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Gardener

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

These are temporary NTE 1039 full time positions are located at Gateway Arch National Park. For information on the duties or location of the position contact John_Hobbs@nps.gov or 314-655-1788. The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period is May through September but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated entry on duty date is 5/7/2023

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
02/23/2023 to 03/22/2023
This job will close when we have received 75 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$20.28 to - $23.65 per hour
Pay scale & grade
WG 4
Location
Saint Louis, MO
many vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
MW-1544-JEFF-23-11855934-DE
Control number
708439300

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Duties

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Performs seasonal gardening tasks such as fertilizing, preparing seedbeds, transplanting, laying sod, aerating, deadheading, staking, dividing plants, and watering. Prepares soil-mixing materials such as sand, humus, topsoil, and fertilizer in accordance with instructions. As instructed, prunes woody vegetation including shrubs, vines, and ornamental and fruit trees. Inspects for obvious plant disease (molds, brown spots, rusts blight, and mildew), plant insects, unusual or poor plant growth, reports conditions to supervisors. May apply chemicals to plants according to directions and under supervisory guidance and instruction. Mow, edges, and waters lawns to maintain appearance. Lays sod, sows seed, places mulch to maintain or restore lawn appearances. Pulls and/or treats non-native plant species. Removes rocks, leaves, limbs, and trash from grounds and garden areas.
Sweeps and rakes walks and parking areas; picks up litter/debris. Performs other duties as assigned.

Physical Demands: The work requires frequent walking, standing, pushing of carts and wheelbarrows, bending, and stooping. The incumbent occasionally climbs ladders to prune or trim vegetation and lifts heavy objects such as begs of fertilizer, grass seed, etc.

Working Conditions: The work is done outside or in a greenhouse. In working outside, the gardener is subject to discomfort from long periods in the sun and sometimes in chilly or rainy weather. On a regular basis the conditions will involve working in an air contaminated with chemical dust and sprays being applied to trees and shrubs. The incumbent will be required to wear protective clothing during herbicide/pesticide application; as well as normal safety items such as gloves, boots, glasses, etc. Because of the duties performed, there is a chance of minor injuries such as bruises, cuts, and scrapes and occasionally possibility of broken bones from falls.

AREA INFORMATION:
The Gateway Arch National Park is located in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, on the banks of the Mississippi River. The park memorializes the city's role in westward expansion through the 630 foot Gateway Arch and underground Museum at the Gateway Arch. The Old Courthouse commemorates the site where the slave Dred Scott began his freedom suit, ultimately leading to the divisive U. S. Supreme Court decision that polarized the nation and became a leading cause of the Civil War. "Whether you're single or have a family, a sports fan or connoisseur of the arts, a fitness fanatic or a film aficionado, St. Louis has something for you." -St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association. A sports lover's paradise, fans are kept on the edge of their seats all year by a host of professional teams. With remarkable low cost of living for all the comforts and attractions it affords, St. Louis has a small-town feel, yet offers all the amenities you'd expect in a major metropolitan area, including top-notch health care and education resources. The City of St. Louis is relatively small, but the surrounding metropolitan area with nearly two million residents in both Missouri and Illinois offers many suburban and rural counties for easy commutes. Cultural institutions abound; in Forest Park alone, you'll find the Zoo, Art Museum, History Museum, Science Center, the Municipal Opera and more. There are over 100 parks and some 200 miles of cycling, running and walking trails. Visit the website: http://www.stlrcga.org for more information.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
  • Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record. You must also submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you.
  • You will be required to lift 50 pounds on a regular basis.
  • You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • You may be required to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and overtime.
  • Applicants must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, you must have sufficient knowledge and ability in the job-related factors. If your knowledge and ability in the SCREEN OUT factors are not sufficient, you will receive no further consideration. In preparing your application, describe in detail the experience and training which you have had that specifically prepared you for this job and to perform the duties described for this job. Experience should be clearly described and documented in your resume. The qualifications reviewer will not assume performance of such duties by Job Titles alone. Address your knowledge, skills and/or abilities in the areas shown in the job-related factors.

A specific length of time and experience is not required to be considered qualified for this position. However you must be able to demonstrate in your resume and supporting application materials that you possess sufficient knowledge, skill and ability to perform the work of this position without more than normal supervision. Note: You must demonstrate in your resume that you have experience of PERSONALLY performing this type of work. Supervising, managing, planning or contracting this type of work which does not demonstrate that you can also personally do the work will not be considered as qualifying.

Volunteer Experience: 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

There is no substitution of education for experience for Wage Grade (WG) positions.

Additional information

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected. The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Non-Competitive Rehire Eligibility: Temporary seasonal employees can only maintain their non-competitive rehire eligibility if they work no more than a combined total of Temporary NTE less than 1040 hours anywhere in the National Park Service (NPS) within their established service year. Accordingly, non-competitive rehire eligibility allows for re-appointment to the same position or another position appropriate for temporary appointment with the same qualification requirements (5 CFR 316.402[b][7]), based on series and grade, anywhere in the major subdivision (NPS).

If you have held a temporary seasonal appointment in the past 12 months and have already worked the maximum temporary appointment less than 1040 hours during that period, you are still welcome to apply. However, please be aware that exceeding the limit of 1040 hours in your established service year will result in the loss of your non-competitive rehire eligibility.

The limit can be exceeded by working multiple temporary seasonal positions that result in a combined total greater than 1040 hours. The limit also can be exceeded by working a single temporary seasonal appointment that exceeds 1040 hours, unless granted an exception by OPM.

Employment may be terminated at any time due to fluctuations in funding levels, project needs, employee performance, or other considerations.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document that you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. Click the following link for more information, https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:

  • Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position
  • Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job
  • Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.
You will be evaluated on the following competencies and/or job elements:
  • Ability To Do The Work Of The Position Without More Than Normal Supervision (SCREEN OUT)
  • Ability To Interpret Instructions, Specification, etc. (includes blueprints reading)
  • Ability To Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
  • Dexterity and Safety
  • Knowledge of materials
  • Technical Practices (theoretical precise, artistic)
  • Use of Measuring Instructions

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