OPS PLANT CARE ASSISTANT - 42913112

Requisition No: 846415 

Agency: Agriculture and Consumer Services

Working Title: OPS PLANT CARE ASSISTANT - 42913112

 Pay Plan: Temp

Position Number: 42913112 

Salary:  $15.50 Hourly 

Posting Closing Date: 02/21/2025 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

Working Title: OPS PLANT CARE ASSISTANT

(Class Title: OPS AGRICULTURAL TECHNICIAN III)
 

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES
 

DIVISION OF PLANT INDUSTRY
 

***OPEN COMPETITIVE OPPORTUNITY --
THIS IS A FULL-TIME OTHER PERSONAL SERVICES (OPS) POSITION***
 

CONTACT:
 

Raquel Ruggeberg, Phone 863-350-0532
 

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
 

A high school diploma or its equivalent.
 

Possession of a valid Driver License.
 

***ATTENTION CANDIDATES***
 

To be considered for a position with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:
 

• All fields in the Candidate Profile must be completed (an attached resume is not a substitution for the information required on the candidate profile).
• Work history, hours worked, and formal education fields must be filled out to determine qualifications for this position.
• Responses to Qualifying Questions must be verifiable in the Candidate Profile.
   

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services values
and supports employment of individuals with disabilities. Qualified
individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
 

NOTES:
 

Benefits include a LinkedIn Learning training account and optional insurance coverage.
 

Training provided for all job duties.
 

JOB DUTIES:
 

This position is available at the FDACS Dundee Biological Control Laboratory (DBCL). The facility is located in the town of Dundee, in the heart of the citrus growing region of Central Florida. The laboratory serves as a mass-rearing facility for insect parasites and is currently being used for the production of Tamarixia radiata, a tiny parasitoid wasp that is a very effective natural enemy of the Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri), the vector of a serious citrus disease known as greening or Huanglongbing. The lab technician will join current staff and assist in laboratory, greenhouse, and field work. Duties include (but are not limited to): general plant care, trimming, transplanting, scouting for pests, spraying, watering, irrigation system maintenance, sanitization, and general greenhouse maintenance. Other duties involve general insect care, transferring plants in and out of the rearing cages, collecting and transferring insects from cages to vials, aspirating, sorting, and shipping insects. The technician will also perform related duties as required or assigned by management. 
 

The employee will be expected to work in greenhouses under hot/humid conditions, in controlled temperature/humidity chambers, and in laboratory environment. Employee may also be asked to assist with insect shipments and responding to phone inquiries about the program.
 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
 

• Knowledge with plant-insect interaction.
• Skilled in nurseries; working with plants and/or in laboratories working with insects.
• Ability to be task oriented and have time management skills.
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to lift and transport up to 35 pounds and bend repetitiously.