This position is located within the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Northeast Area (NEA), at the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. In this position, you will assist journeyman-level workers by performing various semi-skilled and manual labor tasks typically associated with routine carpentry, construction, painting, plumbing, electrical, and equipment repairs, as well as, motor vehicle operation and maintenance.

Duties

Assists in installing, repairing, and replacing lavatories, commodes, flush valves, ball cocks and diaphragms, etc. Uses various equipment such as tapes, rulers, hand and power pipe threaders and cutters, sealing irons, propane torches, sewer augers, etc. Assists with the operation of all heating and air-conditioning equipment and uses standard test equipment, gauges, and tools for minor repairs. Helps maintain lighting and electrical systems in all buildings, replacing or repairing defective switches, loose connections, damaged light fixtures, etc. Performs maintenance of lawns and trees, fences, gates, signs, and the equipment used for their maintenance. Performs carpentry repairs for ancillary building structures and garden features, such as benches, bins, fences roof decking, screen doors, trellises, etc.

Requirements

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
• Direct Deposit – Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/
• May be required to possess a State boiler operator's certificate.
• Incumbent must obtain and maintain a valid State driver’s license, Class B or higher.
• Incumbent is an excepted employee expected to work part-time or full-time during Federal funding lapses pending supervisor notification and excepted memo.
• Must obtain and maintain a Universal Certification for Refrigerant Recovery and Recycling.
• The incumbent will occasionally be required to adjust an 8-hour workday schedule (between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.) to accomplish seasonal duties such as ice/snow removal; to receive deliveries; or to accommodate local contractors.
• The incumbent may work overtime hours as required.
• Incumbent is an exigency employee for extreme weather and emergency situations and subject to call-back situations.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this position you must meet the following by the closing date of the vacancy announcement: 01/06/2025. Qualifications will be determined under the Job Element Rating System X-118C, Qualifications Standard Handbook. While a specific length of time and experience is not required for most Wage Grade positions, you must show through experience and training that you possess the best qualified level of knowledge and skill necessary to perform the duties of this position. Qualification requirements emphasize the quality of experience, not necessarily the length. The responses to the questionnaire and your resume should be in significant detail to provide the person rating your application with a good understanding of your ability to do the job, technical knowledge, work, and training experience, etc. (For example You must have the ability to perform the duties of a Maintenance Worker without more than normal supervision (Screen Out). Applicants who do not meet the SCREEN OUT ELEMENT will not be given further consideration. Physical Effort The work requires standing, walking, and sitting. Considerable physical effort is used when working on parts or systems that are in hard-to-reach places. Work requires bending, stooping, kneeling and working in tiring and uncomfortable positions when using hand tools, shop tools and equipment. The incumbent may carry parts and equipment weighing up to 50 pounds. The incumbent may perform repairs and installations from ladders, platforms and scaffolding, in uncomfortable positions, both indoors and outdoors in field laboratories and greenhouses. Working Conditions Work is performed in offices, greenhouses, laboratories, growth chambers, cold rooms, and under field conditions. Although most work is performed under ambient weather conditions, outdoor work is sometimes performed under adverse weather conditions, including hot, cold, wet or windy weather. Outdoor work may expose the incumbent to hot sun and, in summer, high humidity and temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher in greenhouses. The incumbent may work under adverse conditions in emergencies. The incumbent works from ladders, scaffolds, or platforms or in bent or cramped positions around boilers, pipes and frequent noisy machinery. There is some risk of minor injuries, electrical shock, bumps, bruises, cuts, scratches, and/or insect bites when performing tasks. Incumbent must follow safety regulations and take prescribed precautions in the use of all equipment, hand tools, and solvents/chemicals potentially hazardous to human health. The incumbent must use safety equipment such as personal protective equipment, hard hats, and hard-toed shoes to avoid injury and possible hazards in the work areas and personal protective equipment must be maintained and used appropriately. 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 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 position does not have an education qualification requirement.

Contacts

• Address Agricultural Research Service 10300 Baltimore Avenue Beltsville, MD 20705 US
• Name: Juliana Hensley
• Phone: (571) 669-3483
• Email: [email protected]