Cemetery Caretaker

National Cemetery Administration • Florence, SC

16d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is located at Florence National Cemetery in Florence, South Carolina. The Cemetery Caretaker performs work requiring mainly manual skills and physical strength, including grounds maintenance, grave preparation, headstone care, and upkeep of service and administrative areas. Duties include operating small tractors and riding lawn mowers; transplanting shrubs; digging graves to the proper level; cutting and removing sod; tamping and leveling dirt; assisting with casket placement; loading and unloading materials; aligning headstones; clearing debris; weeding, mulching, fertilizing, pruning, removing snow and ice, and cleaning headstones and facilities.

The work is performed outdoors in all types of weather, with exposure to sun, noise, heat, humidity, cold, snow, rain, wind, dirt, dust, fumes, mud, water, and areas where pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizers are applied. Appropriate protective equipment is worn. The position requires heavy physical effort, including walking on varied terrain and lifting up to 50 pounds; heavier items are occasionally lifted with assistance. Work may expose the employee to noise exceeding 85 dBA for up to eight hours per day and to injury risks associated with grounds maintenance equipment.

The regular schedule may include Monday through Friday and occasional weekends. Staff must work Memorial Day annually and may be required to work weekends, holidays, overtime, or emergency call-backs to meet cemetery needs. A compressed or flexible schedule is not available. The full performance level is WG-06. Relocation expenses and relocation or recruitment incentives are not authorized.

Requirements

• Demonstrated potential to perform landscaping, groundskeeping, or related trades duties, including use of hand tools and power tools and safe operation of 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 or 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, walk on hilly, flat, or rolling terrain, and lift up to 50 pounds; heavier items may be lifted with assistance.
• Must wear appropriate protective equipment when working in areas where pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizers are applied.

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 with 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 equipment and tools such as power trimmers, chainsaws, axes, shovels, rakes, blowers, and vacuums.
• Weed, mulch, and apply fertilizer; prune shrubs and low-level dead branches.
• Remove snow and ice.
• Clean service and administrative areas.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific benefits depend on position type and should be confirmed with the hiring agency.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed