Agricultural/weights & measures Inspector II (canine Unit)

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONER/WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

 

FILING DATES: 02/26/2024 at 8:00 a.m. (PST) - Until the needs of the Department are met and is subject to closure without prior notice.

EXAM NUMBER: V0009F

NO OUT-OF-CLASS EXPERIENCE WILL BE ACCEPTED 

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT: Open Competitive

REPRESENTED EMPLOYEES: Cafeteria Benefit Plan, Contributory Defined Benefit Retirement Plan, Matched Deferred Compensation & Thrift Plans (as declared by the Board of Supervisors), 13 Paid Holidays, Generous Vacation and Sick Leave Benefits, Flexible Work Schedules.

SPECIAL SALARY INFORMATION: After successful completion of the training program, candidate will be eligible for appointment with a monthly salary starting from $5,346.00 - $7,203.46/monthly and eligible to receive a bonus.

POSITION INFORMATION:

The Detector Dog Handler position within the department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures is a highly specialized position that requires successful completion of an eight-week course in Newnan, Georgia under the US Department of Agriculture.

The eight-week program is designed to prepare the Detector Dog Handler for their position with inspection of parcels at distribution centers such as; US Postal Service, Federal Express, and United Parcel Service to identify unmarked parcels containing plant materials that could be detrimental to agriculture and the environment in California.

After successful completion of the eight-week course, the Detector Dog Handler will be able to perform the specialized job duties for the position.

* Performs various inspections and investigations (e.g., orchards, farms, nurseries, mills, apiaries, and plant shipments for agricultural pests and diseases; pesticide use applications, storage equipment, worker safety records, and pesticide illness complaints; shipments for compliance with labeling, weighing, and measuring codes; electrical and liquid propane gas meters and large capacity scales; produce cases, nursery stock, commodities, and other packaged goods weighing 25 pounds or more) by weighing and measuring devices used in commercial transactions; making test purchases or sales to verify accurate weight or measure; using a variety of handheld or other test equipment (e.g., pesticide air testing devices, refractometers, scales, graduated measures, hydrometers, laptop/tablet computers); determining presence of injurious weed/vertebrate pests and provides estimates for their control; utilizing a variety of mathematical formulas (e.g., algebra); and collecting appropriate fees; in order to enforce standardization and other Federal and State regulatory requirements. 


* Prepares a variety of written documents (e.g., written notices of violation, reports of findings and recommended actions, inspection certificates) by analyzing information; investigating code violations; gathering evidence; maintaining records; and following standard English, grammar, mechanics, punctuation, and usage; in order to clearly communicate pertinent information to relevant parties.


* Provides technical assistance to various individuals (e.g. employees at different levels within the organization, other agencies, public, etc.) by responding to inquiries, requests, and complaints (r.e. pest control methods and/or concerns, and related subjects) and testifying in administrative, civil, or criminal actions and proceedings; in order to ensure that laws and regulations, best practices, and industry standards are being followed, and that any concerns or issues are promptly addressed. 


* Represents the department at public functions and other events by delivering presentations and informational materials to industry groups, public, and other agencies.


* Participates in and facilitates training programs (e.g. workshops, conferences, training sessions, etc.) regarding inspection, investigation, and enforcement activities, and the safe and effective use of various tools and equipment.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

A Bachelor's degree from an accredited* college or university with specialization in one or more appropriate disciplines in agricultural science, biological science, chemical science, physical science, mathematics, and/or statistics, including the completion of college level courses in both Botany and Entomology -AND- either:

 

OPTION I: Two years of full-time work experience performing at the level of an Agricultural/Weights and Measures Inspector I for a public jurisdiction.*

 

OPTION II:  Two years of full-time work experience performing weights and measures inspection, calibration, and related functions for a public jurisdiction.

 

OPTION III:  Two years of full-time work experience performing agricultural inspection, and enforcement for a public jurisdiction.

Part-time experience will be considered based on pro-ration. 

LICENSE:

Two valid State of California weights and measures licenses covering Weight Verification and Measurement Verification -AND- Three agricultural licenses covering Commodity Regulation, Pest Prevention and Plant Regulation, and Pesticide Regulation -AND- A valid California Class C Driver License is required to perform job-related essential functions. Some positions may require a Class A or Class B license.

License Information: 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 the specific duties of the job. License must not be currently suspended, restricted, or revoked.

PHYSICAL CLASS IV - Arduous: This class involves frequent heavy lifting over 25 pounds, often combined with bending, twisting, or working above ground on irregular surfaces. It includes those positions that occasionally demand extraordinary physical activity such as those in Safety positions. 

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION:

* Accredited colleges and universities include all four-year colleges and universities that meet the accreditation guidelines indicated on the bulletin.

In order to receive credit for any college course work or for completion of a training program or seminar program, you must include a legible copy of the official transcripts, official license, or official certificate of completion for ALL required documents, respectively, with your application or within 15 calendar days of filing. For applicants with international transcript(s), a full 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.

* At the level of an Agricultural/Weights and Measures Inspector I is defined as performing inspection and enforcement activities under direct supervision and may assist higher level inspectors with more difficult or complex tasks. Incumbents have completed initial agricultural and weights and measures inspection cross training at an associate level, and are expected to exercise a knowledge of Federal, State and local laws, regulations and ordinances regulating the use of pesticides, quarantine, standardization, scales, meters and the labeling and packaging of consumer products.

EXAMINATION CONTENT:

This exam will consist of a multiple choice and/or simulation assessment(s), weighted 100%, measuring: Professional Potential, Achievement, Coping with Uncertainty, Responsibility, Working to High Quality Standards, Willingness to Learn, Working Relationships, Analyzing Information, Learning Quickly, Generating New Ideas, Using Time Efficiently, Adapting to Change, Deductive Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and Professional/Technical Expertise.

MULTIPLE-CHOICE AND/OR SIMULATION ASSESSMENTS ARE NOT REVIEWABLE BY CANDIDATES PER CIVIL SERVICE RULE 7.19.

 

CANDIDATES MUST ACHIEVE A PASSING SCORE OF 70% OR HIGHER ON THE EXAMINATION TO BE ADDED ONTO THE LIST OF ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES. 

TRANSFER OF TEST COMPONENTS: 

Applicants who have taken identical components recently for other exams may have their scores automatically transferred to this examination.

This examination contains test components that may be used in the future for new examinations and your test scores may be transferred.

TEST PREPARATION:

Study guides and other test preparation resources are available to help candidates prepare for employment tests. While the guides will help in preparing for the test, we advise you to review all related materials that you deem necessary.

An interactive system for taking practice tests may be accessed on the Department of Human Resources website at http://hr.lacounty.gov/. Additional practice tests are available at https://www.shldirect.com/en-us/practice-tests/. 

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION:

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:

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 contingent offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has 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, recency 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 list of successful candidates created from this exam will be used to fill vacancies throughout the Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures as they occur.

AVAILABLE SHIFT:

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

APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION:

Applications must be submitted online only.  We must receive your application before 5:00 p.m., PT, on the last day of filing.  Applications submitted by U.S. Mail, Fax, or in person will not be accepted.   

  

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

Plan to submit your online application well in advance of the deadline 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 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.

Fill out your application completely. The acceptance of your application depends on whether you have clearly shown that you meet the requirements. Provide any relevant job experience in the spaces provided so we can evaluate your qualifications for the job. For each job held, give the name and address of your employer, your job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, and description of work performed. If your application is incomplete, it will be rejected.

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

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

Note: If you are unable to attach documentation to your online application, you may email it to TMarchese@acwm.lacounty.gov.  Please ensure to reference your attachment by writing your full name, AWM Inspector II and V0009F on the subject of your email.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE:

All information included in the application materials is subject to verification at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. Falsification of any information may result in disqualification or rescission of appointment. Utilizing verbiage from Class Specification and Minimum Requirements serving as your description of duties will not be sufficient to demonstrate that you meet the requirements. Doing so may result in an incomplete application and you may be disqualified. 

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 USER ID AND PASSWORD:

All applicants must file their application 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.

TESTING ACCOMODATION INFORMATION AND COORDINATOR CONTACT INFORMATION:

If you need accommodation to take the assessment, let us know by contacting the ADA/Testing Coordinator at 626-575-5464 and/or TMarchese@acwm.lacounty.gov. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can respond to your request and keep you moving through the process.

ANTI-RACISM, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION (ARDI):

The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. The Department of Human Resources is committed to promoting Anti-racism, Diversity, and inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst race. We suppose the ARDI strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.