AGRICULTURAL TECHNICIAN I (SEASONAL)

Industry:

Company: State Of California

Per CCR 249.3, this job control may be used to fill subsequent vacancies.

Under the supervision of the Agricultural Pest Control Supervisor with lead from the Agriculture Program Supervisor IV and guidance from the Environmental Scientist, the incumbent will perform field and office support duties of average difficulty for various fruit fly delimitation programs, maintain fruit fly trapping routes, inspect traps for agricultural pest, conduct eradication treatment and fruit removal for fruit fly eradication projects, perform various insect/disease surveys for targeted pests and perform airplane inspections for Japanese beetle at various airports. These activities include working independently and in cooperation with other staff. The incumbent must be able to establish working relationships with those contacted during work and work well under pressure while completing assigned work and meeting required deadlines.
• Perform a range of field and office support duties, deploy and service traps, perform visual surveys, airplane inspections, or apply control measures for target pests such as but not limited to various fruit flies, plant diseases, Asian citrus psyllid, Japanese beetle, European grapevine moth, and spongy moth.
• Plan, organize and maintain daily trapping routes, visual surveys, or treatment programs and monitor outside vendors to ensure compliance with Department policies and procedures, and State laws, rules, and regulations; enforce and implement new procedures or processes with seasonal employees, when necessary.
• Work with field staff in solving technical problems such as equipment breakdowns and trap deployment, using effective communication skills.
• Assemble equipment and mix chemicals using the appropriate protocols; assure that the Department is in compliance of all pesticide rules and regulations.
• Follow established protocols for visual survey, eradication, and detection/delimitation trapping.
• Service various insect traps, perform visual surveys and insect sweeps, visually inspect for target pest damage on local plant hosts, clean and assemble seasonal traps, build traps for other emergency projects as needed and conduct eradication treatments (mixing and application of spray materials).
• Collect, process, and package suspect plant and insect samples that are removed from foliage using various insect/plant collection tools and inspected for target pests.
• Screen wet and dry traps for target pests (plant and insect).
• Examine content of traps, which may contain hundreds of plant samples, insects and debris to make preliminary identifications of specimens, which resemble target pests.
• Once a suspect target pest is preliminarily identified, prescribed action is taken, which may include phone contact and/or return of the suspect target pest to the field office for official identification.

Candidates may perform these essential functions with or without reasonable accommodation.

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement .

Working Conditions

The duties of this position are primarily conducted outdoors. The work can be in urban or rural environments. The incumbent may be exposed to extreme temperatures and weather, uneven terrain, and various noise levels. The incumbent may encounter frequent exposure to dust, pollen and moisture while handling various trap types including those utilizing a specific chemical insect lure; some of these lures might contain minimal amounts of pesticide. Some of the work will be conducted at airport facilities, inside and around aircrafts. When working at airports there is frequent walking between aircraft, standing, squatting, crawling, and ladder climbing approximately 20 feet are typical situations encountered. Other factors affecting inspections are the presence of moving service vehicles, cargo containers, other employees and associated equipment.

The incumbent may work within an office/warehouse environment furnished with a variety of office equipment, which normally consists of desks, tables, chairs, filing cabinets, storage cabinets, filing bins, computers, computer peripherals, phones, answering machines, photocopiers, and fax machines.

The incumbent will be required to drive and must have a valid driver license and a safe driving record as documented by the Department of Motor Vehicles. (A safe driving record is one free from convictions in the past two years for repeated moving violations, or a single serious violation, such as drunk driving or reckless driving.) The incumbent will be required to drive, exit, and re-enter the work vehicle numerous times during the workday and maintain a safe driving record. The incumbent must be able to apply pesticides, haul loads of fruit and/or removed trees, perform survey work, and work well under extreme time constraints, exercise good judgment, determine priorities, make appropriate well-thought-out decisions, allocate staff and resources to achieve maximum results, maintain focus under conditions of duress, and provide accurate assessment of rapidly changing situations (ex: multiple exotic pest detections requiring multiple operations). The incumbent must be able to establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted during the course of work, cooperate with other staff members and leads in completing assigned work, communicate effectively verbally and in writing, with other agencies and the public, and be able to meet required deadlines.

The incumbent may be required to work overtime, weekends, and holidays.

Travel to various locations throughout the State to attend meetings or trainings related to pest detection and/or treatment and to assist other offices with detection and/or treatment efforts may be required. This may be accomplished by State vehicle or other public transportation system.

Minimum Requirements You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

• AGRICULTURAL TECHNICIAN I (SEASONAL)
• AGRICULTURAL AIDE (SEASONAL)
• AGRICULTURAL TECHNICIAN II (SEASONAL)
• AGRICULTURAL TECHNICIAN III (SEASONAL)

Additional Documents

• Job Application Package Checklist
• Duty Statement

Position Details Job Code #:
JC-451253

Position #(s):
014-692-0034-XXX

Working Title:
AGRICULTURAL TECHNICIAN I (SEASONAL)

Classification:
AGRICULTURAL TECHNICIAN I (SEASONAL) $17.77 – $21.23

Shall Consider:
AGRICULTURAL AIDE (SEASONAL)
$17.73 – $19.63

AGRICULTURAL TECHNICIAN II (SEASONAL)
$18.47 – $22.03

AGRICULTURAL TECHNICIAN III (SEASONAL)
$19.94 – $22.68

# of Positions:
4

Work Location:
Los Angeles County

Telework:
In Office

Job Type:
Non-Tenured, Intermittent

Department Information
The Pest Detection/Emergency Projects Branch is responsible for the early detection and prompt eradication of serious exotic agricultural pests. The Branch accomplishes its mission by conducting a statewide trapping program, staffed by county and state inspectors, for exotic insect pests; by implementing special surveys for significant agricultural pests and plant diseases for which traps are not available; and by providing emergency eradication services using the best available technology. The primary objective of the emergency project component is to quickly and efficiently eradicate incipient infestations of serious agricultural pests, thereby preventing permanent establishment and subsequent spread in California.

Special Requirements

• The position(s) require(s) a valid California Drivers License (CDL). You must answer the questions addressing your CDL on your application. Ensure you provide your CDL number, class, expiration date, and any endorsements and/or restrictions.

Application Instructions
Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the USPS, are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an application.
Final Filing Date: Until Filled
Who May Apply
This is a non-testing Classification, therefore, anyone meeting the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification may apply for this position. Individuals in specific programs, such as the Welfare to Work Program, are encouraged to apply and will be given priority according to the applicable Laws and Rules. Please note on your application your current participation in these programs.

Applications will be screened and only the most qualified applicants will be selected to move forward in the selection process. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications stated in the Classification Specification(s).

How To Apply
Complete Application Packages (including your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) and applicable or required documents) must be submitted to apply for this Job Posting. Application Packages may be submitted electronically through your CalCareer Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included. If you choose to not apply electronically, a hard copy application package may be submitted through an alternative method listed below:

Address for Mailing Application Packages

You may submit your application and any applicable or required documents to:

Department of Food & Agriculture
Attn: Human Resource Branch JC-451253
1220 N Street, Room 242

Sacramento , CA 95814

Address for Drop-Off Application Packages

You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:

Department of Food & Agriculture

Human Resource Branch JC-451253
1220 N Street, Room 242

Sacramento , CA 95814
ELECTRONIC APPLICATION IS PREFERRED. All mail or drop-off applications must include JC-451253
08:00 AM – 05:00 PM

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is optional. It may be included, but is not required.

Applicants requiring reasonable accommodations for the hiring interview process must request the necessary accommodations if scheduled for a hiring interview. The request should be made at the time of contact to schedule the interview. Questions regarding reasonable accommodations may be directed to the EEO contact listed on this job posting.

Benefits Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.

Contact Information
The Hiring Unit Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position or application process.
Hiring Unit Contact:
Angie Davis
(714) 412-2002
angie.davis@cdfa.ca.gov

Please direct requests for Reasonable Accommodations to the interview scheduler at the time the interview is being scheduled. You may direct any additional questions regarding Reasonable Accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity for this position(s) to the Department’s EEO Office.
EEO Contact:
Office of Civil Rights
(916) 654-1005
Civil_Rights@cdfa.ca.gov
California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice) TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Hard Copy Applications

If you are dropping off or mailing in your application, please use the Examination/Employment Application, STD 678 Revised 06/2024 version.

Additional Information

Please do not include any confidential information such as social security number, marital status, ethnicity, age, salary or disability information on any of the documentation uploaded with your online application.

If the classification you are applying for has an education requirement, transcripts will be required to verify you meet the minimum qualifications of the classification. Please be sure to redact any confidential information before uploading your transcripts.

Upon hire you may be required to provide official sealed transcripts or an original degree or certificate.

Applicants with foreign degrees may be asked to provide an official foreign transcript evaluation which indicates course work is equivalent to a degree from an accredited U.S. College or University.

This position may require a medical clearance.

Alternate Classifications and Training and Development assignments may be considered.

Equal Opportunity Employer
The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.