Gardener(Tractor Operator)

Veterans Health Administration•Salt Lake City, UT

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Gardener (Tractor Operator) works in the Grounds Section of Facilities Management Service at the George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The position maintains campus grounds, including turf, shrubs, trees, and irrigation systems, and performs minor maintenance on gardening equipment. The incumbent works with minimal supervision and adjusts to changing needs and other assigned duties. The role includes planting and caring for a wide variety of plants, applying fertilizers and chemical controls, maintaining outdoor areas, and removing snow. The incumbent operates grounds vehicles and equipment, conducts safety inspections and minor preventive maintenance, and completes daily equipment checks. The position also works closely with Compensated Work Therapy personnel on grounds maintenance. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Work is physically demanding and is primarily field-based, with work in all weather conditions and occasional work after dark. The position includes exposure to potential hazards such as infrastructure systems, dust, soils, fumes, fuels, chemicals, and solvents; appropriate personal protective equipment and safe work practices are required.

Requirements

Possess a valid, unrestricted state driver's license and a safe driving record.
Be medically qualified to safely operate the appropriate motor vehicle and pass the agency Government Vehicle Drivers physical examination.
Demonstrate training or experience of sufficient scope and quality to perform the work; no specific length of training or experience is required.
Demonstrate the ability to perform the work without more than normal supervision.
Meet the position's physical demands, including frequent walking, standing, bending, stooping, pushing, pulling, climbing, and working with hands overhead; lift and carry objects weighing up to approximately 50 pounds.
Be able to work for long periods on foot and climb ladders to prune or trim shrubs and trees.
Work safely in varied weather and environmental conditions and use appropriate personal protective equipment.
Meet applicable federal employment conditions, including U.S. citizenship, selective service registration where applicable, background/security investigation, pre-employment physical, and a one-year probationary or two-year trial period.

Responsibilities

Transplant, aerate, prune, and trim a wide variety of plants and plant materials, using knowledge of suitable growing conditions, climate, and slope stabilization.
Review seasonal planting schedules and project plans, consider weather and soil moisture, and determine the quantities of plants and fertilizer needed.
Select, measure, mix, and apply fertilizers and chemical control agents to address plant diseases, insects, weeds, and soil pH conditions.
Prepare, root, graft, and layer plant materials, and document work as required.
Perform deicing, snow removal, sweeping, parking garage and road cleaning, sidewalk and blacktop repair, and outdoor sign posting.
Operate light vehicles and grounds equipment to move materials and maintain campus grounds.
As part of the Snow Emergency Response Team, remove snow from streets, sidewalks, and parking lots using hand tools, snowblowers, trucks, plows, wheel loaders, and other designated equipment.
Work with Compensated Work Therapy personnel on grounds maintenance.
Perform safety inspections and minor preventive maintenance on equipment, and report repairs that cannot be completed to the Grounds Supervisor.
As assigned, clean equipment and complete daily fuel, oil, tire, hydraulic fluid, and battery checks using pre-trip and post-inspection logs.
Perform other duties as assigned.