Gardener

Employee will serve as a Gardner reporting directly to the Maintenance and Operations Supervisor located at the Nebraska-Western Iowa Veterans Healthcare System in Omaha, NE.

**Qualifications:**
SCREEN-OUT: Requires the ability to do the work of the Gardener position without more than normal supervision? Qualifying experience includes working in a commercial setting independently installing and repairing roads and landscaping; performing grounds maintenance by planting, trimming, and maintaining trees, plants, and weeding shrub/flower beds; and operating various ground maintenance equipment and associated vehicles. (This experience must be supported by your resume to be creditable. For detailed responsibilities of this position, see the duties section of the announcement.) 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. PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Required to perform landscape work requiring 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. Required to 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. Will frequently climb ladders to prune trees, and frequently lift objects such as bags of fertilizer, grass seed, etc., weighing as much as 100 lbs. The position requires considerable walking, stooping, climbing and lifting, kneeling, bending, squatting, carrying, and reaching over/under, and 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. May require working in confined spaces such as manholes, vaults, building basements and crawl spaces. Works on equipment while in cramped or awkward positions. Requires working from ladders, scaffolds and platforms. WORKING CONDITIONS: The employee is exposed to weather extremes of hot and cold, both indoors and outdoors and to weather conditions for extended hours. The employee 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. Exposed to hazardous moving parts when operating electrical and gasoline powered equipment and is exposed to noise and vibration. Employee is subject to strains, bruises, cuts, and/or severe injuries if extreme caution is not used during all work; works with noisy equipment. Required to wear appropriate Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) such as safety goggles, safety shoes, gloves, hard hats, hearing protection, protective clothing and use respirators. May be required to use respiratory personal protective equipment per OSHA 2920.134. As such, the employee 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.