Cemetery Caretaker

National Cemetery Administration•Newtown, PA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is located at Washington Crossing National Cemetery in Newtown, Pennsylvania. The Cemetery Caretaker performs manual work requiring physical strength and uses hand and power tools and grounds-maintenance equipment to care for cemetery grounds and facilities. Duties include operating small tractors and riding lawn mowers; transplanting shrubs; digging and preparing graves; cutting and removing sod; tamping and leveling dirt; assisting with casket placement; loading and unloading materials; aligning and cleaning headstones; clearing debris; maintaining shrubs and lawns; removing snow and ice; and cleaning service and administrative areas. The work is performed outdoors in all types of weather. Staff may be required to work weekdays, occasional weekends, holidays (including Memorial Day), and overtime to meet cemetery needs. Emergency overtime call-backs may occur. A compressed or flexible schedule is not available. The position requires a valid state driver's license and the ability to perform duties without more than normal supervision. The full performance level is WG-06.

Requirements

Demonstrated potential to perform landscaping, groundskeeping, or related trade duties, including using hand tools and power tools and safely operating related machinery and equipment.
Ability to perform the job without more than normal supervision.
Must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license.
Must be a U.S. citizen.
Subject to a background/suitability investigation; designated and/or random drug testing may be required.
Must pass a pre-employment medical examination.
Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
Must complete the required application package and online onboarding process.
Must serve a one-year probationary period.
Able to perform heavy physical work, including reaching, bending, turning, walking on varied terrain, and frequently exerting effort for duties such as tamping, carrying caskets or urns, moving grave planks, and setting headstones.
Able to lift up to 50 pounds; heavier items are occasionally lifted with assistance.
Able to work outdoors in all types of weather and wear appropriate protective equipment.
May be exposed to noise exceeding 85 dBA for up to eight hours per day.

Responsibilities

Operate small tractors, riding lawn mowers, and other grounds-maintenance equipment.
Transplant shrubs and perform landscaping and groundskeeping tasks.
Dig graves to the proper level; cut and remove sod; tamp and level dirt using hand and power tools.
Dig and square graves using pneumatic equipment, picks, and shovels.
Assist in lifting and placing caskets on lowering devices.
Load and unload materials.
Align headstones and clean them using a sprayer and hand brush.
Clear cemetery grounds of debris using power trimmers, chainsaws, axes, shovels, rakes, blowers, and vacuums.
Weed, mulch, apply fertilizer, and prune shrubs and low-level dead branches.
Remove snow and ice.
Clean service and administrative areas.
Work overtime, weekends, and holidays as needed, including Memorial Day; respond to occasional emergency overtime call-backs.