The employee will serve as a Gardener at the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System, in Reno, NV. The primary purpose of the position is to provide ground keeping and gardening throughout the facility as assigned. The employee is expected to have skills in gardening and groundkeeper maintenance and upkeep.

Qualifications:

To qualify for this position, you must meet the following requirements: Selective Placement Factor (Screen-Out) - A Selective Placement Factor (SPF) has been identified for this position. Selective Placement Factors (SPF) are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for the position. Applicants who do not meet the SPF are ineligible for further consideration. The SPF for this position is: Requires a valid/current state Driver's License. ( Please DO NOT provide a copy of your driver's license. We cannot accept pictures. This requirement will be verified during interview.) and Performing gardening tasks (e.g., fertilizing, seeding, transplanting, sodding, aerating, trimming/pruning, etc.); using a variety of hand and power-operated garden tools and equipment (seeders, spreaders, trimmers, shears, sprayers); driving forklifts as needed to transport heavy loads such as soil, plants, pallet and ice melts; and providing corrective action for plant management, insect and disease control. (This experience must be documented on your resume.)

Physical Effort:

The work requires frequent walking, standing, pushing of carts, bending, crawling and stooping. The employee must be able to lift heavy objects such as fertilizer, salt, plant material and maneuver loaded wheelbarrow. Often lift and handle materials weighing over 23 kilograms (50 pounds) and carry chemical solutions and equipment weighing up to 18 kilograms (40 pounds) for extended periods.

Working Conditions:

The majority of work is done outdoors. In working outside, the employee is subject to discomfort from long periods in the hot sun and sometimes to chilly or rainy weather. Being exposed to dirt, dust, mud and sometimes to chemical sprays and dusts, they may wear protective clothing such as gloves, safety shoes and boots. There is chance of minor injuries such as bruises, cuts and scrapes and occasional possibility of broken bones from falls. During periods of extreme weather, such as heavy rain or severe heat, the employee may be given assignments to assist other members of the section in moving materials and equipment, housekeeping and other tasks which may be outside the range of groundkeeper. 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.