Veterans Affairs, National Cemetery Administration Hiring for Temporary Cemetery Caretaker at Newtown Full Time

Summary This position is located at the Washington Crossing National Cemetery in Newtown, PA. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (COVID-19 – VA 004) in-accordance with 5 U.S.C. 3304(a)(3) and 5 CFR 337.205(b)(1)-(4). Responsibilities The Cemetery Caretaker performs jobs requiring mainly manual skills and physical strength. Performs burials, grave dressing and the transporting and carrying of casketed/cremated remains to the gravesite. Performs a variety of tasks, such as operating small tractors and riding lawn mowers; transplanting shrubs; digging graves to the proper level; cutting and removing sod, tamping and leveling dirt using hand and power tools; digging and squaring graves using pneumatic equipment, picks and shovels; assisting in lifting and placing caskets on lowering devices; loading and unloading materials; aligning headstones; cleaning and clearing cemetery grounds of debris using power trimmers, chainsaws, axes, shovels, rakes, blowers, vacuums etc.; weeding, mulching, and applying fertilizer; pruning shrubs and low level dead branches; removing snow and ice; cleaning headstones using sprayer and hand brush; and cleaning service and administrative areas. This is a temporary appointment not to exceed 6 (six) months. Temporary appointments are non-status, nonpermanent appointments of limited duration for one year or less. Should the need warrant, temporary appointments may be extended without further competition up to a maximum of one additional year (for a total of two years, or 24 months within the preceding three year or 36 months’ period). The appointment to a temporary position does not confer eligibility for promotion, reassignment, or transfer to other positions or the ability to be non-competitively converted to permanent employment. 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 Position Description Title/PD#: Temporary Cemetery Caretaker/PD136120 Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not Available Physical Requirements: This position requires heavy physical effort with reaching, bending, turning, and moving hands, arms, feet and legs to operate the different sets of controls while operating the equipment and attachments. The Incumbent may be subjected to considerable strain caused by vibration, jerking, and jolting of the equipment over rough surfaces and the need to operate controls in awkward positions. Heavy effort is frequently exercised when performing duties such as tamping, carrying caskets, lifting/moving grave planks, setting headstones, etc. Incumbent must be able to walk on hilly, flat, or rolling terrain. This position requites the employee to lift weights up to 50 lbs. Occasionally items weighing more than 50- lbs. are lifted with assistance from co-workers. Employee may be exposed to noise levels exceeding 85 dBA for up to eight (8) hours per day. This exposure may adversely affect hearing. Working Conditions: Work must be performed outdoors and incumbent will be exposed to all types of weather throughout the year Incumbent will be exposed to the sun, noise, extreme heat, and humidity, cold, snow, rain, wind, and is subject to dirt. dust, fumes (from motor and exhaust) mud. and water Work is performed in areas where pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizers are applied. Appropriate protective equipment will be worn The operator is exposed to injury from mishaps that may be involved in the operation of grounds maintenance equipment Promotion Potential: The full performance level of the position is WG-06. Relocation Expenses: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Your background must demonstrate 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 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: 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: Dexterity and SafetyInterpret Instructions, Specifications (includes blueprint reading)Technical PracticesUse and Maintain Tools and EquipmentWithout more than normal supervision 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. Education Additional Information The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM’s Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/. 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee’s credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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 to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.