Pesticide Specialist

Are you passionate about protecting the health and safety of your community? Join the Department of Agriculture and make a meaningful impact across Pennsylvania. In this role, you will perform essential work to ensure that state and federal environmental regulations governing pesticide use and disposal are followed, helping safeguard people, animals, and the environment. Apply today and become part of a team dedicated to keeping Pennsylvania safe and thriving

In this role, you will oversee key environmental programs within the Pesticide Enforcement Section, ensuring effective coordination of enforcement activities under the Pennsylvania Pesticide Control Act and its associated regulations. Your responsibilities will include managing the Chemsweep program, which handles the collection and disposal of unwanted pesticides; coordinating waste-collection operations for the Bureau of Plant Industry; and leading the Department of Agriculture's Pesticides and Groundwater Strategy Pesticide Management Plan. This work plays a critical role in protecting public health, safeguarding natural resources, and supporting responsible pesticide use across the Commonwealth.

• Full-time employment
• Work hours are 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday - Friday, with 30-minute lunch.
• Telework: You may have the opportunity to work from home (telework) part-time up to 5 days per pay period. In order to telework, you must have a securely configured high-speed internet connection and work from an approved location inside Pennsylvania. If you are unable to telework, you will have the option to report to the headquarters office in Harrisburg. The ability to telework is subject to change at any time. Additional details may be provided during the interview.
• Salary: In some cases, the starting salary may be non-negotiable.
• You will receive further communication regarding this position via email. Check your email, including spam/junk folders, for these notices.

QUALIFICATIONS
Minimum Experience and Training Requirements:

• One year as an Agronomic Products Inspector or as a Plant Inspector (Commonwealth job title or equivalent Federal Government job title, as determined by the Office of Administration); or
• Three years of professional agricultural regulatory, agricultural scientific, agricultural education, or agricultural industry experience, and four years of paraprofessional experience applying quality, safety, and efficacy protocols for a pesticide application business, pesticide manufacturer, or a pest control business; or
• Three years of professional agricultural regulatory, agricultural scientific, agricultural education, or agricultural industry experience, and a bachelor's degree in general agriculture, agronomy, plant pathology, entomology, horticulture, or a closely related field.

• This particular position also requires possession of a valid driver's license which is not under suspension.
• You must meet the PA residency requirement. For more information on ways to meet PA residency requirements, follow the link and click on Residency Guidelines.
• You must be able to perform essential job functions.

• Resumes, cover letters, and similar documents will not be reviewed, and the information contained therein will not be considered for the purposes of determining your eligibility for the position. Information to support your eligibility for the position must be provided on the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education).
• If you are claiming education in your answers to the supplemental application questions, you must attach a copy of your college transcripts for your claim to be accepted toward meeting the minimum requirements. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.
• Your application must be submitted by the posting closing date. Late applications and other required materials will not be accepted.
• Failure to comply with the above application requirements may eliminate you from consideration for this position.
• All application materials and interview responses must reflect the applicant's own experience, qualifications, and work. Applicants may use generative AI tools for preparation purposes only. Use of AI to misrepresent or falsify information, or to assist during interviews, is not permitted. Review the Guidance for Generative AI Tools & Job Seekers for additional information.

• Pennsylvania law (51 Pa. C.S. *7103) provides employment preference for qualified veterans for appointment to many state and local government jobs. To learn more about employment preferences for veterans, go to www.pa.gov/agencies/employment/how-to-apply.html and click on Veterans.

• 711 (hearing and speech disabilities or other individuals).

• Completing the application, including all supplemental questions, serves as your exam for this position. No additional exam is required at a test center (also referred to as a written exam).
• Your score is based on the detailed information you provide on your application and in response to the supplemental questions.
• Your score is valid for this specific posting only.
• You must provide complete and accurate information or:
  • your score may be lower than deserved.
  • you may be disqualified.
• You may only apply/test once for this posting.
• Your results will be provided via email.