Supervisory Horticulturist - (Director of Horticulture)

Supervisory and Managerial Responsibilities Supervises the staff of the division through subordinate supervisors. Performs administrative and technical supervisory functions for subordinates. Assigns duties and evaluates performance.

Manages the organizational unit's budget and workload. Develops performance requirements for subordinates and ensures a mutual understanding of the performance standards. Develops work improvement plans for subordinates.

Provides advice and counsel to subordinates on administrative and technical work matters. Garden and Grounds Leadership Provides professional leadership of subordinate supervisors and team leaders of Urban Forester, Plant Health Care Specialist, Turfgrass Management Specialists, Certified Arborists, Horticulturists, Gardeners, and other plant science specialists. Outlines overall responsibilities, makes assignments, sets priorities and provides professional, technical and administrative advice and assistance as required.

Plans organizational structure and staffing needs, determines types of jobs required and assigns duties to key subordinate positions. Directs the work of the Plant Health Care Specialist to ensure optimum health of the living collection. Responsible to mitigate plant pests throughout our urban landscape and collaborates with federal agencies to monitor exotic and potentially devastating invasive species.

Oversees the development and execution of the CGA arboretum program including specimens of historical significance. Responsible for directing work of the Urban Forester and coordinating work prioritization and work execution of over 4,800 trees to maintain health and safety. Directs the work of the Turfgrass Management Specialists and the turf team.

Prioritizes work and plans budget and resource needs. Coordinates maintenance tasks between the Turfgrass Management Specialists and the Supervisory Horticulturist. Analyzes long-range needs, unusual problems or unusual questions affecting the operations and maintenance of the Capitol gardens and grounds.

Contract Administration Advises the Deputy Executive Director on the use of outside contractors when that is the most reasonable course of action to accomplish specific aspects of a job or an entire work project that cannot be performed by AOC staff. Serves as a Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) for designated contracts. Evaluates employee and contractor performance in meeting operational requirements, contract requirements and core processes.

Performs technical oversight and support to contract workers and others assigned to projects by ensuring that plans, blueprints, materials and other tools required are available and by obtaining needed information and decisions from the supervisory engineer, landscape architect or other technical staff. Performs other related duties as assigned. Maintains a DC pesticide applicator license in categories III – A, B & C, (3A) exterior ornamental plants, (3B) interior plant-scapes and/or (3C) turf grass, dependent upon the pesticides used. **This position is considered "essential".

Reporting to work during emergencies and inclement weather situations is required.****

To be employed by the Architect of the Capitol in a paid position, an individual must meet one of the categories below: A citizen of the United States; A person who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence and is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)(B); A person who is admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or is granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158 and has filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible; A person who owes allegiance to the United States (nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and nationals who meet other requirements described in 8 U.S.C. 1408); or A person who is currently an officer or employee of the Government of the United States.

In addition to meeting the specialized experience requirements, applicants must have the following: Degree: Horticulture; or a related discipline of basic plant science that included at least 30 semester hours in the basic plant sciences, of which at least 16 semester hours were in horticultural subjects such as those dealing with the breeding, care, management, production, and post-harvest handling of horticultural crops. --OR-- Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in horticulture or a related discipline of basic plant science that included course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Courses in botany, plant physiology, plant taxonomy, plant pathology, genetics, agronomy, horticulture, and similar courses may be used to meet the 30-semester-hour requirement in basic plant sciences. The 16-semester-hour requirement in horticulture includes course work in basic horticulture and course work related to any of the recognized subject-matter fields of horticulture, i.e., fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, nursery work, seed production, or course work in related areas of science, such as micro-biology, entomology, plant pathology, plant physiology, or genetics that is directly related to horticultural work.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Education completed outside of the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in conventional/accredited U.S. education programs to be acceptable for Federal employment. Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part of foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree.

You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing if selected.

Review your resume and responses carefully.

Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed resume and your responses to job specific self-assessment questions.

Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for this position, possession of any specialized experience, and how well your background and experience relates to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement. The self-assessment questions relate to the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies: Horticultural Sciences - Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and practices of plant collections, characteristics, and nomenclature. Contracting Management - Knowledge of various types of contracts, techniques, or requirements for contract negotiation and administration.

Landscape Management - Knowledge of the concepts, theories, and practices used in the planning, designing, construction, and adaptation of outdoor features, recreation planning, requirements, aesthetic value, and compatibility with other plant developments and resources. Ability to organize and direct horticultural projects, set priorities and deadlines to meet established goals and objectives.

Your responses to the self assessment questions serve as the basis for your initial rating.

You will receive a numerical score based on your responses to these questions. Next, your responses will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert against the information provided in your resume and optional cover letter.

Your resume must support your answers to the self assessment questions. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or disqualification for further consideration. Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the “Required Documents” section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Welcome Veterans. The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) gives veterans' preference rights in the legislative branch to certain veterans as applied by the Congressional Accountability Act. Veterans' preference is applied on this vacancy announcement.

If you are a veteran and have been separated under honorable conditions, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility; SF-15, if applicable; and Department of Veterans Affairs documentation of disability, if applicable. For more information, please visit OPM vet guide If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption.

Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information. DRUG TESTING: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is a Drug Free Workplace. As part of the AOC's suitability assessment, a candidate tentatively selected for a position is required to submit to screening for illegal drug use.

Satisfactory completion of a drug test is a condition of employment with the Agency. A candidate must test negative prior to being eligible for appointment into a position. We will schedule, provide, and cover the cost for the drug test.

The selectee(s) under the vacancy announcement for this position is subject to a criminal record check by the U.S. Capitol Police and satisfactory adjudication to be eligible for employment at the Architect of the Capitol. The Architect of the Capitol is an E-VERIFY Participant.

E-VERIFY is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment authorization in the United States. If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the DHS Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" electronic system.

For more information on E-Verify, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm The Architect of the Capitol is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, genetic information and/or disability. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency.

The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. Moving expenses are not authorized. Relocation expenses are not authorized. Probationary Period- Selectee(s) is subject to the completion of a one-year trial/probationary period, regardless of whether or not a trial/probationary period has been completed previously with the Architect of the Capitol or another Federal agency.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies in any of the jurisdictions of the Architect of the Capitol. All application materials become the property of the Architect of the Capitol.

You MUST apply online. FORMS RECEIVED BY FAX, EMAIL OR U.S. POSTAL SERVICE DELIVERY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. If you are a new user to the USAJobs Site and have never registered for an account; you will first need to create an account profile with your basic contact information and a resume to begin applying.

You must be a registered USAJobs user AND you must be signed-in to your account in order to apply for this position. For help setting up an account or for general help using USAJobs, go to USAJobs Help Page. NEED HELP? If you experience any difficulties with the application site, help is available! If you have problems completing your on-line application, contact the Monster Hiring Management Help Desk at 1-866-656-6831 or by e-mail at [email protected]. The help desk is available Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

You may call and leave a voice mail message at all other times. All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJobs “Saved Documents” feature. If you are unable to apply on-line, you may visit our Employment Center for technical assistance in entering your application. The Employment Center is located at 441 Second & D Streets S.W., Washington, D.C., Room H2-178, and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

You may call (202) 226-7000 for directions.

The Architect of the Capitol's job application process is designed to ensure that we only ask you for the information that is absolutely needed to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility for the position. To apply for this position, you only need to submit online the following: a) your resume and 2) answer the online vacancy assessment questionnaire. The online questionnaire contains eligibility and screening questions and other relevant supplemental information.

No additional documentation or attachment is required at the time of application. We ask that you prepare and submit a resume that best describes fully your background experience, skills, abilities, education, training and other relevant credentials. The resume should include dates of employment.

Nothing further is required until it is requested by the staff of the Human Capital Management Division. If additional documentation is required for a position, you will be asked to provide it during the selection process or upon selection. At that point, we may ask you to submit documentation to support statements made in your resume.

For example, we may ask you to provide documents such as college transcripts, copy of diploma or proof of Federal employment status. If the position requires a license or certification, we will ask candidate(s) to provide proof at the time of selection. If you are claiming veterans' preference, we may ask you to submit proof of Veterans preference (DD-214, and, if claiming 10-point preference, the SF-15 plus proof required by that form).

If you fail to provide the required documents, we will withdraw a tentative job offer made and/or remove you from further consideration.