This position is at the U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG). The USBG is a public garden in the legislative branch and was established by Congress in 1820. The Garden inspires people to appreciate, study, and conserve plants to enrich society locally and globally. We provide educational experiences to 1 million visitors annually, present horticultural displays and exhibits, strive to break down barriers to inclusion, and advance the exchange of ideas and information. Learn more:  U.S. Botanic Garden.

Duties

The incumbent serves as the Horticulturist (Supervisory Gardener) leading the Exhibits and Displays Section. The incumbent supports the USBG mission by overseeing planning, development and maintenance of the temporary exhibits and greenhouse crops and supervises a team of employees assigned to the Section.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen.
• You must be able to pass a drug test.
• You must meet the definition of specialized experience.
• You must meet education requirements at the time of application.
• You must possess a valid, unexpired state motor vehicle driver's license.

Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position.  You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement.  Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions.  It is available for your review on the OPM web site at OPM qualification standards Specialized Experience: One (1) year of specialized experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, candidates must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in Federal service. Examples of specialized experience include the following: (1) Evaluating and diagnosing structural and horticultural issues in plant materials and trees to determine the proper corrective action; (2) Installing new plant materials following plans and approved horticultural practices and procedures; (3) Preparing and maintaining special beds including pruning, weeding, mulching, fertilizing, spraying plant materials, and applying pesticides; (4) Supplying and arranging special foliage for events, and promoting knowledge and understanding of plants. (5) Coordinating the production of standard and non-standard plant specimens, such as temperate plants, tropical and subtropical plants, and display crops; and (6) Leading or supervising employees in the performance of horticultural work. OR You may substitute education for specialized experience. In order to substitute education for specialized experience, you must have three (3) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or equivalent doctoral degree in a field of study related to the duties of the position.

Education

Degree: Horticulture; or a related discipline of basic plant science that included at least 30 semester hours in the basic plant sciences, of which at least 16 semester hours were in horticultural subjects such as those dealing with the breeding, care, management, production, and post-harvest handling of horticultural crops.

--OR--

Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in horticulture or a related discipline of basic plant science that included course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Courses in botany, plant physiology, plant taxonomy, plant pathology, genetics, agronomy, horticulture, and similar courses may be used to meet the 30-semester-hour requirement in basic plant sciences.

The 16-semester-hour requirement in horticulture includes course work in basic horticulture and course work related to any of the recognized subject-matter fields of horticulture, i.e., fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, nursery work, seed production, or course work in related areas of science, such as micro-biology, entomology, plant pathology, plant physiology, or genetics that is directly related to horticultural work.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: 

Education completed outside of the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in conventional/accredited U.S. education programs to be acceptable for Federal employment.

Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part of foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree.

You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing if selected.

Contacts

• Address Architect of the Capitol 2nd and D Street, S.W. Washington, District of Columbia 20515 United States
• Name: London Holliway
• Phone: 202-226-7000
• Email: [email protected]