Summary This position is located at the VA Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, AL. The Gardener Leader functions as a working leader, providing leadership and direction of work activities for the Grounds Section of the Facilities and Construction Department. Responsibilities Major duties and responsibilities include: Prepare daily work schedules, assigning duties to employees based upon skill and knowledge to accomplish the work Check work progress being performed by work group Establish daily work priorities based upon the conditions of the grounds Assume accountability for work team Provide feedback and coach employees on their development Set the work pace as a working leader Maintain facility grounds Grade landscape to specific levels and contours Select and use fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides Prune and trim shrubs, trees, and other plants to remove defects and excess branches, and obtain proper balance between roots and top growth Conduct preventative maintenance and safety checked on grounds care equipment Apply knowledge of soils, plant materials, and propagation techniques Determine planting activities, weeding, and edging, to maintain grounds Operate trucks, tractors, backhoes, forklifts, and cherry pickers Performs other related duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 6:00am to 2:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized 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 You may be required to serve a probationary period Pre-employment physical required Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications PHYSICAL EFFORT: Frequently lifts, pushes, pulls, and carries materials, equipment, and objects of varying weights, sizes, and shapes up to 100 lbs. Requires walking, bending, stooping, climbing (ladders), stretching to reach tree limbs, standing and working in all positions. Works from ladders, platforms, and scaffolding. WORK CONDITIONS: Work is primarily performed outside. Working conditions are often dirty and noisy, subject to discomfort from long periods in the hot sun, and chilly and weather in the winter. Will be exposed to grass clippings, brush, environmental small/odors, chemical sprays/dust, etc. On occasion, work is required in areas that may pose health hazards if proper precautions are not taken. Working conditions are such that the worker must constantly be mindful of safety precautions in order to limit possibility of accidents, contaminations, personal injury, and injury to others within the work area. 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: Ability To Lead Or Supervise (Screen-out Element) Technical Practices: theoretical precise, artistic Use of Measuring Instruments Ability to Interpret Instructions, specifications; other than blueprints Ability To Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment Knowledge of Materials Dexterity and Safety 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 This job does not have an education qualification requirement. Additional Information 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 (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information.