PEST PREVENTION ASSISTANT II

Job Posting : Pest Prevention Assistant II (Various Projects)

Department of Food & Agriculture

JC-422831 - Pest Prevention Assistant II (Various Projects)

PEST PREVENTION ASSISTANT II (VARIOUS PROJECTS)

$3,235.00 - $3,743.00 per Month

Final Filing Date : 8 / 5 / 2024

Application Methods : Electronic (Using your CalCareer Account) By Mail Drop-off

Job Description and Duties

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

The vacancies are 12 months limited term positions that may be extended to 24 months or become permanent.

Under the general supervision of the Agriculture Program Supervisor IV, the incumbent will perform the full range of field, laboratory or staff support duties, for various fruit fly delimitation programs, maintaining fruit fly trapping routes, application of pesticides, oversee pesticide applications performed by outside vendors, assist with fruit removal and tree removal, communicate with the public at educational public meetings, coordinate with staff from other agencies, and perform various insect / disease surveys for the emergency eradication of targeted pests and perform airplane inspections for Japanese beetle at various airports.

These activities include trapping, visual surveys, pesticide application, repairing and cleaning pesticide application equipment, mixing pesticides, and overseeing treatment activities, preparing written reports, and assisting in training new employees.

The incumbent will work with Supervisor / Leads with preparing detection, delimitation, and eradication assignments and reports according to Action Plans or program recommendations.

To gain access to the airport for plane inspections, individuals must undergo a thorough process mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), including verification of employment history, a criminal background check, fingerprinting, and successfully pass a 10-year background screening to obtain an airport inspection badge.

• Perform the more difficult field, laboratory, or staff duties, to deploy traps, perform visual surveys, or apply control measures for target pests such as, but not limited to various fruit flies, Japanese beetle, Spongy Moth, European Grapevine Moth.
• Plan, organize, and monitor a trapping, visual survey, or treatment route and 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.

• Assemble equipment and mix chemicals using the appropriate treatment and equipment method; assure that Department is in compliance with all pesticide rules and regulations.
• Work with field staff in solving technical problems such as equipment breakdowns and trap deployment, using effective communication skills, knowledge, manuals, and / or facility operational procedures.
• Communicate effectively and in a professional manner with homeowners and / or the general public in order to perform assigned duties.

Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships in all situations using tact and interpersonal skills at all times.

Must read maps to navigate to multiple locations when performing field activities and be able to draw maps to show exact geographic locations.

Uses GPS technology to site register sample and packages samples separately to maintain sample and site integrity.

• On an as-needed basis, travel to various locations throughout the State operating a state vehicle safely and responsibly in order to inspects routes, survey areas, and treatment activities to assure that work is performed at an acceptable level.
• Inform management of changes / improvements needed to assure that the program is biologically sound.

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

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 aircraft.

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.

Regular or recurring telework may occur as part of the incumbent’s ongoing regular schedule in accordance with CDFAs Telework Policy.

Minimum Requirements

You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

Additional Documents