Tractor Operator

Summary

The Tractor Operator position is located in the Engineering Department within the Facilities Management Service Line at the Des Moines VA Medical Center. The position operates tractors and related mobile equipment to transport passengers and cargo between facilities; performs grounds installation, maintenance, and repair; and conducts routine equipment adjustments and preventive maintenance to ensure safe, efficient, and dependable facility operations.

Duties

• Major duties and responsibilities include: Operates a full range of vehicles and mobile equipment to support campus transportation and logistics. Drives passenger cars, sedans, station wagons, pickup trucks, 15 passenger vans, one ton dump trucks, and cargo trucks up to 24,000 pounds GVWR equipped with hydraulic or electronic lift gates. Transports self-sufficient patients, coworkers, medical records, supplies, and materials between VA locations. Selects safe travel routes using current road, weather, and traffic conditions; complies with State and Federal driving laws and VA policies; and loads/unloads cargo following safe handling and tie down procedures. Maneuvers vehicles in congested areas and during docking/positioning to protect pedestrians, vehicles, buildings, and grounds. Performs grounds tasks including seeding, sodding, fertilizing, planting, watering, pruning, mulching, and general landscape repair aligned to seasonal schedules and project work orders. Operates farm type tractors and implements mowers, aerators, plows, harrows, chippers, sprayers, disks, post hole diggers, front end loaders, dozer blades, and backhoes to complete assigned grounds projects. Operates tractors and attachments on steep slopes, ravines, ditches, soft ground, and other rough/uneven terrain where overturn hazards exist. Troubleshoots operating problems with tractors, implements, and mobile equipment; identifies hazards; performs minor adjustments (e.g., belts, chains, hydraulic couplers, tire pressure); lubricates, cleans, an conducts routine preventive maintenance; and refers non routine repairs to qualified maintenance staff. Maintains logs for equipment usage, vehicle mileage, hours of operation, fuel consumption, and minor maintenance performed. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:00am-3:30pm Position Description Title/PD#: Tractor Operator/PD30490A Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/23/2026. SCREEN-OUT DRIVER'S LICENSE REQUIREMENT: This position requires a current and valid Class D Chauffeur license with Passenger Endorsement. NOTE: We cannot accept photographs, therefore; please do not submit a copy of your driver's license with your application package. If an interview is requested, you will be required to provide a copy of your current and valid state-issued Class D Chauffeur license with Passenger Endorsement. SCREEN-OUT ELEMENT: Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the on-line questionnaire. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements: Drive Safely Interpret Instructions, Specifications (mobile equipment operations) Motor Vehicles Operate Safely (Non-Motor Vehicle) Reliability And Dependability Without more than normal supervision Work Practices EXPERIENCE: A specific length of training and experience is not required, but you must show evidence of training or experience of sufficient scope and quality of your ability to do the work of this position. Experience should include: operating and maintaining tractors with end loaders, power mowing equipment, and related equipment used in snow removal; operating vehicles over rough terrain (e.g. steep hills, ravines, holes, and ditches) to include steering to compensate for degree of the slop and the stability of the ground; and driving various vehicles, such as passenger cars, sedans, station wagons, pickup trucks, 15 passenger vans, one ton dump trucks, and cargo trucks up to 24,000 pounds GVWR equipped with hydraulic or electronic lift gates. Evidence which demonstrates you possess the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of this position must be supported by detailed descriptions of such on your resume. Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualification Standards. 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; religions; 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. PHYSICAL EFFORT AND WORK CONDITIONS: Operates and rides on equipment for extended periods; frequently bends, stoops, climbs, kneels, reaches, and works in cramped or awkward positions. Operates tractor and attachment controls requiring repetitive arm and leg movement; handles materials and tools; and lifts/carries items up to 100 pounds, using team lifts or mechanical assistance for heavier loads. Works outdoors and in vehicle cabs under all weather conditions, including extreme heat, cold, humidity, snow, and ice. Exposed to noise, vibration, fumes, dust, grease, and uneven or hazardous terrain. Risks include overturned equipment, falls, cuts, abrasions, burns, electrical hazards, and contact with moving parts. Work may occur in confined areas, on steep slopes, or at elevated locations (e.g., rooftops). May be called outside normal duty hours for snow removal or emergency transportation.

Requirements

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Subject to background/security investigation Pre-employment physical required Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Education

There is no educational component for this position.

How to apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/23/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13059905. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed. Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement. If initial application submission is updated and resubmitted with a new resume, only the most current resume will be reviewed for consideration. Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started. Helpful Hints for Creating a Two-Page Resume: Prioritize most relevant and recent experience Use concise, results focused language Align language from the job announcement Focus on demonstrating skills and competencies Remove outdated or unrelated experience Use the USAJOBS resume builder Additional guidance on this new requirement and resume building tools can be found at: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/page-limit https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/merit-hiring-plan-resources/applicant-guidance-on-the-two-page-resume-limit/ The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified, you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.