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Cemetery Caretaker Lead

Department of Veterans Affairs
National Cemetery Administration
PIKES PEAK NATIONAL CEMETERY
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located at the PIKES PEAK NATIONAL CEMETERY in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
07/07/2025 to 07/16/2025
Salary
$28.11 to - $32.79 per hour
Pay scale & grade
WL 8
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Colorado Springs, CO
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
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
RP-25-AB-12758771-933
Control number
840084600

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Duties

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The incumbent serves as Cemetery Caretaker Work Leader for all monument activities at Pikes Peak National Cemetery. The incumbent reports to the Cemetery Foreman to provide support to all headstone/monument and grounds activities, actions, and inquiries. He/she is responsible for overseeing all daily headstone marker installation activities and for assisting in supervision and control of headstone/marker setting. The Incumbent will be Leading Teams of 1-3 to set Headstones and or Raised and Realign Sections. Incumbent will plan out Areas to be Fine-tuned and aligned and or sections needing attention due to stones shifting over time. The incumbent assigns equipment used for headstone/marker installation, columbarium niche installation, committal shelter maintenance, and gravesite/headstone layout.

Assists the Cemetery Foreman in planning, scheduling, and prioritizing assignments from seasonal to long range for accomplishment of cemetery programs and projects for marker and headstone setting. The incumbent also assists the supervisor in planning for interments, grounds maintenance and facility maintenance operations on a week-to-week basis or as needed due to operational requirements of the facility. Establishes deadlines, priorities, and work sequences and plans work assignments based on general work schedules, methods, and policies set by higher level supervisors.

Responsible for extensive data collection to justify process improvements. Additional duties for planning include assisting the Cemetery Foreman in developing Individual Development Plans for WG employees, five-year equipment plans, facilities, materials, and tools needed on a day-to-day or project basis. Adjusts workloads and personnel resources as required to meet these schedules, adjusting as needed to account for delays, and changes in priorities and weather conditions. Programs, work in progress and projects are reviewed on a periodic basis to ensure timeliness of completions, and accuracy within locally established guidelines.


Work schedule: May be required to work Monday through Friday to include occasional weekends. Due to the mission of the National Cemetery, the cemetery cannot be closed for more than 2 consecutive days at any given time. Additionally, when a Federal holiday falls on a Monday or Friday, staff may be required to work on that holiday or a Saturday. All staff is required to work Memorial Day each year. Staff will be required to work overtime, weekends and holidays when necessary to meet the needs of the cemetery. Occasionally staff may be called back to the facility to perform emergency overtime work.
Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not Available

Position Description Title/PD#: Cemetery Caretaker Lead/ PD1647561
The full performance level of this position is WL - 08.

Relocation Expenses: Not Authorized
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Subject to a background/security investigation.
  • Designated and/or random drug testing may be required.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period.
  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
  • Pass a pre-employment medical examination.
  • Must possess a valid state driver's license.
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement,07/16/2025.

Your background must demonstrate leading work involved in landscaping, grounds keeping, or other related trades experience that includes the use of hand tools and/or power tools, and the safe operation of related machinery and equipment used in cemetery caretaking practices, as described in the duties section of the announcement.

EXPERIENCE: A specific length of training and experience is not required, but you must show evidence of training or experience of sufficient scope and quality of your ability to do the work of this position. Evidence which demonstrates you possess the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of this position must be supported by detailed descriptions of such on your resume. Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Qualification Standard Handbook X-118C ( www.opm.gov/qualifications/x-118c).

SCREEN-OUT ELEMENT: Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the on-line questionnaire. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements.
The screen-out element(s) for this position are/is:

  • Ability to do the job without more than normal supervision.
  • Must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license.
JOB ELEMENTS: Those who meet the minimum level of experience and training for the screen-out element will then be evaluated in each of the following job elements:
  • Lead or Supervise
  • Operate Safely (Non-Motor Vehicle)
  • Technical Practices
  • Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment

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; religions; 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.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: Physical demands on the incumbent consist of walking, bending, stooping, stretching, reaching, pushing, tugging and climbing. Must be able to lift up to 75 pounds. Incumbent should request assistance whenever performing tasks that require lifting more than 75 pounds. Must be able to walk in all types of terrain and soil conditions. Incumbent is required to wear personal protective equipment when appropriate. Protective equipment includes personal protection for the eyes, hearing, face, head, back, extremities, protective clothing, respiratory devices and protective shields and barriers. This equipment will be maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition.

Working Conditions: Incumbent is required to walk the grounds for extended periods (2-4 miles per a day), providing periodic assistance in using hand tools, operating equipment, and assisting in the lifting of materials weighing up to 240 pounds. Incumbent ensures headstone setting, raising, realigning, repair, cleaning, unloading, checking, verifying inscription, and storing is accomplished. Removes snow and ice from roads, walkways, and parking areas as necessary during winter weather events; using sand/salt as directed. When not serving in a work leader capacity, he/she performs duties as required by the organization. Reviews and inspects equipment and structures, accessing some areas with use of ladders, as necessary. Moderate to heavy physical effort is required. Must possess a valid state driver's license.

Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drugs use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. Information about CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

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).

If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

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