Summary The Smithsonian Institution (SI) is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo. This position is located in the Smithsonian Gardens (SG), Facilities Management (FM). Smithsonian Garden is responsible for supporting Smithsonian Gardens, which manages public gardens, living plant collections, greenhouse and nursery operations, and landscape assets. Duties The Supervisory Horticulturist serves as the senior technical authority for Smithsonian Gardens, providing leadership, strategic direction, and professional expertise in horticultural operations, landscape design, plant stewardship, sustainable landscape management, visitor operations, and emergency management.
In this position, you will:
- Promote stewardship of living plant collections and public gardens to include turf and soil management, tree and shrub maintenance, integrated pest management (IPM) and plant disease control for all SG museum sites, the Suitland campus and the greenhouse nursery facility.
- Serve as reviewing official, interviews candidates for vacant positions and recommends their appointment, promotion or reassignment to those positions and develops performance goals and evaluates work performance of subordinates against them.
- Coordinate interagency and museum-to-museum communications regarding events, programs, projects, and operational activities impacting Smithsonian Gardens while leading operational adjustments required to support visitor services and the appearance and maintenance of the National Mall.
- Serve as the primary authority for emergency management and continuity of operations, coordinating responses to weather, security, and other incidents to protect staff, visitors, facilities, and living collections.
Qualifications
Basic Qualification Requirements:
Basic Education Requirements for Horticulture Series 0437:
- 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.
Evaluation of 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.
To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, however if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify you must provide an official transcript before you begin work.
In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the specialized experience and/or education requirements listed below:
GS-15 Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-14 level in the Federal Service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as leading and exercising full authority over a horticulture or landscape organization through subordinate supervisors, including technical direction, budget formulation and execution, and persuading executives and outside agencies to support program goals, even when facing resistance.
Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages and should clearly demonstrate how your experience aligns with the responsibilities and specialized experience required for this position. Do not copy language directly from the vacancy announcement, as you will be deemed ineligible for consideration. Instead, provide detailed, descriptive information about your actual experience.
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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week.
Or a Combination: Education and experience may be combined to meet the basic qualifications. For a full explanation of this option please see the Qualification Standards. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are qualifying by education and/or you have education completed in a foreign college/university described above, it is your responsibility to provide transcripts and proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study. For instructions on where to fax these documents, see the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. Education FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions on OPM website. How you will be evaluated Your resume will be used to evaluate your experience, education, and/or training that address the competencies below:
- Knowledge of managing living plant collections and public gardens, including integrated pest management (IPM), plant disease control, and the propagation and care of rare and unusual plant species, sufficient to serve as SG's senior horticultural authority.
- Knowledge of managing employee performance and conduct management to oversee subordinate supervisors and provide technical and managerial guidance.
- Knowledge of coordinating complex operations and building stakeholder partnerships to lead interagency and museum collaborations that support visitor services, projects, and organizational goals.
- Knowledge of emergency management, continuity of operations, and incident response principles sufficient to serve as the primary authority for coordinating responses to weather, and other incidents that protect staff, visitors, facilities, and living collections.
Applicants who meet or exceed minimum qualifications will be assigned to one of three category groups based on job-related criteria:
Best Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and excels in most of the job related competencies above.
Better Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and satisfies most of the job related competencies above.
Good Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements, but does not satisfy most of the job related competencies above to a substantive degree.
This category rating process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three", but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. A selecting official may make selections from the highest quality category (Best Category) provided no preference eligible in that category is passed over to select a non-preference eligible in that category unless the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 3317(b) or 3318(b) are satisfied. Preference eligibles who meet minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level or higher. Applicants who have not submitted a resume in the USAjobs system and/or have not answered all of the vacancy questions will not be considered for this position.
Important Note:
The review of your resume will determine your final rating and should provide sufficient information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.
You may preview questions for this vacancy.
Benefits
The Smithsonian offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, vacation and sick leave, holidays, health/life insurance, accident insurance, and excellent retirement program options.
Please see Benefits at https://www.si.edu/OHR/benefits for a complete description.
Flexible Spending Accounts - https://www.fsafeds.com/ Health Insurance - http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/index.asp Leave - http://www.opm.gov/oca/leave/index.asp Life Insurance - http://www.opm.gov/insure/life/index.asp Long Term Care Insurance - http://www.ltcfeds.com Retirement Program - https://www.opm.gov/retirement-services/
How to apply Click on the "Apply Online" button on the upper right side of the page. Please Note:
- You must apply for this position online through the 'Apply Online' button and submit required supplemental documents (if they are relevant to you).
- Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages.
- You may submit required documents by uploading them online during the application process.
- The complete application package, including any required documents, is due in the Smithsonian Office of Human Resources on the closing date of the announcement by 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
- If you are unable to apply online, paper applications may be accepted with prior approval of the Contact Person listed below.
Other information
- This position is not included in the bargaining unit.
Recruitment Incentive: Recruitment incentive(s) may be authorized for this position. However, approval for incentives are contingent upon various availability. If authorized, certain incentives will require the incumbent to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a certain time period.
Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid.
Selections may be made for vacancies across the Smithsonian Institution (SI). By applying to this position, you agree to allow your application and other personal information to be shared with one or more SI hiring officials for employment consideration for same/similar positions within the location(s) identified in this announcement.