Clarification from the agency

See Requirements section of this announcement for information on who may apply. Note: Please be advised that federal retired annuitant candidates may only be considered as a temporary employee if the role can be filled in that capacity.

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Supervisory and Managerial Responsibilities

• Performs administrative and technical supervisory functions for subordinates. Assigns duties and evaluates performance. Manages the organizational unit’s budget and workload. Develops performance requirements for subordinates and ensures a mutual understanding of the performance standards. Resolves complaints and grievances as delegated by higher level supervisors. Provides leadership to ensure support for equal employment opportunity (EEO) goals and requirements. Practices nondiscriminatory and non-retaliatory employment actions and prevents unlawful discrimination or harassment based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, age or disability. Provides for employee skills enrichment through job related coaching, mentoring and training.
• Responsible for a familiarization with horticultural related safety rules and regulations to ensure that work progresses in a safe manner and to initiate or take corrective action on unsafe conditions in managed areas. Provides or receives training, either on the job or through classroom training, to ensure that all direct reports know how to use required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). 
• Provides professional leadership and administrative direction through subordinate supervisors and team leaders. Outlines overall responsibilities, makes assignments, sets priorities, and provides professional, technical and administrative advice and assistance as required.
• Plans organizational structure and staffing needs, determines types of jobs required, and assigns duties to key subordinate positions. Reviews and approves justifications for personnel requirements, reviews and approves job descriptions, and selects key employees. 

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• Collaborates in the planning and execution of enhancing CGA customer service and improving the visitor experience.
• Serves as a Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) for designated contracts. Participates in contract negotiations, recommends changes, additions to or deletions from contracts. Develops Statements of Work for procurement.
• Plans, estimates, coordinates, designs, and schedules horticultural renovation and installation projects for the workforce. Inspects gardening work; formulates plans for the most efficient use of staff resources; and performs investigations and assessments to determine the scope and nature of required solutions, including the use of contractors.
• Communicates and plans work and resource requirements with other CGA divisions, sections and specialists.

LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE

• Serves as a technical expert in horticultural design and public landscape maintenance. Provides input as subject matter expert in sustainable landscape practices, greenroof construction and maintenance and efficient use and maintenance of irrigation systems. 
• Serves as a jurisdictional expert in campus wide Cultural Landscape Reports (CLR’s) and utilizes the CLR’s to formulate landscape plans, treatments and maintenance. 
• Ensures landscaped areas are manicured and maintained to professional grounds management standards.
• Assists in the management of campus wide Integrated Pesticide Management and Grounds Management Community of Practice. Works in tandem with CGA’s technical team to come up with BMPs and timelines for implementation of changes to current practices. Collaborates on product use and timing of applications.
• Leads snow removal and operations for Capitol Square. Response to emergency events on campus and directs teams to during response.

PLANT DATA MANAGEMENT AND PROCUREMENT

• Compiles campus wide plant purchasing and tracks installations and removals to keep an updated log of plant collection.
• Keeps logs of new plant material in current plant collection’s data system and records of design implementation each season.
• Actively strives to add genetic diversity into plant collection.

Performs other related duties as assigned.

Maintains a DC pesticide license in categories III – A, B & C.

**This position is considered "essential". Reporting to work to work during emergencies and inclement weather situations is required.****

Conditions of employment

• You must meet the definition of specialized experience.
• You must meet education requirements at the time of application.
• Maintains a DC pesticide license in categories III – A, B & C.

To be employed by the Architect of the Capitol in a paid position, an individual must meet one of the categories below:

• A citizen of the United States;
• A person who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence and is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)(B);
• A person who is admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or is granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158 and has filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible;
• A person who owes allegiance to the United States (nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and nationals who meet other requirements described in 8 U.S.C. 1408); or
• A person who is currently an officer or employee of the Government of the United States.

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 http://www.opm.gov/qualifications.

Specialized Experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, an applicant's one full year of specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

To qualify at the GS-13 level, your resume must clearly demonstrate that you have one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience comparable in difficulty and responsibility to at least the GS-12 level in the federal service. Examples of qualifying experience include the following types of tasks performed on a regular and recurring basis:

• Comprehensive knowledge of the principles, theories, concepts, methods, and techniques of horticulture;
• Leading and/or supervising employees in the performance of horticultural work, gardening and/or landscape maintenance activities;
• Serving as a Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) or equivalent specific to horticultural or plant sciences. 
• Planning horticultural projects and activities, including horticultural design, grounds management  and plant collections, installation, maintenance and displays.

How you will be evaluated

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

Review your resume and responses carefully. Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed resume and your responses to job specific self-assessment questions.  

Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for this position, possession of any specialized experience, and how well your background and experience relates to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement. 

The self-assessment questions relate to the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies:

Horticultural Sciences - Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and practices of plant collections, characteristics, and nomenclature.

Contracting Management - Knowledge of various types of contracts, techniques, or requirements for contract negotiation and administration.

Landscape Management - Knowledge of the concepts, theories, and practices used in the planning, designing, construction, and adaptation of outdoor features, recreation planning, requirements, aesthetic value, and compatibility with other plant developments and resources.

Ability to organize and direct horticultural projects, set priorities and deadlines to meet established goals and objectives.

Your responses to the self assessment questions serve as the basis for your initial rating.  You will receive a numerical score based on your responses to these questions.  Next, your responses will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert against the information provided in your resume and optional cover letter. 

Your resume must support your answers to the self assessment questions.  Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or disqualification for further consideration. 

Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the “Required Documents” section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).