Clarification from the agency

Those eligible under CTAP. and current permanent Facility & CBOC employees.

The duties of the Tractor Operator includes but is not limited to:
Tractor & Equipment Operation

• Operates tractors and mowers with either towed or mounted auxiliary equipment.
• Changes towing attachments and connections and perform many adjustments.
• Maintains the equipment that they use.
• Operates the equipment on level and rolling terrain such as open fields, along roads and on hills.
• Performs routine equipment checks by visual inspection of tires, fluid levels, damage to vehicles.
• Operates a pressure washer, used to clean vehicles, various pieces of other heavy equipment, and areas such as sidewalks, brick, and stonework.

Grounds Maintenance

• Assists the gardener in preparing the soil for plants, seeds, thins, transplants, trims, prunes, fertilizes, aerates, mulches, sprays, and dusts grass, ground cover, flowers, shrubs and trees.
• Prepares new planting areas for propagation of wildflower beds, domestic flowers beds, trees, shrubs and grasses.
• Prunes shrubs, trees and other plants to remove obvious defects and excess branches to obtain a proper balance between roots and top growth,
• Modifies or retain the natural form of the tree, shrub, or plant.
• Installs landscaping materials. Maintains gutters so they are free from leaves and other debris on campus buildings.
• Maintains facility grounds year round by picking up trash, removing debris, utilizing tractor powered groomers and vacuums, and hand rakes to remove leaves and debris.
• Performs snow removal from VA Medical Center property (streets, sidewalks, and parking lots) as a member of the Snow Emergency Response Team.
• Assists to move furniture from building to building.
• Drives vehicles such as sedans, vans, and trucks in the absence of motor vehicle operators.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 3:30pm
Position Description Title/PD#: Tractor Operator/PD06135A and PD000065
Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not Available
Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Pre-employment physical required
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/06/2026.

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 and 2 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 perform the duties of the position without more than normal supervision (Operating heavy equipment (i.e. tractors, skid steer, forklift, excavator, etc.) AND Maintaining facility grounds (i.e. snow removal, landscaping, pruning, planting, etc.))
   (NOTE: You must list your experience on your resume). Applicants must receive a minimum of two points on this screen-out element to be deemed eligible for consideration.

JOB ELEMENTS. The below job elements (skills, knowledge, abilities, and personal characteristics considered necessary for success on the job) are approved by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management for individual occupations as well as for jobs having common requirements.

• Drive Safely
• Interpret Instructions, Specifications (mobile equipment operations)
• Motor Vehicles
• Operate Safely (Non-Motor Vehicle)
• Reliability And Dependability
• Without more than normal supervision
• Work Practices

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.

Physical Requirements: Frequent arm and leg movement is required. The incumbent exerts very heavy physical effort in operating equipment controls and performing tasks that require frequent lifting, bending and moving objects weighing over 50 pounds. The incumbent may occasionally work from ladders, lifts and high places. The incumbent may be asked to extended hours due to weather conditions.

Working Conditions: The incumbent works primarily outside in all kinds of weather conditions and is exposed to temperature extremes, vibrations, and jolts from equipment. Operators are exposed to dust, dirt, grease, fumes and chemical sprays and be subjected to insect bites and probably bee stings. The incumbent is subject to cuts and bruises from flying objects, tree branches and the usual hazards associated with power equipment.

How you will be evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

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

• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

NOTE: Effective 9/29/2025 all submitted applications must contain resumes limited to two-pages in length and anything longer is prohibited. Only the first two-pages will be considered for qualification purposes for this announcement.

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

• Cover Letter
• Other (1)
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):
MOST RECENT SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee;

• A SF-50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade;
• Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
  • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
  • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
  • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

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