Duties

*** The selectee of this position is considered an "Emergency Essential Employee" and will be required to work in emergency and inclement weather situations. ***

Tour of Duty (Day) 7:00 am - 3:30 pm (Hours may change due to Operational Needs of Management)

A Commercial Driver's License (CDL) is Preferred but not Required.

• A valid, unexpired State Driver's License is required.
• International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) certification or an accredited tree expert license is desired.

This position is located in the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), Office of the Chief of Operations, Capitol Grounds & Arboretum, Gardening Division, Tree Branch. The selectee is an Arborist Worker engaged in tree care practices to preserve and maintain trees, including historical and memorial trees located on the U.S. Capitol grounds in accordance with the historic Olmstead landscape design. The Arborist Worker will have non-competitive promotion potential to an Arborist, WG-10.

The Arborist Worker will assist a higher-level Arborist by performing a variety of worker level tasks related to the care of trees and ornamental shrubs. Specific duties include the following:

• Prunes and assists in removal of diseased, dead, fallen or hazard trees.
• Prunes trees to promote optimum tree health and wound compartmentalization. In accordance with ISA standards.
• Works from a bucket truck, ladder and climbs trees using ropes, knots, rigging and hitches to perform arboricultural tasks.
• Prunes trees and ornamental shrubs to obtain desired effect.
• Plants and transplants trees according to ISA standards.
• Applies standard fertilizing practices and adjusts acid or alkaline conditions of the soil in line with plant requirements.
• Treats diseases and mineral deficiencies as instructed and applies proper chemical compounds.
• Operates various grounds maintenance equipment such as blowers, brush chippers, stump grinders, plow trucks, skid loaders, air spades, etc.
• Operates vehicles requiring a CDL, including dump trucks, trash packers, bucket truck with a hydraulic lift, a large stake body truck, etc. and non-CDL equipment, such as skid-steer loaders, vehicles and trucks with a variety of attachments (CDL Preferred but Not Required).

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Your resume and question responses must demonstrate job-related elements.
• You must have a valid, Commercial Driver's license at time of application.

"To be employed by the Architect of the Capitol in a paid position, an individual must meet one of the categories below:

• A citizen of the United States;
• A person who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence and is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)(B);
• A person who is admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or is granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158 and has filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible;
• A person who owes allegiance to the United States (nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and nationals who meet other requirements described in 8 U.S.C. 1408); or
• A person who is currently an officer or employee of the Government of the United States."

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Qualifications

You must meet all eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of the job announcement.

SCREEN-OUT: Ability to perform the work of the position without more than normal supervision which includes working independently, showing job responsibility and exercising initiative.

Additional information

Welcome Veterans. The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) gives veterans' preference rights in the legislative branch to certain veterans as applied by the Congressional Accountability Act. Veterans' preference is applied on this vacancy announcement. If you are a veteran and have been separated under honorable conditions, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility; SF-15, if applicable; and Department of Veterans Affairs documentation of disability, if applicable. For more information, please visit OPM vet guide

If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information.

DRUG TESTING: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is a Drug Free Workplace. As part of the AOC's suitability assessment, a candidate tentatively selected for a position who is not currently an AOC employee is required to submit to screening for illegal drug use. Satisfactory completion of a drug test is a condition of employment with the Agency. A candidate must test negative prior to being eligible for appointment into a position. We will schedule, provide and cover the cost for the drug test.

The selectee(s) under the vacancy announcement for this position is subject to a criminal record check by the U.S. Capitol Police and satisfactory adjudication to be eligible for employment at the Architect of the Capitol.

The Architect of the Capitol is an E-VERIFY Participant. E-VERIFY is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment authorization in the United States. If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the DHS Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" electronic system. For more information on E-Verify, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm

The Architect of the Capitol is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information and/or disability.

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Moving expenses are not authorized.

Relocation expenses are not authorized.

Probationary Period - A newly appointed selectee is subject to the completion of a one-year trial/probationary period, regardless of whether or not a trial/probationary period has been completed previously with the Architect of the Capitol or another Federal agency.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies in any of the jurisdictions of the Architect of the Capitol.

All application materials become the property of the Architect of the Capitol.