This position serves as a Gardener (Tractor Operator) in the Grounds Maintenance Shop at the Dorn VA Medical Center in Columbia, SC.

Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to, the following: Prepares seed, flower and bulb beds; Transplants trees, shrubs and bulbs; Looks for plant disease and pest activity; Mixes and applies herbicides, insecticides, fertilizers, growth inhibitors, fungicides, sterilants, and other related chemicals; Operates, controls, cleans, adjusts, oils, and mixes fuel for heavy walking type gasoline lawn mowers, riding mowers, tillers, composters, shredders, sod cutters, tampers and vacuum blowers; Sets, operates and troubleshoots underground irrigation systems; Operates tractors, riding lawn mowers, tractor with gang mowers, forklift, 2-ton dump truck, utility vehicles, and other vehicles; Loads and unloads supplies and equipment; Empties trashcans, rakes leaves, clears ice, snow, and other debris; Performs other duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 7:00am-3:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved

Requirements

Qualifications

PHYSICAL EFFORT AND WORK CONDITIONS: Work requires frequent walking, standing, bending, stooping, pushing of carts, lawn mowers and wheelbarrows, lifting and carrying items weighing 50 pounds or more. Must occasionally climb ladders and scaffolding to prune vegetation; at times will handle moderately heavy bags of fertilizer, grass seed, soil or roll sod. Work is primarily outdoors coping with exposure to wind, rain, sun, ice and snow. 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 SafetyInterpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading)MaterialsTechnical PracticesUse and Maintain Tools and EquipmentWithout 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

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Contacts

• Address Columbia VA Health Care System 6439 Garners Ferry Road Columbia, SC 29209 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]