Laborer

The Laborer position is located in the Facilities Management Service of the VA Boston Healthcare System. This position is located in the Jamaica Plain, MA campus. This position is full-time at 40 hours per week.

***This is an open and continuous job opportunity announcement and may close at any time once all positions are filled.***

Qualifications:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 05/14/2027.

EXPERIENCE: A specific length of training and experience is not required, but you must show evidence of training or experience of sufficient scope and quality of your ability to do the work of this position. Evidence which demonstrates you possess the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of this position must be supported by detailed descriptions of such on your resume. Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualification Standards.

SCREEN-OUT ELEMENT: Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the on-line questionnaire. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements:

• Follow Directions
• Handle Weights and Loads
• Operation of Equipment/Machinery
• Physical Strength and Agility
• Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
• Without more than normal supervision

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Preferred Experience: It is preferred that the employee posses a valid unrestricted state driver's license with a clean driving record.

Responsibilities:

The Laborer position performs duties which involve grounds and maintenance work, including moving materials, assisting other type journeymen due to urgency of work to be accomplished, gardener's helper, policing grounds, moving furniture, loading / unloading trucks, driving and other various duties to include but not limited to:

• Use shovels to dig ditches where grading and sloping is required; fill holes with dirt and level bumps using shovels, hand tampers, picks, and rakes; and dig holes for plants and posts.
• Prepares soil for plants, seeds, thins, transplants, trims, prunes, fertilizes, aerates, mulches, sprays, and dusts grass, ground cover, flowers, shrubs and trees.
• Cut trees, using axes or chain saws. Prunes shrubs, trees and other plants to remove obvious defects and excess branches.
• Use powered push lawn mowers, edgers and trimmers, water grounds, lay sod and clear small trees and bushes using hand tools.
• Perform grounds maintenance on grades or slopes.
• Work safely with heavy tools (axes, picks, tampers, chain saws, etc.) and power equipment. (power lawn mowers, jackhammers, sidewalk snowplows.
• Operate, control, and clean heavy, power equipment (power lawn mowers, chain saws, jackhammers, sidewalk snow plows).
• Perform work that requires moderately heavy physical effort (e.g., shoveling snow and salting sidewalks) and some degree of manual skill and involves very heavy physical effort.
• Separate, stack, carry, and load/unload materials, supplies, and packages.
• Perform work that may involve a number of successive steps or processes.
• Use common hand tools and simple power equipment.
• Perform routine maintenance on equipment assigned.
• Work independently and on own initiative.

Work Schedule: Full Time, Monday - Friday 6:00a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Position Description Title/PD#: Laborer/PD00655A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentive: Not Authorized.
Permanent Change of Station: Not Authorized.
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Authorized.
Physical Requirements: Work requires very heavy physical effort in operating large, riding mowers on grades and in areas with bushes, trees, and other visible obstacles that require significant maneuvering and lever control. Frequently lift and move equipment and components weighing over 50 pounds.

• This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until 05/15/2027. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be 06/03/2026, with subsequent cut-off dates monthly. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.
• Applicants will remain active for 6 months after the initial application is received and/or updated. After that time, you must update your application through your USA Jobs account if you would like to be made active again for possible consideration during the open period.
• Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held.
• This position is an AFGE Bargaining Unit position.
• The incumbent may be required to travel to other VA campuses and CBOC's.

Salary : $22