This position exists structurally under Facilities Management Service and is to perform professional gardening work concerned with the maintenance and improvement of the combined 80 acres of land in Portland and Vancouver. The incumbent must be knowledgeable in the proper techniques with regards to mineral content of soil; slope stabilization, transplanting of a wide variety of horticulture proper growing conditions and climate to achieve desired results.

Duties

Duties include but not limited to: Maintaining the landscape at the facilities in a healthy, disease-free and attractive condition. The employee will provide corrective action for problems involving plant management, insect and disease control for both exterior plantings and interior plants based on the particular species. They shall determine when corrective action is needed to improve health, vigor and appearance of plants by fertilization, pruning, transplanting, pest control, etc., based on knowledge of plants and their growth habits. The employee maintains accurate, up-to-date records on work performed, such as fertilizer and pesticide usage schedules with the pertinent information recorded about the material applied, application rate, etc. They use this data to ensure optimum plant care and for reporting purposes. The employee prepares purchase order requests for plant material, equipment, materials and supplies as needed and works with contractors through the completion of service contracts. The employee will utilize short and long-range plans making judgments within good gardening practices to achieve required results. The employee will be provided references to consult as needed for specific plant problems. They will locate other sources for solutions to gardening problems and make determinations on how problem conditions are best treated. During periods of extreme weather, labor shortages or heavy workloads, etc., the incumbent will be assigned tasks outside the area of gardening to support the other duties and responsibilities of the Grounds and Services Section. The employee will operate and maintain light and heavy power equipment as needed. Principal tasks will be to manipulate the equipment to perform operations that remove, relocate and/or shape loose material. Types of tools, machines and equipment are: hand tools, large and small lawn mowers, tractors, trucks, fork lifts and measuring instruments. They may also be required to be involved in common labor tasks such as digging, furniture moving, etc. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00am - 3:30pm Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not Available Position Description Title/PD#: Gardener(Tractor Operator)/PD21476A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/05/2024. 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, the ability to do the work of a Gardener without more than normal supervision. Examples include: propagating and cultivating a wide variety of plants and perform a wide range of gardening work, knowing how to increase or decrease the lime, calcium salt, or sulphur content so that acid or alkaline conditions are neutralized in line with plant requirements; fertilizing different varieties of plants; sloping and planting terraces and sodding steep banks or heavy traffic patterns that involve difficult holding and growth problems; recommending plants for particular purposes; selecting the appropriate location for best plant growth and development considering soil conditions, hardiness of plants, foliage at various stages of growth, flowering periods, and the overall landscape plan; and shaping and sloping pits to provide proper drainage and sufficient air for the roots. NOTE: Chemical Applicator License must be obtained within 6 months after being appointed to the position. 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: Dexterity and SafetyMaterialsTechnical PracticesUse and Maintain Tools and EquipmentWithout more than normal supervision This position has a Selective Placement Factor: Failure to meet a selective placement factor will result in you not receiving further consideration. In addition to the minimum qualifications described above, you must meet the following selective placement factor: Applicants MUST have a current and valid state issued driver's license. 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: Physical effort is exhaustive. Employee is under considerable muscular effort and physical strain lifting heavy objects and safely manipulating heavy equipment. The position requires frequent walking, standing, pushing, bending, stooping.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Contacts

• Address VA Portland Health Care System 3710 Southwest US Veterans Hospital Road Portland, OR 97239 US
• Name: John Buan
• Phone: 503-220-8262 X59964
• Email: [email protected]