Gardener Foreman

The U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey is seeking an individual for the Gardener Foreman position in the Facility Maintenance Unit of the General Services Office (GSO).

 Open To: All Interested Candidates 

Position: Gardener Foreman, FSN-6*; FP-8** 

Opening Date for Applications: OOB October 23, 2009

Closing Date for Application:  COB November 16, 2009

Work Hours:  Full-time; 40 hours/week

Salary: *Ordinarily Resident (OR):  TL 39,807 p.a. (Starting salary)   (Position Grade:  FSN-6) **Not-Ordinarily Resident (NOR):  US$ 30,231 p.a. (Starting salary) (Position Grade:  FP-8 to be confirmed by Washington)

If the applicants do not meet all the qualification requirements as announced, trainee levels may be established and the starting grade level may be lowered accordingly.

Note: All ordinarily resident applicants must have the required work and/or residency permits to be eligible for consideration.

Basic Function of Position

The incumbent will ensure the maintenance of the grounds at all Government Owned properties and short term leased clustered buildings is implemented; submit annual plan for planting of the garden and planting of seeds of flowers in the greenhouse for approval; assists the Facilities Maintenance Contracting Officer Representative (COR) with preparation of the Scope of Work for the gardening contract.

A copy of the complete position description listing all duties and responsibilities is available in the Human Resources Office. Contact (0090) (312) 457-7451.

Qualifications Required

Note: All applicants must address each selection criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each item.

Following are the minimum qualifications for the FSN-6 (FP-8) target level:

1. Education: Completion of high school and/or a Technical School of Agriculture providing technical training and gardening/landscape and botanical science is required. 
2. Work Experience: Minimum of three years of gardening experience and three years of ground management and landscape planning at a supervisory level is required.
   
3. Language: Level II (Limited Knowledge) in Speaking/Reading/Writing English and Level III (Good Working Knowledge) in Speaking/Reading/Writing Turkish are required. Language proficiency will be tested.
4. Level II (Limited Knowledge) in Speaking/Reading/Writing English and Level III (Good Working Knowledge) in Speaking/Reading/Writing Turkish are required. Language proficiency will be tested.

Following are the minimum qualifications for the FSN-5 (FP-9)  trainee level:

1. Education: Completion of high school and/or a Technical School of Agriculture providing technical training and gardening/landscape and botanical science is required.
2. Work Experience: Minimum of two years of gardening experience and two years of ground management and landscape planning at a supervisory level is required.
3. Language: Level II (Limited Knowledge) in Speaking/Reading/Writing English and Level III (Good Working Knowledge) in Speaking/Reading/Writing Turkish are required. Language proficiency will be tested.
4. Other Criteria and Skills: Working knowledge of lawn care practices and proper use of power equipment and of how to plant and care for plants, lawn and flowers typical of Turkey; ability to instruct as well as perform the routine tasks involved with gardening i.e. weeding, trimming, pruning, watering, transplanting, removal reseeding, fertilizing; possession of conflict resolution and analytical skills; ability to use Microsoft Word, Excel and other computers software and possession of driving skills are required.

Selection Process

When fully qualified, U.S. Citizen Eligible Family Members (USEFMs) and U.S. Veterans are given preference.  Therefore, it is essential that the candidate specifically address the required qualifications above in the application.

Additional Selection Criteria:

1. Management will consider nepotism/conflict of interest, budget, and residency status in determining successful candidacy.
2. Current employees serving a probationary period are not eligible to apply.
3. Current Ordinarily Resident (OR) employees with an Overall Summary Rating of Needs Improvement or Unsatisfactory on their most recent Employee Performance Report are not eligible to apply.
4. Currently employed US Citizen EFMs who hold a Family Member Appointment (FMA) are ineligible to apply for advertised positions within the first 90 calendar days of their employment. 
5. Currently employed NORs hired under a Personal Services Agreement (PSA) are ineligible to apply for advertised positions within the first 90 calendar days of their employment unless currently hired into a position with a When Actually Employed (WAE) work schedule.
6. Military Service (for male applicants):  Completion of compulsory military service is required.

To Apply

Interested candidates for this position must submit the following for consideration of the application:

1. Application for U.S. Federal Employment that can be obtained from Embassy Gate No. 2 or downloaded from http://turkey.usembassy.gov/job_opportunities.html; or for American citizens OF-612; or a current resume or curriculum vitae that provides the same information listed on the application forms; plus
2. Candidates who claim US Veterans preference must provide a copy of their Form DD-214 with their application.
3. Any other documentation (e.g., essays, certificates, awards, copies of degrees earned) that addresses the qualification requirements of the position as listed above.

Submit Application To:

Human Resources Office
Attention: Recruitment Assistant
American Embassy, Ankara, Turkey
Telephone: (0090) (312) 457-7451
Fax:  (0090) (312) 457-7322

Please note: Short listing and interviews are normally completed within six weeks of the closing date. Please assume that your application has been unsuccessful if you have not heard from us within six weeks of the closing date.

Closing date for this position:

COB November 16, 2009

The U.S. Mission in Turkey provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation.  The Department of State also strives to achieve equal employment opportunity in all personnel operations through continuing diversity enhancement programs.

The EEO complaint procedure is not available to individuals who believe they have been denied equal opportunity based upon marital status or political affiliation.  Individuals with such complaints should avail themselves of the appropriate grievance procedures, remedies for prohibited personnel practices, and/or courts for relief.

Definitions

U.S. Citizen Eligible Family Member (USEFM):  For purposes of receiving a preference in hiring for a qualified position, an EFM who meets the following criteria:

• U.S. Citizen; and,
• EFM (see above) at least 18 years old; and, 
• Listed on the travel orders of a direct-hire Foreign, Civil, or uniformed service member assigned to or stationed abroad with a USG agency that is under COM authority, or at an office of the American Institute in Taiwan; and either:Resides at an Involuntary Separate Maintenance Allowance (ISMA) location authorized under 3 FAM 3232.2. Resides at the sponsoring employee's or uniformed service member's post of assignment abroad or at an office of the American Institute in Taiwan; or Resides at an Involuntary Separate Maintenance Allowance (ISMA) location authorized under 3 FAM 3232.2.

Eligible Family Member (EFM):  An individual related to a U.S. Government employee in one of the following ways:

• Spouse;
• Child, who is unmarried and under 21 years of age or, regardless of age, is incapable of self-support.  The term shall include, in addition to natural offspring, stepchildren and adopted children and those under legal guardianship of the employee or the spouse when such children are expected to be under such legal guardianship until they reach 21 years of age and when dependent upon and normally residing with the guardian; 
• Parent (including stepparents and legally adoptive parents) of the employee or of the spouse, when such parent is at least 51 percent dependent on the employee for support;
• Sister or brother (including stepsisters and stepbrothers, or adoptive sisters or brothers) of the employee, or of the spouse, when such sibling is at least 51 percent dependent on the employee for support, unmarried, and under 21 years of age, or regardless of age, incapable of self-support.

Domestic Partner: A domestic partner is an individual who meets all of the criteria listed below and who has been declared to be a domestic partner of an employee:

The employee and the domestic partner of the employee:

• are each other’s sole domestic partner and intend to remain committed to one another indefinitely;
• have a common residence, and intend to continue the arrangement;
• are at least 18 years of age and mentally competent to consent to contract;
• share responsibility for a significant measure of each other’s common welfare and financial obligations;
• are not married to, joined in civil union with, or domestic partners with anyone else;
• are same-sex domestic partners, and are not related in a way that would prohibit legal marriage in the State in which they reside;
• agree to inform the Department of State of any dissolution of the partnership;
• understand that the domestic partner will be held to standards of conduct in the FAM that apply to family members; and
• understand that falsification of information within the affidavit may constitute a criminal violation under 18 U.S.C. 1001 and may lead to disciplinary action.

Member of Household (MOH):  An individual who accompanies a  direct-hire Foreign Service, Civil Service, or uniformed service member permanently assigned or stationed at a U.S. Foreign Service post or establishment abroad, or at an office of the American Institute in Taiwan.  An MOH is:

• Not an EFM; and,
• Not on the travel orders of the sponsoring employee; and, 
• Has been officially declared by the sponsoring USG employee to the COM as part of his/her household.

A MOH is under COM authority and may include a parent, unmarried partner, other relative or adult child who falls outside the Department’s current legal and statutory definition of family member.  A MOH does not have to be a U.S. Citizen.

Ordinarily Resident (OR):  A Foreign National or U.S. citizen who:

• Is locally resident; and,

• Has legal, permanent resident status within the host country; and,
• Is subject to host country employment and tax laws. 

EFMs without U.S. Social Security Numbers are also OR.  All OR employees, including U.S. citizens, are compensated in accordance with the Local Compensation Plan (LCP).