What are the responsibilities and job description for the ENGINEERING EQUIPMENT OPERATOR (CARETAKER) position at Arlington National Cemetery?

Summary

About the Position : Arlington National Cemetery is located in Arlington, VA. Since May of 1864, Arlington National Cemetery has served as the nation's premier military cemetery and shrine honoring those men and women who served in the Armed Forces.

This job is open to

Federal employees - Competitive service

Current or former competitive service federal employees.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.

Veterans

Individuals with disabilities

Military spouses

Land and base management

Certain current or former term or temporary federal employees of a land or base management agency.

Clarification from the agency

See "Who May Apply" in the "Qualifications" section for more information on who is eligible to apply for this position.

Videos

Duties

Follow Chain of Custody policy for all interments.

Excavate grave sites using shovel, pick, or jack hammer.

Close grave sites using front dumper, shovel, and power tamper; levels grave sites and replaces floral items on graves.

Operate various engineering and heavy mobile equipment to include 2.5 ton truck, 1 to 1. 5 ton stake and platform truck, and 1 ton pickup truck.

Utilize front-end loader, back-hoe, and other equipment to excavate trenches and pits, fill in low spots, move earth, sand, grave, clear brush, trees, stumps, rock, remove ice and snow, and occasionally move or cover hazardous or flammable materials.

Operate backhoes and front-end loaders to dig, pile and load dirt for cemetery and / or facility operations.

Adjust equipment attachments for proper level, angle, or depth according to work to be done and the type of equipment used.

Operate tractors, backhoes, and other equipment on flat and rocky surfaces to help accomplish the mission of ANC's outside operations division.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.

This position is a Testing Designated Position subject to applicant testing and random drug testing. Selectees will be required to sign DA Form 5019 requiring participation in random drug urinalysis testing.

Position is designated as Inclement Weather Essential. The incumbent must make every attempt to report for work on time and / or remain on duty during severe weather conditions.

A pre-placement medical examination is required.

Must possess and maintain a valid stateside driver's license.

Must wear uniform IAW AR 670-10 and local policy.

Moderate to heavy lifting up to 50 pounds is required.

One year trial / probationary period may be required.

Qualifications

Who May Apply : Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities.

30 Percent or More Disabled Veterans

Current Department of Army Civilian Employees

Current Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Employee (non-Army)

Domestic Defense Industrial Base / Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan

Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act

Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473

Non-Department of Defense (DoD) Transfer

People with Disabilities, Schedule A

Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible

Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible

Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement

Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible

Reinstatement

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998

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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

There is no specific length of training or experience required. However, you must be able to demonstrate, through experience shown in your written application materials that you possess the sufficient knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the work of this position without more than normal supervision.

Minimum Qualifications : Ability to do the work of an ENGINEERING EQUIPMENT OPERATOR (CARETAKER) without more than normal supervision : operating engineering equipment such as backhoes and front-end loaders to dig, pile, and load dirt; manipulating tractor and equipment controls to accomplish assigned work; operating a variety of engineering equipment on flat and rocky surfaces; utilizing hand tools, such as, shovel, pick, hand / power tamper, water pump, and air hammer. Failure to meet this Screen Out Element will result in an ineligible rating.

Ability To Do The Work Of The Position Without More Than Normal Supervision

Ability to Drive Safely (Motor Vehicles)

Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specification, etc. (includes blueprint reading)

Ability To Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment

Operation of Motor Vehicles

PHYSICAL EFFORT : Heavy effort is exerted by the operator in constantly reaching, bending, turning and moving hands, arms, feet and legs to handle the different controls in operating attachments and equipment. Operator is frequently required to work in awkward and / or strained positions. The incumbent often lifts heavy objects weighing up to 50 pounds while loading and unloading cargo, and movement of headstones. Heavy physical effort is used by the incumbent in constantly reaching, bending, turning and moving hand, arms, feet and legs to operate heavy duty tampers. Considerable strain can be caused by the constant vibration, jerking and jolting of the tampers in setting headstones and tamping graves.

WORKING CONDITIONS : Work is performed outside in all types of weather on hills, slopes, grade, and rolling surfaces. Operator is exposed to injury due to equipment turning over, noise, dirt, vibration, and fumes from motor and exhaust.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.

You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.

One year trial / probationary period may be required.

Direct deposit of pay is required.

This is a(n) Construction, Engineering, Infrastructure Career Field position.

Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.

If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.

Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.

Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.

This position is covered by a Bargaining Unit Agreement.

A recruitment or relocation incentive may be authorized.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your resume and / or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and / or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

You may claim Military Spouse preference.

You may claim Priority Placement Program (PPP) preference.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must : (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.

Benefits

Review our benefits

Required Documents

As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply (i.e., applying as a veteran, applying as a current permanent Federal employee, applying as a reinstatement, etc). Please review the following links to see which documents you need to provide to prove your eligibility to apply : Applicant Checklist for Internal / Merit Promotion Announcements

As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

1. Your resume :

Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.

If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.

For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS per week and month / year to month / year or month / year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and you may not receive consideration for this position.

For additional information see : What to include in your resume.

2. Other supporting documents :

Cover Letter, optional

Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable

Proof of Eligibility to Apply : Your application must include the documents which prove you are eligible to apply for the vacancy. The Proof of Eligibility document describes authorities commonly used in merit promotion recruitment and what document(s) are required to prove you meet the requirements of the authority. You must meet the requirements of at least one of the authorities listed in the Who May Apply section above to receive further consideration.

NOTE : Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11 : 59 PM (EST) on 01 / 27 / 2025 to receive consideration.

To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application ().

Follow the prompts to select your resume and / or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process .

You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. You must re-select your resume and / or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.

Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit :

Agency contact information

Army Applicant Help Desk

Website

Address

HT-W1C9AA ARMY NATIONAL MILITARY CEMETERIES

DO NOT MAIL

Arlington, VA 22211

Next steps

If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.

Fair and Transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Criminal history inquiries

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy

Financial suitability

New employee probationary period

Privacy Act

Reasonable accommodation policy

Selective Service

Signature and false statements

Social security number request

Required Documents