Laborer

Clarification from the agency

This is an OPEN CONTINOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until February 17, 2027. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis, and qualified candidates will be referred periodically every 2 weeks until the position is filled. This announcement is open to current federal employees and special hiring authorities under merit procedures. More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.

This is an open continuous announcement to fill current and future vacancies until 02/17/2026, applicants will be referred every 30 days.  Management may close this announcement early once all positions have been filled.

This position is in the Facility Management, Building Services Department located in the National Gallery of Art (NGA). The NGA is comprised of 1.3 million gross square feet of building space, including the East and West Buildings, the Connecting Link, and the Sculpture Garden on the National Mall. In addition, the NGA also operates and maintains a warehouse and shop facility in Landover, Maryland, several condominium apartments, lease office space in Washington D.C., art galleries in the historic Corcoran building, and other locations when required.

Duties for this position include:

• Handling, moving, and controlling heavy powered cleaning equipment. 
• Performing minor equipment maintenance (i.e., pallet jacks, dollies, powered utility vehicles)
• Moving items which may weigh more than 80 pounds between National Gallery of Art buildings and the Sculpture Garden. 
• Maintaining a preventive maintenance program and work order management system. 
• Moving heavy items to allow cleaning of floors, baseboards, doors, door hardware, furniture, counter-tops, columns, ledges, stairs, stair rails, offices, and office equipment. 
• Ensuring common areas are clean and in order. 
• Sweeping/wet mopping floor, removing oil, hydraulic fluid, grease, and other spilled liquids. 
• Assisting other departments in a laborer capacity. 
• Supporting the cleaning of the Chader and Mall fountains. 
• Participating in rotating shift schedules and weekend duty. 
• Supporting special events and emergencies to meet the NGA mission requirements.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a United States Citizen.
• This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Pass Pre-employment Background Investigation.
• Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation.
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary period.

Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions viewable on OPM Website. It is your responsibility to ensure that you submit appropriate documentation prior to the closing date. Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant experience as it relates to this job announcement. Be clear and specific when describing your work history since human resources cannot make assumptions regarding your experience.

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; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Your resume must include the dates of all qualifying experience (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours worked/volunteered per week.

Qualifications

 A requirement of this position is to move items which may weigh more than 80 pounds (such as office equipment, tables, chairs, furniture, and supplies). Relocates furniture and equipment such as file cabinets.

Although a specific length of time and experience is not required for most trade and labor occupations, you must show through experience and training that you possess the quality level of knowledge and skill necessary to perform the duties of the position at the level for which you are applying. Qualification requirements emphasis is on quality of experience, not necessarily the length of time.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the job elements and screen out listed below.

This job has a screen-out element (in bold below) which will be used to determine minimum eligibility for this job. Applicants who do not receive a minimum of two points on the screen-out element(s) will be found ineligible.

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:

1. Ability to perf. duties w/o supervision

25-A     Work Practices

75-B     Ability to Interpret Instructions & Specifications

81         Ability to Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment

86         Dexterity and Safety

You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

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; religious; 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. 

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses to the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

This is an open continuous announcement to fill current and future vacancies until 02/17/2026, applicants will be referred every 30 days.  Management may close this announcement early once all positions have been filled. 

Note: Applicants who are referred to the hiring office for selection consideration may be required to submit writing and/or work samples as part of the interview/selection process. If the hiring office decides to request a writing and/or work sample as part of its selection process, the vacancy contact will reach out to you by email to: (1) inform you of this requirement; and (2) provide further instructions.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Your Resume (no more than 2 pages) showing the applicant's name, email address, work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed to include pay plan, series, and grade level for relevant federal experience. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support minimum qualifications.

• Do not include the following types of information in your resume:
  • Classified or government sensitive information
  • Social Security Number (SSN)
  • Photos of yourself
  • Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
  • Encrypted and digitally signed documents

2. Other supporting documents:
   • Cover Letter, optional
   • Most recent Performance Appraisal, optional
   • Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g. DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; Current Active Duty members must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within 120 days; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter.) If you are a veteran and you are claiming 5-point veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility.
     If you are a veteran and you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form. For more information on veterans' preference click here.

Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. 

Next steps