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Major duties and responsibilities include:

• Functions as Leader of the Grounds Maintenance Program within Environmental Management Service.
• Coordinates and directs all grounds maintenance operations.
• Leads a crew of 5 employees who are at the WG-04 level.
• Establishes training programs and schedules for new employees. Also schedules safety training and training for employee when new procedures and new equipment are introduced.
• Maintains balance between workload and equipment in use, recommends improvements to operators, notes complaints, and maintains good customer relationships by acting upon requests promptly and appropriately.
• Selects and/or recommends various kinds and types of supplies, equipment and material are best suited to maintain and reach program goals and requirements.
• Oversees an inspection program that encompasses the entire acreage that surrounds the medical center to assure that work is being accomplished in accordance with supervisor's instructions.
• Reports deficiencies, initiates and documents all corrective actions planned.
• Explains work requirements to grounds crew and checks work in progress, initiates and recommends corrective action/measures as required.
• Demonstrates proper work methods and ensures that employees have the equipment, tools, and supplies needed to perform the work.
• Ensures that all safety rules are followed including safe equipment operation and proper use of tools.
• Works along with the other grounds crew members setting the work pace and performing a variety of gardening, cleaning of grounds and equipment operator duties.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Pre-employment physical required
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

Qualifications

PHYSICAL EFFORT AND WORK CONDITIONS: The work requires frequent walking, standing, pushing of carts and wheelbarrows,
bending and stooping. The gardener occasionally climbs ladders to prune or trim vegetation and frequently lifts heavy objects such as bags of fertilizer, grass seed, etc.
Most work is done outside. Subject to discomfort from long periods in the hot sun and occasionally chilly or rainy weather. Exposed to dirt dust and mud and may come in contact with chemical spray. May come in contact with loud noises such as gasoline blowers, gasoline lawn mowers, gasoline trimmers etc. Personal protective items such as gloves, safety shoes, hat, glasses, ear protection and sunscreen will be provided and required to use.

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 Safety
• Interpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading)
• Lead or Supervise
• Materials
• Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment

How you will be evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

Your responses to the assessment questionnaire will be reviewed along with the information provided in your resume and supporting documentation to determine if you are qualified for the position. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered and/or you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

Candidates who apply under All U.S. Citizens announcements will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The categories are defined as follows:

• Best qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position;
• Well qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the job; and
• Qualified - applicants possessing experience and/or education that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors.