Agricultural Inspector Aide

Placer County is comprised of over 1,400 square miles of beautiful and diverse geography, ranging from the residential and commercial areas of South Placer, westward through the historic foothill areas of Auburn, Foresthill, and Colfax, and to the County's jewel of the North Lake Tahoe basin. Placer is a great place to live, work, play and learn. For more information about Placer County, please visit www.visitplacer.com.

To be considered for the first round of interviews, submit your application by 5:00 pm on March 1, 2023. Following this date, applications will be screened on an ongoing basis.

The Placer County Agriculture Department has an immediate need to fill one (1) temporary, extra-help Agricultural Inspector Aide vacancies. The temporary, seasonal assignment will be May 1, 2023 through October 27, 2023.  

Positions involve a significant amount of field work, requiring driving, standing, lifting, bending, squatting, walking, and hiking. A majority of the work is conducted outdoors in all weather conditions and in remote locations. The current positions are Temporary/Extra Help assignments. 

Temporary/Extra Help assignments are limited to 999 hours (or 960 hours for CalPERS retired annuitants) in a fiscal year and are not eligible for benefits.

The eligible list created by this recruitment may be used in the future to fill additional extra help and permanent positions.

Placer County offers a comprehensive benefits package to employees, including:

• Holidays: 14 paid holidays per year, 2 of which are floating holidays*
• Vacation leave: 10 days/year with ability to accrue 25 days/year
• Sick leave: 12 days/year*
• Cafeteria plan: 6% of employee’s salary will be contributed towards employee to use towards 401(k), dependent care, medical co-insurance, or cash
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance available for employees and dependents
• $50,000 life insurance policy at no cost to employee
• CalPERS retirement plans
• Retiree medical insurance
• Deferred compensation
• Education allowance: up to $1,200 per year
• Bilingual incentive: incumbents may be eligible for bilingual incentive pay depending upon operational needs and certification of proficiency.

*Amounts will be prorated for part-time employees and employees hired after the first of the year.

The information above represents benefits currently available to permanent Placer County employees and may be subject to change. Applicants should inquire about the most current benefit package during hiring interviews or by contacting the Human Resources Department. For a detailed listing of benefits, please click here to view General benefits.

For more information regarding the benefits Placer County has to offer, please visit Placer County's Human Resources website.

Provides assistance and support services in the enforcement of agricultural, pesticide use, and weights and measures laws and regulations.

Receives supervision from higher level agricultural department staff.

• Assemble and bait a variety of insect traps or devices; identify and select appropriate host plants for trap placement; deploy, service, and inspect traps on a regular basis.
• Perform specific pest surveys; count and identify pests in traps; collect, identify and submit pest specimens suspected of being target pests.
• Inspect incoming nursery plant shipments for pests.
• Provide routine policy, procedure, and regulatory information to the public and regulated industries; explain various pest detection and eradication methods and devices.
• Mix, load, and safely apply appropriate pesticides to noxious weeds and other pests.
• Assist in quality control, weighing and measuring device inspections, and testing.
• Assist in enforcement of pesticide laws and regulations. 
• Perform general clerical duties including data entry, filing, and sorting.
• Compile and maintain accurate and detailed records for insect traps and noxious weed infestation sites.
• Prepare daily and monthly activity summary reports.
• Assist agricultural department staff with programs as required and perform related duties as assigned.

It is the responsibility of applicants to identify in their application materials how they meet the minimum qualifications listed below.

Experience and Training
Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying.  A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience: No experience required.

Training: Equivalent to completion of the twelfth grade supplemented by college level course work in biology, entomology, agriculture or a closely related field.

Required License or Certificate:
May need to possess a valid driver's license as required by the position.  Proof of adequate vehicle insurance and medical clearance may also be required.

Knowledge of:

• Basic biology and botany, especially pertaining to invertebrate and weed pests.
• Physical characteristics of common garden pests.
• Basic pest control techniques.
• English usage, spelling, punctuation and grammar.
• Principles and practices of work safety.
• Modern office procedures, methods, tablet PCs and computer equipment.

Ability to:

• On a continuous basis, understand and follow oral and written instructions and know and understand all assigned aspects of the job.
• Frequently walk, hike, stand, bend, squat, climb and bend in the field, kneel, or twist to collect traps and specimens; lift heavy weight including backpacks, bags and crates, chemicals, and other related equipment.
• Often work alone in a variety of climatic conditions and environments including remote areas with steep and rugged terrain.
• Understand and interpret policies, procedures and regulations.
• Prepare clear and concise reports.
• Collect and identify a variety of pests, make pertinent descriptions in determining the identity of specimens, and apply appropriate control and eradication treatments using pesticides, traps, and mechanical and other devices.
• Safely drive a county vehicle on a frequent and ongoing basis; operate four wheel drive vehicle in off road settings.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work; tactfully and effectively interact with the public and regulated industries.

Training & Experience Rating (100%)

Based upon responses to the supplemental questionnaire, the applicant’s education, training, and experience will be evaluated using a pre-determined formula. Scores from this evaluation will determine applicant ranking and placement on the eligible list.

Prior to the date of hire, applicants must undergo a fingerprint test by the Department of Justice, pass a medical examination (which may include a drug screening and possibly a psychological evaluation), sign a constitutional oath, and submit proof of U.S. citizenship or legal right to remain and work in the U.S.  For some positions, applicants may also be required to submit proof of age, undergo a background investigation (which may include a voice stress analysis and/or a polygraph), and/or be bonded. Additionally, positions in law enforcement classifications and those supporting law enforcement functions will be required to complete a conviction history questionnaire prior to or during the interview process. Applicants for positions with access to Medi-Cal billing software or who are licensed providers must clear the Federal Exclusion List, credentialing, and social security verification. Failure to clear these requirements may result in an employment offer being withdrawn.

The eligible list resulting from this recruitment may be certified as a substitute list for a substantially similar classification. For this purpose, a substantially similar classification is one at a lower level in the same classification (example: entry level vs. journey level) and/or a similar classification (similar work performed, similar training and experience qualifications required). If you are contacted for an interview by a County department, you will be informed of the classification and other relevant information. If you choose not to interview for a substantially similar classification, you will remain on the eligible list for which you originally applied.

Placer County offers an expedited process for qualifying certain applicants for interviews. Candidates currently employed, or employed within the last year, by a public agency operating under a personnel civil service or merit system may be eligible to be placed on a Public Agency Eligible List and certified as eligible for appointment to a similar job assignment without going through the examination process. For more information on the Public Agency Eligible List, to download forms, or to apply, please click here.

Thank you for your interest in employment with Placer County. Placer County is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to an active nondiscrimination program. It is the stated policy of Placer County that harassment, discrimination, and retaliation are prohibited and that all employees, applicants, agents, contractors, and interns/volunteers shall receive equal consideration and treatment. All terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, transfer, and promotion will be based on the qualifications of the individual for the positions being filled regardless of gender (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, race (including traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists), color, ancestry, religion (including creed and belief), national origin, citizenship, physical disability (including HIV and AIDS), mental disability, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics/information), age (40 or over),  marital status, military and/or veteran status, sex (including parental status, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), political orientation, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law. Please contact the Human Resources Department at least 5 working days before a scheduled examination if you require accommodation in the examination process. Medical disability verification may be required prior to accommodation.

For questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Preciosa Ayala-Burkhardt, Administrative Technician, at payala@placer.ca.gov or (530) 886-4637.