Cemetery Caretaker

National Cemetery Administration • Farmingdale, NY

6d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is located at Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York. The Cemetery Caretaker performs manual and physically demanding work involving cemetery grounds care, grave preparation, equipment operation, and maintenance of cemetery facilities. 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 with hand and power tools; digging and squaring graves with pneumatic equipment, picks, and shovels; and assisting with lifting and placing caskets on lowering devices. The caretaker also loads and unloads materials, aligns headstones, clears debris, maintains plants and grounds, removes snow and ice, cleans headstones, and cleans service and administrative areas.

The work is generally scheduled Monday through Friday, with occasional weekends. Because of cemetery operations, staff may be required to work Federal holidays or Saturdays when a holiday falls on a Monday or Friday, and all staff must work Memorial Day each year. Overtime, weekends, and holidays may be required to meet cemetery needs, and employees may occasionally be called back for emergency overtime. A compressed or flexible schedule is not available.

Work is performed outdoors in all types of weather and involves heavy physical effort, including walking over varied terrain and lifting weights up to 50 pounds; heavier items may be lifted with assistance. Employees may be exposed to equipment vibration, noise, heat, humidity, cold, precipitation, dirt, dust, exhaust fumes, mud, water, and areas where pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizers are applied. Appropriate protective equipment is required. The position requires a valid state driver's license and the ability to perform the work without more than normal supervision. The full performance level is WG-06. Relocation expenses and recruitment or relocation incentives are not authorized.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license.
• Must demonstrate the potential to perform landscaping, groundskeeping, or related-trade work using hand tools and/or power tools and safely operating related machinery and equipment. Relevant work, training, or activities may demonstrate this potential.
• Must be able to perform the job without more than normal supervision.
• Must pass a pre-employment medical examination.
• Must undergo a background or suitability investigation; designated or random drug testing may be required.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must meet Selective Service registration requirements.
• Must submit a complete application package, including required documents such as a resume and transcripts.
• Must complete the online onboarding process and provide acceptable identification for pre-employment requirements.
• Must serve a one-year probationary period and receive written certification for continued employment after that period.
• Must meet the physical demands of the job, including heavy effort, working over varied terrain, and lifting up to 50 pounds; items over 50 pounds are occasionally lifted with coworker assistance.
• Must wear appropriate protective equipment when required.
• Must work outdoors in all types of weather and may be exposed to noise levels 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 groundskeeping tasks, including weeding, mulching, applying fertilizer, and pruning shrubs and low-level dead branches.
• Dig graves to the proper level; cut and remove sod; and 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.
• Clean and clear cemetery grounds of debris using equipment such as power trimmers, chainsaws, axes, shovels, rakes, blowers, and vacuums.
• Remove snow and ice.
• Clean service and administrative areas.
• Work overtime, weekends, and holidays when necessary, including Memorial Day, and respond to occasional emergency overtime call-backs.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive federal 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