Summary The Laborer position is located in the Facilities Management Service of the VA Boston Healthcare System. This position is located in the Jamaica Plain, MA campus. This position is full-time at 40 hours per week. This is an open and continuous job opportunity announcement and may close at any time once all positions are filled. Responsibilities The Laborer position performs duties which involve grounds and maintenance work, including moving materials, assisting other @type journeymen due to urgency of work to be accomplished, gardener's helper, policing grounds, moving furniture, loading / unloading trucks, driving and other various duties to include but not limited to: Use shovels to dig ditches where grading and sloping is required; fill holes with dirt and level bumps using shovels, hand tampers, picks, and rakes; and dig holes for plants and posts. Prepares soil for plants, seeds, thins, transplants, trims, prunes, fertilizes, aerates, mulches, sprays, and dusts grass, ground cover, flowers, shrubs and trees. Cut trees, using axes or chain saws. Prunes shrubs, trees and other plants to remove obvious defects and excess branches. Use powered push lawn mowers, edgers and trimmers, water grounds, lay sod and clear small trees and bushes using hand tools. Perform grounds maintenance on grades or slopes. Work safely with heavy tools (axes, picks, tampers, chain saws, etc.) and power equipment. (power lawn mowers, jackhammers, sidewalk snowplows. Operate, control, and clean heavy, power equipment (power lawn mowers, chain saws, jackhammers, sidewalk snow plows). Perform work that requires moderately heavy physical effort (e.g., shoveling snow and salting sidewalks) and some degree of manual skill and involves very heavy physical effort. Separate, stack, carry, and load/unload materials, supplies, and packages. Perform work that may involve a number of successive steps or processes. Use common hand tools and simple power equipment. Perform routine maintenance on equipment assigned. Work independently and on own initiative. Work Schedule: Full Time, Monday - Friday 6:00a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Position Description Title/PD#: Laborer/PD00655A Relocation/Recruitment Incentive: Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station: Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not Authorized. Physical Requirements: Work requires very heavy physical effort in operating large, riding mowers on grades and in areas with bushes, trees, and other visible obstacles that require significant maneuvering and lever control. Frequently lift and move equipment and components weighing over 50 pounds. This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until 05/15/2027. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be 06/03/2026, with subsequent cut-off dates monthly. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled. Applicants will remain active for 6 months after the initial application is received and/or updated. After that time, you must update your application through your USA Jobs account if you would like to be made active again for possible consideration during the open period. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and @type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. This position is an AFGE Bargaining Unit position. The incumbent may be required to travel to other VA campuses and CBOC's. Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation. Selective Services Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. 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. Pre-employment physical required. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. 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 To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 05/14/2027. 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: Follow Directions Handle Weights and Loads Operation of Equipment/Machinery Physical Strength and Agility Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment Without more than normal supervision 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. Preferred Experience: It is preferred that the employee posses a valid unrestricted state driver's license with a clean driving record. Education Additional Information 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. This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until May 15, 2027. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be June 3, 2026 with subsequent cut off dates on the 1st of each month. Eligible applications received after the initial cut-off date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled. Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/. 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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.
