job opportunities
VACANCY No.: 30 - 2009
OPEN TO: All Interested Candidates
POSITION: GARDENER, FSN-2, FP-CC*
OPENING DATE: September 9, 2009
CLOSING DATE: September 23, 2009
WORK HOURS: Full-time, 40 hours/week
IMPORTANT NOTE: ALL ORDINARILY RESIDENT APPLICANTS MUST HAVE THE REQUIRED RESIDENCY PERMIT TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION.
The U.S. Embassy in Sofia is seeking an individual for the position of Gardener in the General Services Office/Facility Maintenance.
BASIC FUNCTION OF POSITION:
Plants and maintains lawns, gardens, and grounds at the embassy. Prepares soil and plants, cultivates, fertilizes, waters, sprays, prunes, and transplants shrubs, trees, vegetables, flowering plants, and perennial and annual flowers. May pot certain flowers and plants for indoor displays. Seeds, fertilizes, waters, mows, trims, edges, and generally maintains lawns. May assist plumbers with repair and replacement of irrigation components. Keeps exterior of the building clean. Shovels and clears sidewalks, entryways, and drives of snow and ice. Keeps grounds free of trash and debris.
A copy of the complete position description listing all duties and responsibilities is available in the Human Resources Office, Bozhena Kumbilieva, ext. 5153.
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:
NOTE: All applicants are instructed to address each selection criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each criterion.
1. Education: Completion of elementary school is required.
2. Language requirements: Level 1 (limited knowledge) speaking English is required.
Level 3 (good working knowledge) speaking/reading/writing Bulgarian is required.
3. Experience: Minimum six months of gardening experience.
4. Knowledge, skills and abilities:
• Good working knowledge of how to plant and care for plants and flowers and to maintains lawns.
• Must be physically fit to lift up to 35 kg.
• Must be able to work off ladders, work in cramped and closed spaces, work outside in moderate to extreme temperatures.
• Good working knowledge hot to use motorized equipment and manual tools of the trade.
NOTE: Unless you meet all specified requirements you will not be considered.
SELECTION PROCESS:
When fully qualified, US Citizen Eligible Family Members (USEFMs) and US 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 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.
TO APPLY:
Interested applicants for this position must submit the following or the application will not be considered:
1. Application for US Federal Employment (SF-171 or OF-612); or a current resume or curriculum vitae that provides the same information as an OF-612; 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
# 16, Kozyak, 1407 Sofia
Tel: (+359) 2-937-5153, Fax: (+359)-2-937-5231
E-mail: Sofia_Applications@state.gov
Please submit your application by e-mail, mail or fax. Hand delivered applications will not be accepted.
Only applications received in the Human Resources Office before the closing date of this job notice will be considered and only short–listed candidates will be contacted.
Due to the volume of responses, individual acknowledgements regarding receipt of applications cannot be made. Only those applicants who are invited for an interview will be notified regarding the status of their applications.
DEFINITIONS:
2. EFM: An individual related to a US 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.
3. Member of Household (MOH) – An individual who accompanies a direct-hire Foreign, Civil, 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 US Citizen.
4. Not Ordinarily Resident (NOR) – An individual who:
• Is not a citizen of the host country; and,
• Does not ordinarily reside (OR, see below) in the host country; and,
• Is not subject to host country employment and tax laws; and,
• Has a US Social Security Number (SSN).
NOR employees are compensated under a GS or FS salary schedule, not under the LCP.
5. Ordinarily Resident (OR) – A Foreign National or US 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 US Social Security Numbers are also OR. All OR employees, including US citizens, are compensated in accordance with the LCP.
CLOSING DATE FOR THIS POSITION: COB September 23, 2009
The US Mission in Sofia 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.