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Summary This position is located in the Engineering Service at VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System - Omaha VA Medical Center in Omaha, NE. The Gardner - Groundskeeper is responsible for independently installing, modifying, repairing and maintaining a variety of trees, plants, landscapes, and irrigation systems while directly reporting to the Maintenance and Operations Supervisor. Responsibilities This position involves operating agricultural vehicles and performing groundskeeping tasks such as landscaping, lawn care, fertilizing, planting, pruning, applying herbicides, and maintaining irrigation systems across campus grounds. Major duties and responsibilities include but not limited to: Performing grounds maintenance including mowing, edging, aerating, thatching, fertilizing, grooming, and weeding lawns; trimming shrub and flower beds; planting and transplanting shrubs, flowers, and small trees; pruning and maintaining trees Applying chemicals for ornamental and turf pest control with detailed logs to comply with federal, state, and local regulations Obtaining Nebraska State Category 3 certification/license in pest management for herbicide application and performing duties of an Ornamental and Turf Pest Control applicator Demonstrating practical knowledge of application methods which must minimize or prevent hazard to humans, pets, and other domestic animals Ensuring the building entrance area, smoke shacks, and shuttle waiting areas are power washed, trash receptacles are maintained and that picknick areas and smoke areas are cleaned Installing, repairing, and maintaining irrigation systems to include piping, meters, valves, low voltage irrigation controllers, zone control valves, and irrigation heads Operating grounds maintenance and agricultural equipment such as mowers, tractors, loaders, sweepers, backhoes, tillers, sprayers, edgers, blowers, and hand tools, as well as vehicles from ½ ton pickups to utility vehicles, ensuring safe and efficient use Performing minor equipment maintenance including oil changes, lubrication, filter replacements, belt changes, and cleaning Notifying the Supervisor when the equipment requires maintenance by the manufacturers' local authorized representative Maintaining detailed agricultural equipment maintenance records and ensuring maintenance is completed per the manufacture's recommendation Work Schedule: Monday to Friday; 07:00 a.m. to 03:30 p.m. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Requirements 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 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) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications PHYSICAL EFFORT: The incumbent is required to perform landscape work which requires the full use of both hands and arms. The work requires the expenditure of high degree of physical and mental effort in operating, repairing, and maintaining vehicles and machinery with care to prevent damage to machinery, tools, materials, and injury to others; the preparation and utilization of sod, flower beds, and various other pieces of equipment. The incumbent shall be physically fit and mentally alert at all times. Mental abilities are needed, such as memory, judgement, and ingenuity. Mental application is required (e.g., in planning and laying out work, in maintaining alertness and concentrated attention, or because of the nature of muscular and visual coordination needed). This position requires sitting for long periods operating mowers and equipment. The incumbent frequently climbs ladders to prune trees, and frequently lifts objects such as bags of fertilizer, grass seed, etc., weighing as much as 100 lbs. The gardening and tree farm tasks require considerable walking, stooping, climbing and lifting, kneeling, bending, squatting, carrying, and reaching over/under. Physical effort includes pulling, pushing, and steadying objects of varying weights, sizes, and shapes. Strain related to lack of movement such as standing in place, crouching or stooping for extended periods of time. Work may require working in confined spaces such as manholes, vaults, building basements and crawl spaces. Works on equipment whiles in cramped or awkward positions. The incumbent must work off ladders, scaffolds and platforms. WORK CONDITIONS: The incumbent is exposed to weather extremes of hot and cold, both indoors and outdoors. Is exposed to weather conditions for extended hours. The incumbent is exposed to infectious hazards, chemicals, hazardous materials, gases/fumes, and the possibility of burns, infection, scrapes, and broken bones. Incumbent is subject to insect bites and stings and exposure to poisonous plants such as poison Ivy and poison oak. Incumbent is exposed to hazardous moving parts when operating electrical and gasoline powered equipment and is exposed to noise and vibration. Incumbent is subject to strains, bruises, cuts, and/or severe injuries if extreme caution is not used during all work; works with noisy equipment. The incumbent shall wear appropriate Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) such as safety goggles, safety shoes, gloves, hard hats, hearing protection, protective clothing and use respirators as required in the performance of the duties of position at all times. The incumbent shall wear personal protective equipment and a standard respirator as required by his/her supervisor. The incumbent to this position may be required to use respiratory personal protective equipment per OSHA 2920.134. As such, the incumbent shall remove facial hair as necessary and use a standard respirator to successfully perform a respirator fit test as conducted by the Safety Section. Hazards in working above ground level, on slippery surfaces such as mud, ice or snow, or in crowded areas near moving vehicles or cutting tools. 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) Materials Measuring Instruments Technical Practices Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment Without more than normal supervision IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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 Additional Information Note: Per "Executive Order 14251: Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs", this position is no longer eligible for bargaining unit participation. Receiving Service Credit for 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.