward or strained positions. Incumbent will be subject to a certain degree of discomfort from having to work outside for long periods of time. Exposed to long periods of hot sun, dust, freezing temperatures, bad weather (rain, damp, snow and hail), vibrations and jolting from some equipment. Also subject to injury such as strains, fractures, cuts, and bruises from lifting , and handling heavy materials and equipment. He/she is exposed to chemicals, pesticides, humus, insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Education Additional Information 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.
