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Summary *Note to Applicants - The announcement Close date has been extended to 7/21/25* The Gardener (Tractor Operator) is employed as a maintenance worker at a two division VA Medical Centers and performs grounds maintenance at both campuses Performs a variety of functions to maintain and improve the overall appearance of the grounds at the medical center. Requires an elevated level of understanding of gardening/horticulture techniques and mechanical knowledge to ensure successful completion of tasks. Responsibilities Major duties include: Maintaining and improving overall appearance and accessibility of the medical center. Vehicle maintenance support, snow removal operations, and shuttle transportation for transporting patients and staff. Scheduling and planning seasonal gardening tasks. Preparation of soil from instructions in preparation for plants and seedbeds. Placing seeds and plants in soil at proper depth, taking care not to damage roots while transplanting. Using variety of hand and power-operated garden tools and equipment such as seeders, spreaders, edgers, pruning shears, chainsaws, pole saws and sprayers. Looking for obvious plant diseases, insects, and unusual or poor plant growth. Filling and leveling holes in damaged roads and lawns. Performing operator maintenance on all hand and gasoline driven equipment. Operates variety of gasoline, diesel or electric powered-wheeled vehicles used to perform grounds keeping and maintenance. Using equipment such as snow blades, salt spreaders, front end loading buckets and pavement sweeper. Performs operator maintenance on grounds vehicles and powered attachments. Operating a dump or pickup truck to haul brush, dirt, gravel, sand, salt or similar material over roads, streets and through open field. Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 8:00am - 4:30pm Position Description Title/PD#: Gardener(Tractor Operator)/PD303020 Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Pre-employment physical required 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 To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/21/2025. 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 Federal Wage System Qualification Standards. 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: Database Management Systems Horticulture Industrial Equipment Operation Integrity/Honesty Landscape Architecture 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/Working Conditions: Operation of grounds vehicles and grounds equipment for prolonged periods of time in inclement weather and adverse driving conditions. Required to lift and push heavy articles while loading and unloading cargo; frequently lifts and moves objects weighing over 50 pounds, operating power mowers on grades and pushing heavy equipment. Must be able to walk, stand, stoop, crawl and climb stairs and ladders. May be required to work overtime on scheduled or emergency basis, will work under various weather and road conditions, operating snowplow and sand/salt spreader during icy/snowy conditions. May be exposed to extremes of hot and cold temperatures and all types of weather conditions while working outdoors. May work in garage areas that are dusty, drafty, noise. May be exposed to noxious items such as poison ivy, wasps and other pests. Personal protective equipment must be worn when conditions justify their use; frequently, gloves and filter masks are to be worn and on occasion, filter masks or respirators are required to be worn. Education Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. 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.