Per CCR 249.3, this job control may be used to fill subsequent vacancies.
Under the close supervision of the Senior Environmental Scientist (Supervisory), the Environmental Scientist performs a range of duties including lead responsibilities over seasonal and permanent staff performing eradication, detection trapping and survey activities, statewide research, detection trapping quality control, post quarantine inspections, outreach and logistics, and writing reports for agricultural programs for PD/EP. This involves interaction with federal, State, county, private agencies, and other stakeholder groups.
As an employee of the California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA), you are required to perform the “essential functions” of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation. If you are interested in becoming part of a diverse and inclusive workforce where talent, experience, and expertise are valued, then CDFA is the place for you!!
Join a passionate, collaborative team where your expertise directly shapes sustainable solutions for our planet's most precious resources, agricultural. We empower our environmental scientists with cutting-edge technology and the autonomy to spearhead meaningful, high-impact conservation with our pest detection or eradication projects. Here, your work goes beyond protecting agriculture—you will be actively building a cleaner, safer, and more resilient future for local communities.
This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. The CDFA does not participate in E-Verify for employment authorization purposes.
You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.
The work settings vary. The settings could be permanent buildings or trailers leased or owned by the state or cooperating agencies or other locations. The employee may work in isolated locations and may work alone for extended periods. The duties of this position are primarily conducted outdoors and may be exposed to extreme temperatures and weather, uneven terrain, and various noise levels. The incumbent may work within an office/warehouse environment furnished with a variety of office equipment, which normally consists of desks, tables, chairs, filing cabinets, storage cabinets, filing bins, computers, computer peripherals, phones, photocopiers, and fax machines. Computer software used may include Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access and Publisher.
The incumbent must be able to apply pesticides, haul loads of fruit and/or removed trees, perform survey work, and work well under extreme time constraints, exercise good judgment, determine priorities, make appropriate well-thought out decisions, allocate staff and resources to achieve maximum results, maintain focus under conditions of duress, and provide accurate assessment of rapidly changing situations (ex: multiple exotic pest detections requiring multiple operations).
The incumbent will be required to drive, exit and re-enter the work vehicle numerous times during the workday, must possess a valid CA drivers’ license and maintain a good standing driving record to operate a state motor vehicle safely and responsibly, be able to apply pesticides. The incumbent must be able to establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted during the course of work, cooperate with other staff members and leads in completing assigned work, communicate effectively verbally and in writing, with other agencies and the public, and be able to meet required deadlines.
The incumbent will be required to travel by State or rental vehicle to perform field active or other public transportation systems to various locations throughout the state. Must be legally able to rent a car. May work various shifts (pre-dawn and after 6:00 pm), weekends, overtime, and possibly a split shift.
The incumbent may also be required to travel on short notice that requires several continuous nights in length or work extended hours and days at any given time in the month including weekends, overtime, and holidays.
Travel is essential and the incumbent will travel to locations throughout the state to attend meetings or training related to pest detection, survey, and treatment activities and to assist other offices with detection and treatment efforts are required.
The incumbent must have a valid California driver’s license and have a safe driving record as documented by the Department of Motor Vehicles. (A safe driving record is one free from convictions in the past two years for repeated moving violations, or a single serious violation, such as drunk driving or reckless driving).
This position may/may not be eligible for telework. The amount of telework is at the discretion of the CDFA and based on the current telework policy. While the CDFA supports telework where possible, in-person attendance may be required based on operational needs. Employees are expected to be able to report to their worksite with minimal notification if an urgent need arises, as determined by the Department.
