Insect Detection Specialist I

What We Offer

The County of Ventura offers an attractive compensation and benefits package. Aside from our base salary range, an employee within this position will also be eligible for the following:

• General Salary Increase - 3.50% effective 12/22/2024.
• Educational Incentive - An educational incentive of 2.5% for completion of an Associate's degree, 3.5% for completion of a Bachelor's degree, OR 5% for completion of a Graduate's degree.  
• Bilingual Incentive - Incumbents may also be eligible for bilingual incentive depending upon operational needs and certification skills.  
• Vacation Accrual – Initially 14 days per year; after approximately 5 years of service increasing to 19 days a year; after approximately 11 years increasing to 20 days per year and then increasing 1 day a year through 15 years of service; topping out at 26 days per year after approximately 20 years of service with a maximum accumulation of 400 hours.  
• Vacation Leave Redemption – After 14,560 hours (equivalent to 7 years) of continuous County service the ability to "cash in" or redeem up to 80 hours of vacation accrued in the same year after using 80 hours of vacation in the preceding 12 months.  
• Deferred Compensation- Eligible to participate in the County's 401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or the Section 457 Plan. This position is eligible for up to a 3% match on your 401(k) contributions.  
• Health Plans – You are afforded a flexible credit allowance for purchasing medical, dental, and/or vision insurance from a group of authorized plans. For Plan Year 2024 tier one for employee only is $502 per pay period, tier two for employee plus one is $730 per pay period and tier three for employee plus family is $905 per pay period.  
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Choice of participation in the Flexible Spending Accounts which increase spending power through reimbursement of pre-tax dollars for IRS approved dependent care and health care expenses.  
• Pension Plan - Both the County and employees contribute to the County's Retirement Plan and to Social Security.  If eligible, reciprocity may be established with other public retirement systems, such as PERS.    
• Holidays - 12 paid days per year which includes a scheduled floating holiday.  

OUR COUNTY AND COMMUNITY
The County's 1,873 square miles include 1,846 square miles of land with 42 miles of coastline which is home to the fol­lowing cities and points of interest: Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, and Ventura as well as national protected areas such as parts of the Angeles National Forest, Channel Islands National Park, and the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
 
Ventura County is a “general law” county, governed by a five-member, elected-by-district Board of Supervisors. The Supervisors appoint a County Executive Officer (CEO) to oversee the County budget, day-to-day operations, and to advise, assist, and act as an agent for the Board of Supervisors in all matters under the Board’s jurisdiction. It focuses on serving its residents by promoting engagement, strategy, execution and accountability to include diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to ensure that all employees are treated with respect and without discrimination, and to improve culturally appropriate outcomes for community members. 

AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE
The Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner's Office is the leader in promoting and protecting agriculture in Ventura County. Working together with all Ventura County stakeholders, the Agricultural Commissioner builds the necessary structures for long term success into the future. The Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner's Office identifies challenges as they are forming and quickly develops appropriate actions to reach a positive outcome. Excellence of service and continued improvement are key parts of the very structure and operation of the Department.
 
The Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner spends most staff time on four major program areas: Pesticide Use Enforcement and Environmental Monitoring; Pest Exclusion and Pest Eradication; Pest Mitigation including the Pierce's Disease Control Program; and Standards and Compliance. The Agricultural Commissioner has separate divisions dedicated to these programs and participates in several smaller and more limited programs.

To learn about the Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner's Office and the agricultural industry in Ventura County, please visit: http://www.ventura.org/agricultural-commissioner.

THE POSITION
Under supervision, performs duties related to State and/or Federal funded programs designed to detect a variety of insects which are harmful to the Agricultural Industry.
 
The successful candidate will have post-secondary coursework in agricultural related subjects and/or prior experience in insect detection programs and be able to safely follow oral and written instructions, keep accurate and legible records/logs, and establish and maintain strong interpersonal relationships.
 
The ideal candidate will be detail oriented and have visual acuity that enables incumbents to distinguish shapes and colors of anomalies related to pests and diseases.

VETERAN'S POINTS: The Insect Detection Specialist I is a trainee/entry level classification, and Veteran's Points may apply to eligible candidates.

The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill current and future Regular (including Temporary and Fixed-Term), Intermittent, and Extra-Help vacancies within the Agricultural Department. There is currently one (1) Regular vacancy.

The Insect Detection Specialist I is represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and is eligible for overtime compensation.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
OPENING DATE: Thursday, February 22, 2024
CLOSING DATE:  Continuous and may close at any time; therefore, the schedule for the remainder of the process will depend upon when we receive a sufficient number of qualified applications to meet business needs.
REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS: Applications will be reviewed on a weekly basis beginning the week of March 04, 2024.  Duties may include, but are not limited to the following:
 

• Inspects plants for the presence of pests;
• Maintains a variety of records and draws simple maps indicating what type of trap has been placed in a specific location; what bait has been placed in each trap; daily activity logs, etc;
• Drives a county vehicle to accomplish tasks;
• Meets with and informs the industry as to detection program's purpose, its benefits to the county in general, and property owners in particular;
• Assembles a variety of cardboard insect traps and places such traps in proper host plants on a rotating basis; and
• Performs related duties as assigned.

These are entrance requirements to the examination process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list.
 
EDUCATION, TRAINING, and EXPERIENCE
Any combination of formal education, training, and/or experience which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

Possessing the required knowledge, skills and abilities may be demonstrated by completion of post-secondary coursework in agricultural related subjects (such as agriculture, biology, chemistry, physics, etc.), and/or prior experience in insect detection programs.
 
NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Possession of a valid California driver license
• Candidates must be able to work Monday through weekends and evenings
• Candidates must be willing and able to work outdoors, (including during periods of inclement weather), be able to safely walk on uneven ground, and to physically and safely squat, bend, stoop, lift, pull and/or push objects weighing up to 35 pounds.

If using education to qualify the verification of completion of required post-secondary coursework from an accredited institution is required. 

• Submit your college diploma, and/or transcripts/grade reports from an accredited college or university which shows your name, the conferred date and the major area of study. Submit within 3 days of the closing date of this recruitment. 
• If you need additional time to submit transcripts, contact the analyst conducting the recruitment for an extension. 
• Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. 
• Degree(s) from a foreign institution require an academic credential evaluation to determine the U.S. equivalency.
• If the name on this documentation is different from the name on your application, include documents that show the name change (e.g., a marriage certificate). 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ABILITIES

Knowledge of: 

• Local agriculture including its products and plants; 
• Pests and related problems.

Ability to: 

• Safely follow oral and written instructions; 
• Keep accurate and legible records/logs and maps; 
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with the general public and fellow employees; 
• Explain the purpose, policies and procedures of pest detection programs.

FINAL FILING DATE: Continuous and may close at any time; therefore, the schedule for the remainder of the process will depend upon when we receive a sufficient number of qualified applications to meet business needs.
 
To apply on-line, please refer to our web site at www.ventura.org/jobs. A paper application can be obtained by calling (805) 654-5129. Our address is County of Ventura Human Resources, 800 South Victoria Avenue, L-1970, Ventura, CA 93009.
 
NOTE: If presently permanently employed in another "merit" or "civil service" public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar position as is advertised, and if appointed to that position by successful performance in a "merit" or "civil service" style examination, then appointment by "Lateral Transfer" may be possible.  If interested, please click here for additional information.

Note to Applicants: Sufficient information must be provided under the Education/Work experience portions of the application and supplemental questionnaire to thoroughly and accurately demonstrate your qualifications to determine eligibility. A resume may be attached to supplement your responses in the above-referenced sections; however, it may not be submitted in lieu of the application.
 
SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE – qualifying
All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this examination at the time of filing. This questionnaire may be used throughout the examination process to assist in determining each applicant's qualifications for the position. Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire may result in the application being removed from further consideration.
 
APPLICATION EVALUATION – qualifying
All applications will be reviewed to determine whether or not the stated requirements are met. Applicants meeting the stated requirements will be invited to continue to the next step in the examination process.
 
WRITTEN EXAMINATION - 100%: A un-proctored, internet-based job related written examination will be conducted to evaluate participating applicants' knowledge of Insect Detection, the Agricultural Commissioner's Office, the Agricultural Industry in Ventura County, the Glassy Winged Sharpshooter and Workplace Practices. Applicants must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.
 
Applicants successfully completing the examination process may be placed on an eligible list for a period of one (1) year.
 
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: A thorough pre-employment, post offer background investigation which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information, and driving record may be required for this position.
 
For further information about this recruitment, please contact Esmeralda Oseguera by email at Esmeralda.Oseguera@ventura.org or by telephone at (805) 477-7268.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
The County of Ventura 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.

Salary : $35,088 - $48,532