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Gardener (Plant Specialist)

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Washington, D.C
Closing date
May 18, 2021
Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Architect of the Capitol, U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG), Horticulture Division. As primary Gardener for rotating exhibits, shows, and other displays, the selectee grows species and hybrids for cultivars having horticultural and aesthetic impact and is responsible for assisting the Plant Curator, Horticulture and Public Programs with the design, development, selection, maintenance and display of crops for the USBG's rotating exhibits, shows, and other displays.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The selectee provides curatorial and design leadership for assigned rotating exhibits, shows, and other displays, creating precedent setting and artistically unique horticultural designs and exhibits, and is responsible for production of the required display crops.

Major duties include the following :

Horticultural Technical Services

- Serves as an expert for more complex rotating exhibits, shows, and other displays and exercises responsibility for the overall design and plant selection for those rotating exhibits, shows, and other displays. Evaluates and develops the designated rotating exhibits, shows, and other displays in consultation with the Plant Curator, Horticulture Division, and Public Program Division.

- Ensures that all horticultural rotating exhibits, shows, and other displays are sustained at the highest quality. Maintains a regular fertilization and maintenance program for assigned living collections and/or display crops. Carries out sustainability tasks to reduce energy and lessen other resource consumption.

- Responsible for daily care, cultivation and maintenance of a diverse and exclusive display of crops of living horticultural specimens. Plans and schedules the propagation and ordering of a wide range of plant species required to support rotating exhibits, shows, and other displays.

- Designs and/or develops large and complex rotating exhibits, shows, and other displays. Studies the exchange of materials, ideas, and information with other conservatories, museums, and botanic gardens. Works with the Botanist to solve problems of identification and authentication of plant materials.

- Provides lectures, tours, and training on horticultural themes to the general public, staff, and public or private organizations. Develops educational undertakings around rotating exhibits, shows, and other displays. Provides technical information to the public, private organizations, universities, botanic gardens, conservatories, and agricultural extension offices.

Horticultural Operational Support

- Safely operates horticultural equipment such as front end loaders, aerial lifts, fork lifts, vehicles and trucks to fulfill the needs of the tasks and transportation related to exhibit installation and removal.

- Recommends the purchase of seeds, plugs, bulbs, tubers, and live plants. Ensures proper growing conditions for the plants maintained including the management of parameters on computer controlled environmental control systems. Ensures correct plant identification, plant records, labels, signage, inventories, maps, and information.

Plant Displays

- Participates in planning for displays and exhibits of various horticultural assets. Initiates and plans for the future development of gardens, displays and educational exhibits. Assists in the selection of new and unusual specimens. Makes independent judgments for the development of living collection displays. Determines the total quantity of plant specimens to be utilized for specific projects.

Plant Growth and Development

- Designs and develops plant displays that involve growing of unusual, rare and exotic plants displays, rare seeds, shrubs, trees, and other plant specimens. Considers the growth needs and characteristics of plants in providing environmental support.

- Chooses the site for optimal plant growth and development. Considers soil conditions, growing media, hardiness, foliage at various stages of growth, flowering periods, and the overall exhibit plan. Discerns the proper timing to transplant plants.

- Performs the entire range of advanced plant cultivation tasks including the propagation and culture of both common and rare plant specimens. Contemplates the individual needs and characteristics of a wide array of plants.

- Responsible for pesticide applications for interior plantscapes, and exterior ornamental plants, including historical species. Transplants a wide variety of grasses, flowers, shrubs, and trees. Prunes trees in accordance with ISA and ANSI standards.

- Performs other related duties as assigned and responds to emergency situations.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
10 - Full Performance Level is WG-10

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 current and valid state driver's license.
  • Must have a current Class 3A, 3B, or 3C Pesticide Applicator's License. OR
  • Must be able to obtain DC Pesticide Applicator's License within 24 months.
  • You must have or obtain a Forklift Operator's Certificate within 12 months.


**APPLICANTS MUST POSSESS AND MAINTAIN A VALID AND UNEXPIRED STATE DRIVER'S LICENSE AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION**

**APPLICANTS MUST POSSESS A VALID AND UNEXPIRED DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (D.C.) PESTICIDE APPLICATOR'S LICENSE IN CATEGORIES 3A, 3B, AND/OR 3C TO APPLY PESTICIDES IN D.C.**

--- OR ---

**IF NOT CURRENTLY LICENSED, THE INCUMBENT WILL BE GIVEN 90 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF EMPLOYMENT TO BE REGISTERED TO APPLY PESTICIDES UNDER THE DIRECTION OF A LICENSED PESTICIDE APPLICATOR. ADDITIONALLY, THE INCUMBENT WILL BE GIVEN 24 MONTHS FROM THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF EMPLOYMENT TO OBTAIN THE APPROPRIATE D.C. PESTICIDE APPLICATOR'S LICENSE**

IMPORTANT NOTE: If the above required license or registration are not obtained within the time period specified, the incumbent will be terminated for failure to meet the conditions of continued employment.

Qualifications

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

You must meet the following screen-out required to qualify for this position:

- Ability to do the work of the position without more than normal supervision

Qualifications at the WG-10 Level: Independently performs plant preservation and assisting the curatorial development, selection, maintenance, or display of USBG garden collections.

Education

No education substitution.

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 http://www.opm.gov/veterans/html/vetguide.asp#6 .

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, genetic information, sexual orientation, 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 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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Review your resume and responses carefully. Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed resume and your responses to job specific self-assessment questions.

Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for this position, possession of any specialized experience, and how well your background and experience relates to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement. The self-assessment questions relate to the following job elements:
  • Ability to do the work of the position without more than normal supervision
  • Knowledge of Technical Gardening Practices
  • Ability to Use and Maintain Gardening Tools and Equipment
  • Knowledge of Plant Collections, Characteristics, and Nomenclature

Your responses to the self-assessment questions serve as the basis for your initial rating. You will receive a numerical score based on your responses to these questions. Next, your responses will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert against the information provided in your resume and optional cover letter. Your resume must support your answers to the self-assessment questions. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or disqualification for further consideration.

Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the "Required Documents" section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
Yes

Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

The Architect of the Capitol's job application process is designed to ensure that we only ask you for the information that is absolutely needed to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility for the position.

To apply for this position, you only need to submit online the following: a) your resume and 2) answer the online vacancy assessment questionnaire. The online questionnaire contains eligibility and screening questions and other relevant supplemental information. No additional documentation or attachment is required at the time of application.

We ask that you prepare and submit a resume that best describes fully your background experience, skills, abilities, education, training and other relevant credentials. The resume should include dates of employment.

Nothing further is required until it is requested by the staff of the Human Capital Management Division. If additional documentation is required for a position, you will be asked to provide it during the selection process or upon selection. At that point, we may ask you to submit documentation to support statements made in your resume.

For example, we may ask you to provide documents such as college transcripts, copy of diploma or proof of Federal employment status. If the position requires a license or certification, we will ask candidate(s) to provide proof at the time of selection.

If you are claiming veterans' preference, we may ask you to submit proof of Veterans preference (DD-214, and, if claiming 10-point preference, the SF-15 plus proof required by that form).

If you fail to provide the required documents, we will withdraw a tentative job offer made and/or remove you from further consideration.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

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