Plant and Pesticide Specialist I - NR - EP/NE and Nursery Operations- Will Co.

Essential Functions

• Screen plant commodity shipments for compliance with importing countries and state laws.
  Inspect plant materials and write phytosanitary certificates.
• Conducts quarantine programs in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), United States Department of Agriculture - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service - Plant Protection (USDA-APHIS-PPQ), and United States Department of Agriculture - Forest Service (USDA FS)
• Travels to conduct inspections of nursery and greenhouse stock for insect pests and plant disease.
• Plans and conducts training, testing, and licensing programs for pesticide applicators and operators.
• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.

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Minimum Qualifications

• Requires knowledge, skill, and mental development equivalent to completion of four years of college, preferably with major courses in entomology, horticulture, botany, agronomy animal nutrition, or related fields.
• Requires six months' professional experience in a related field or successful completion of an approved training program.

Preferred Qualifications

• Extensive knowledge of the effects of pesticides on plants and the environment and the federal and state laws and regulations governing the use and application of pesticides.
• Extensive knowledge of the safety and care of nursery stock and the control of noxious weeds.

Conditions of Employment

• Requires a valid driver's license and the ability to travel and be on travel status when indicated.
• Requires the ability to drive for long periods of time.
• Requires the ability to lift and carry a minimum of 25 lbs. of weight.
• Requires the ability to work in environments with dust, work outside during all seasons, and handle products such as fertilizer and agri-chemicals.
• Requires the ability to obtain accreditation as an Authorized Certification Official (ACO) within twenty-four (24) months of hire.
• Must reside in Will, DuPage, Kankakee, Grundy, Kendall, Kane, or Cook County.
• Requires the ability to successfully pass a background check, self-disclosure of criminal history, and a pre-employment physical.
• Overtime is a condition of employment, and you may be requested to work overtime including scheduled, unscheduled, or last-minute overtime.