Cemetery Caretaker.

This position requires heavy physical effort and the ability to perform tasks involving manual skills and physical strength in a cemetery setting.

Responsibilities

• Operate small tractors and riding lawn mowers.
• Transplant shrubs and dig graves to the proper level.
• Cut and remove sod, tamp and level dirt using hand and power tools.
• Dig and square graves using pneumatic equipment, picks, and shovels.
• Assist in lifting and placing caskets on lowering devices.
• Load and unload materials, align headstones, and clean cemetery grounds of debris using power trimmers, chainsaws, axes, shovels, rakes, blowers, and vacuums.
• Perform weeding, mulching, and apply fertilizer.
• Prune shrubs and low-level dead branches.
• Remove snow and ice from cemetery grounds.
• Clean headstones using sprayers and hand brushes.
• Maintain cleanliness of service and administrative areas.

Schedule

• Work schedule is Monday through Friday, with occasional weekends required.
• Staff may be required to work on Federal holidays or Saturdays when a holiday falls on a Monday or Friday.
• All staff must work on Memorial Day each year.
• Overtime, weekends, and holidays may be required to meet cemetery needs.
• Occasional emergency overtime may require staff to return to the facility outside of regular hours.
• Compressed or flexible schedules are not available for this position.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Subject to a background and suitability investigation.
• May be required to undergo random drug testing.
• Must pass a pre-employment medical examination.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must possess and maintain a valid state driver’s license.
• Must serve a 1-year probationary period.
• Must provide acceptable forms of identification for employment (e.g., REAL ID-compliant documents effective May 7, 2025).

Qualifications

To qualify, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement (08/18/2026).

• Experience in landscaping, grounds keeping, or related trades involving the use of hand tools, power tools, and safe operation of machinery and equipment used in cemetery caretaking.
• Demonstrated potential to perform duties effectively through work, training, or relevant activities.

Screen-Out Element

Applicants will first be evaluated on their ability to perform the job without more than normal supervision.

Job Elements

Eligible candidates will be evaluated on the following elements:

• Technical Practices
• Interpret Instructions and Specifications (includes blueprint reading)
• Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
• Dexterity and Safety

Physical Requirements

• Requires heavy physical effort, including reaching, bending, turning, and moving hands, arms, feet, and legs to operate equipment controls.
• Subject to strain from vibration, jerking, and jolting of equipment over rough surfaces.
• Frequent heavy lifting, such as tamping, carrying caskets/urns, lifting/moving grave planks, and setting headstones (up to 50 lbs; occasionally more with assistance).
• Must be able to walk on hilly, flat, or rolling terrain.
• May be exposed to noise levels exceeding 85 dBA for up to eight hours per day, which may adversely affect hearing.

Working Conditions

• Work is performed outdoors in all weather conditions, including extreme heat, cold, rain, snow, and wind.
• Exposure to sun, noise, dirt, dust, fumes (from motors and exhaust), mud, water, pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizers.
• Must wear appropriate protective equipment.
• Risk of injury from operating grounds maintenance equipment.

Benefits

As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a comprehensive benefits package. Eligibility depends on the type of position held (full-time, part-time, or intermittent). Contact the hiring agency for more information on specific benefits offered.