Gardener / Grounds Maintenance Worker — Central Alabama VA Health Care System

Openings: 4 · Location: Montgomery, AL or Tuskegee, AL (assigned to one campus; occasional work at the other as needed) · Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:30 PM, 40 hours/week · Type: Full-time, hourly W2 contract, 12 months from award · Overtime: Occasional, paid at time and a half

Compensation and benefits

Pay rate: $17.14 per hour, plus a health and welfare fringe benefit of $5.42 per hour (up to 40 hours/week), 11 paid federal holidays, 2 weeks paid vacation after one year, and paid sick leave under EO 13706. Overtime is paid at time and a half.

About the role

Aptive Resources is hiring four gardeners to keep the grounds of the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (CAVHCS) clean, safe and well kept. You will work outdoors on a VA medical center campus, reporting to the campus shop supervisor, maintaining lawns, beds, walkways, entrances and parking areas that Veterans and staff use every day.

What you will do

• Use blowers to clean parking lots, sidewalks and building entrances
• Empty and dispose of trash from outdoor trash cans
• Weed-eat and trim along edges, fences and beds as needed
• Install pine straw and mulch and prepare flower beds
• Pick up leaves from all exterior surfaces
• Cut grass using push lawn mowers
• Trim hedges and shrubbery
• Plant flowers and seasonal color as needed
• Use hand and power tools common to the grounds trade
• Complete a written daily log of hours and materials used for each work order, submitted every Friday
• Communicate by 2-way radio and telephone per VA policy and coordinate with VA staff and supervisors during emergencies

Required qualifications

• At least 3 years of documented grounds maintenance, landscaping or gardening experience (a current resume is required; the VA reviews and approves each candidate)
• OSHA 10-hour or OSHA 30-hour Construction card, or ability to complete OSHA 10 training before start
• Safe operation of blowers, string trimmers, push mowers and hedge trimmers
• Ability to pass a federal background investigation and fingerprinting; VA badge must be issued before the first day of work
• Ability to provide your own basic hand tools and PPE: gloves and safety glasses at minimum
• Ability to provide your own PPE: OSHA-approved steel-toed work boots (ANSI Z41.1), hearing protection and eye protection
• Reliable personal transportation; occasional travel between the Montgomery and Tuskegee campuses is at your own expense (no government vehicles, no mileage reimbursement). A driver's license is not required.

Physical requirements

• Heavy work: lift 50 lbs frequently and 75 lbs occasionally
• Work outdoors in Alabama heat, including temperatures over 100°F
• Work in noisy environments while wearing hearing protection
• Work at heights, climb ladders and work in confined spaces when assigned
• Potential exposure to dirt, dust, grease, chemicals, fuel and fumes
• Ability to work safely while wearing a fit-tested respirator (respirators, fit testing and masks are provided by the VA when needed)
• Standing, walking and bending for long periods

Work environment and conduct

• Smoke- and tobacco-free campus (including e-cigarettes); weapons prohibited; tool kits subject to search
• No photography or recording of any kind on medical center premises
• Visible VA ID badge must be worn at all times
• Annual VA Privacy and Information Security Awareness and HIPAA training required (completed online through VA TMS before start each year)

This role requires the ability to stand, walk, and work outdoors for extended periods in all weather conditions, including heat, cold, rain, and snow, with frequent bending, kneeling, stooping, digging, and reaching to plant, prune, weed, and maintain grounds. The employee must be able to lift and carry up to 50 pounds regularly, including bags of soil, mulch, fertilizer, and salt, and to push or pull wheelbarrows, mowers, and other equipment over uneven terrain. The role requires the manual dexterity and coordination to safely operate power equipment such as mowers, trimmers, blowers, chainsaws, and snow removal equipment. The employee may be exposed to noise, dust, pollen, insects, fertilizers, and pesticides, and must follow safety and personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements at all times. The ability to see, hear, and communicate clearly is required to follow work orders, work safely around patients, visitors, and traffic, and coordinate with staff. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role.

Arrow ARC supports Veterans Health Administration facilities and offices across the U.S. with health care staffing and program support via the 10-year Integrated Critical Staffing Program (ICSP). We provide staffing solutions to address critical shortages in VHA medical facilities caused by turnover, recruitment issues, seasonal needs, surges or emergencies.

Arrow is a certified Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned Small Business joint venture between Artemis ARC and Aptive Resources, two award-winning companies that share an agile, mission-focused, results driven approach in the federal sector.​ Arrow provides management consulting services and specializes in working with federal government agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs and Office of Personnel Management.​

Aptive is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, parental status, veteran status, age, disability, or any other protected class.

Veterans, members of the Reserve and National Guard, and transitioning active-duty service members are highly encouraged to apply.