This position is located within the Facilities Management Service - Grounds of the VA Medical center in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania with primary responsibility for the aesthetics of the facility grounds in coordination with the lead Gardener's guidance. You will also be required operate various motorized vehicles and equipment to perform work assignments.

Duties

Gardener Duties: Follows instructions received from supervisor and/or lead and coordinates equipment assignments; Provides status or progress of work, causes of delays and any problems requiring attention; Informs team members of needed technical information and ensures compliance upon completion; Provides input to a master plan for the facility; Makes recommendations on types of plants, shrubs, and trees to plant; Tests, treats, prepares and lays down soil for new projects and where needed. Landscaping Duties: Assists with landscaping and horticultural activities to include seasonal gardening, fertilizing, seeding, watering, transplanting, aerating, pruning, applying chemicals, etc. Determines the appropriate time and types of plantings and analyzes soil to be able to plant appropriate plants; Determines sloping and planting of terrace areas, transplanting a variety of grass, flowers, shrubs and trees; Prunes plants and trees to obtain a proper balance between roots and top growth; Creates and works from project plans, and aids in preparation of long-range plans; Uses appropriate tools and equipment to use for each task. Equipment Operations: Uses motorized equipment such as pick-up trucks, bobcat skid-steer, tool cat, backhoe, riding and stand-on mowers, wood chipper, cultivator, aerator and leaf vacuum; Use hand tools such as spade shovels, rakes, digging bars, axe, seeders and hoe; Operates and maintains various types of equipment, vehicles, and hand tools; Operates equipment on all types of terrain including flat manicured lawn, rough-rocky hills, snowy roadways and steep hills or embankments; Performs preventative maintenance such as steam cleaning, greasing and lubing, sanding, washing, etc. Works on the snow removal team and operates pick-up trucks with snowplow attachments; Operates government fleet vehicles such as sedans, SUV's, vans, and pick-up trucks to aid. Performs other directly related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 7:00am - 3:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved

Requirements

Qualifications

PHYSICAL EFFORT: The duties of this position require strenuous effort. The work requires frequent walking, standing, pushing of carts and wheelbarrows, reaching above your head, bending, stooping and kneeling. Climbing of ladders to prune or trim a variety of vegetation and lifting of heavy objects such as bags of fertilizer, grass seed, snow melting materials, downed branches, landscape blocks, etc., is required. Operation of the equipment and attachments involves needed finger dexterity, constant reaching, bending, and moving of hands, arms, feet and legs. Considerable strain can be induced by the vibration, jerking, and jolting associated with the operation of heavy equipment. WORK CONDITIONS: Work is performed primarily outdoors in all types of weather to include extreme frigid temperatures, wind gusts, and snow during winter. Exposure to direct sun, dust, wind, fumes, noise in excess of 85 dBA, and chemical spray. Equipment repairs may occur in a garage where incumbent may be exposed to grease, oil, dust, exhaust fumes, steam, and chemicals used for cleaning or lubricating. Chance of minor injuries such as bruises, cuts, scrapes, frost bite, broken bones, falls and bee stings. Strain caused by constant vibration of equipment and jerking and jolting over rough surfaces. Working on steep hills, rough terrain and on snow covered roads provides ample opportunity injury during equipment operation. The job requires approximately 10% sitting, 40% riding equipment and/or driving, and 50% physical labor performing all duties. The job is performed 20% indoors and 80% outdoors and is frequently done in temperature and weather extremes. Job includes significant exposure to risk of injury. 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: Ability to do the work of this Gardener (Tractor Operator) without more than normal supervision (Screen Out) Technical practices (theoretical precise, artistic) Use of measuring instruments Ability to interpret instructions, specifications (other than blueprints) Ability to use and maintain tools and equipment Knowledge of materials Dexterity and safety 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

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Contacts

• Address Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center 1111 East End Boulevard Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]