This announcement is for 2 Temporary Cemetery Caretakers located at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), National Cemetery Administration.
The primary mission of the cemetery is to meet the needs of veterans and their family members by providing dignified burials and maintaining the cemetery as a national shrine. The primary purpose of the job is to perform interment related activities, grounds maintenance, setting headstones and markers.
Qualifications:
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this 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.
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.
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:
- Dexterity and Safety
- Interpret Instructions, Specifications (includes blueprint reading)
- Technical Practices
- Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
- Without 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.
Responsibilities:
The incumbent operates a variety of equipment related to interment activities and grounds maintenance to include, but not limited to the following: passenger vehicles, pickup trucks, van trucks, and similar vehicles to transport remains. Operates vehicles with a gross weight of up to and including 10,000 pounds and forklifts up to and including 4,000 pounds of lift capacity. Operates gardener type tractors to 50hp with up to four forward gears, compact utility vehicles, low profile tractors with hydraulic attachments, and towed equipment (e.g., trailers and blowers). Operates gasoline trimmers and edgers, chainsaws, spreaders, and seeders. Performs operator maintenance as needed. Performs a variety of tasks relative to interments. Places and removes temporary committal shelters, lowering devices, chairs and other equipment used in interment services. Carries caskets containing remains and lowers casket into graves. Refills sunken graves, tamps and levels dirt. Performs grave repairs, lays sod, and mows grass. Trims headstones and markers, monuments, roads, curbs, fences, etc. Sets, raises, and realigns headstones and markers using liner and levels dirt. Cleans headstones using a high-pressure washer. Sweeps streets, removes unsightly flowers, trash and debris from cemetery grounds. Assists gardener in gardening operations performing seasonal gardening tasks such as fertilizing, laying sod, mowing, pruning, trimming and raking.
This is a temporary appointment not to exceed 6 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.
Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not Available
Position Description Title/PD#: Temporary Cemetery Caretaker/PD136110
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 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 requires the employee to lift weight 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.