AGRICULTURAL INSPECTOR AID

FILING DATES: February 1, 2023, at 8:00 a.m. (PT) - Until the needs of the service are met and is subject to closure without prior notice.

EXAM NUMBER: V0004P

TEMPORARY, SEASONAL EMPLOYEES: 
Can qualify for County Medical Plan, Pension Savings Plan for part-time, temporary, seasonal employees.

NO OUT-OF-CLASS EXPERIENCE WILL BE ACCEPTED.

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT: Open Competitive Job Opportunity

JOB TYPE: PERMANENT, eligible register will also be used to fill TEMPORARY positions.
 
DEFINITION:
Assists in agricultural inspection and enforcement work.

CLASSIFICATION STANDARDS:
Positions allocable to this class typically work under the immediate technical supervision of a journey level inspector while assisting in agricultural inspection and other enforcement work. Incumbents in these positions must exercise basic knowledge of insect recognition as well as of state and county policies, procedures, and laws governing agricultural enforcement.

• Assists in performing inspections at private and public properties by identifying and collecting a variety of pests.
• Making pertinent descriptions in determining the identity of specimens, and applying appropriate control using traps, pesticides, tools, and equipment; compiling and maintaining accurate and detailed records for insect traps in order to ensure that inspections are performed in a safe, timely, efficient, and effective manner and support the Department in meeting its goals.
• Assists in the inspection connected with enforcement of plant pest and agricultural standardization laws by identifying, collecting, and submitting samples of target pests (e.g. inspects, plants, etc.) and properly transport them to laboratories in order to detect invasive pests in a timely manner so that the appropriate response can be taken.
• Assists in explaining government acts and regulations and the required standards to businesses and homeowners by providing routine policy, procedure, and regulatory information (e.g. verbal, brochures, etc.) in order to verify compliance to agricultural regulatory standards.
• Assists in trapping insects as part of an infestation detection program by identifying and selecting appropriate host plants for trap placement in residential areas (e.g., park, street, etc.); assembling and baiting a variety of insect traps.
• Counting and identifying pests in traps in order to protect the environment and agricultural industry.
• Keeps and collects data from the field and generates inspection reports by preparing daily and monthly activity summary reports; documenting field activity in a written form or electronic software (CalTrap); communicating with supervisors, colleagues and peers to provide information by phone, written form, e-mail, and in-person in order to maintain accurate information and documentation in accordance with the provisions of the department
• Drives vehicle from site to site to maintain and service traps by driving a vehicle (e.g. truck, etc.) to various inspection sites using a map in order to provide essential work functions.

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS:

OPTION I: Completion of a natural science course in an accredited* college. ****
OPTION II: One year of full-time experience*** in work involving the recognition of insect forms.

LICENSE:
A valid California Class "C" Driver License.

Successful applicants for positions that require driving must obtain and present a copy of his/her driving record from the California State Department of Motor Vehicles before final appointment. Applicants should not present a copy of their driving history until asked to do so by the hiring department. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether an applicant's driving history has a direct or adverse relationship with specific duties of the job. License must not be currently suspended, restricted, or revoked.

PHYSICAL CLASS III – Moderate: This class requires that the incumbent stand or walk most of the time with bending, stooping, squatting, twisting, reaching, working on irregular surfaces, occasional lifting of objects weighing over 25 pounds, and frequent lifting of 10-25 pounds.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION:
*Accredited colleges and universities include all colleges and universities that meet the accreditation guidelines indicated on the bulletin.

**In order to receive credit for the required degree/coursework, certification, and/or license, you must include a legible copy of the official diploma, official transcripts, or official letter from the accredited institution which shows the area of specialization, and/or a legible copy of the official certificate and/or license at the time of filing or within 15 calendar days from the date of filing application.  Please submit documentation to SMora@acwm.lacounty.gov and indicate your name, exam name (Agricultural Inspector Aid), and the exam number (V0004P).

***Part-time experience will be prorated. 

For applicants with international transcript(s), a report by an evaluation agency recognized by The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services or the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. must be submitted at the time of filing or within 15 calendar days. The report must confirm the U.S. course/degree equivalency.

****DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:
Successful completion of natural science course(s) in an accredited* college or university in the field of:

• Biology
• Botany
• Entomology
• Horticulture
• Parasitology
• Plant Pathology
• Zoology

Additional points will be awarded for additional experience beyond the requirements.EXAMINATION CONTENT: This examination will consist of an evaluation of education, experience, and the Desirable Qualifications based on the application information weighted 100%.

CANDIDATES MUST ACHIEVE A PASSING SCORE OF 70% OR HIGHER ON THE WEIGHTED PART OF THE EXAMINATION IN ORDER TO BE PLACED ON THE ELIGIBLE REGISTER.

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION: Applicants will be placed on an eligible register based on the order of their score group. Applications will be processed on an as-received basis and promulgated to the eligible register accordingly.  No person may compete for this examination more than once in a twelve (12) month period. 

SPECIAL INFORMATION:

FAIR CHANCE INITIATIVE
The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except for a very limited number of positions, you will not be asked to provide information about a conviction history unless you receive a contingent offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and consider potential mitigating factors, including, but not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, regency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about a conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed.

VACANCY INFORMATION: The resulting eligible register for this examination will be used to fill both TEMPORARY and PERMANENT vacancies throughout Los Angeles County in the Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures. 

AVAILABLE SHIFT: Appointees will be required to work any shift, including evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.

APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION:

Applications must be filed online only. Applications submitted by U.S. Mail, Fax, or in person will not be accepted.

Apply online by clicking on the green "Apply" button at the top right of this posting. You can also track the status of your application using this website.

Many important notifications including invitation letters will be sent electronically only to the email address provided on the application. It is important that you provide a valid email address. Please add SMora@acwm.lacounty.gov as well as noreply@governmentjobs.com, and info@governmentjobs.com, donotreply@amcatmail.com, noreply@proctoru.com, talentcentral@shl.com to your email address and list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk/clutter mail.

Applicants have the ability to opt out of emails from LA County. if you unsubscribe, you will not receive any email notification for any examination for which you apply with Los Angeles County.

Regardless of whether you choose to unsubscribe, you can always check for notifications by logging into governmentjobs.com and viewing your profile inbox, which saves a copy of all emailed notices.

It is your responsibility to take the above steps to view correspondence.  Los Angeles County will not consider claims of not viewing or receiving notification to be a valid reason for late test administration or rescheduling of a test component.

Plan to submit your online application well in advance as you may be required to verify your email address. This only needs to be done once per email address, and if you already have a job seeker account on www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty, you can verify at any time by logging in and following the prompts.  This is to enhance the security of your online application and to ensure you do not enter an incorrect email address.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
Please include your Social Security Number for record control purposes. Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number.

NO SHARING OF USER ID, E-MAIL AND PASSWORD:
All applicants must file their application online using their own user ID and password. Using a family member or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record.

COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES
For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

ADA Coordinator Phone: (626) 575-5464
Teletype Phone: (626) 585-5520
California Relay Services: (800) 735-2922
Department Contact Name: Sylvia Mora
Department Contact Phone: (626) 575-5464
Department Contact Email: SMora@acwm.lacounty.gov

Salary : $37,964 - $51,003