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Agricultural Environmental Specialist 1/2/3

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Agricultural Environmental Specialist 1/2/3

Salary

$3,333.20 - $5,724.00 Monthly

Location

Thibodaux, LA

Job Type

Classified

Job Number

OSWC-8492-7.01.24-JS

Department

DAF-Agriculture and Forestry

Opening Date

07/01/2024

Closing Date

7/15/2024 11:59 PM Central

• Description

• Benefits

• Questions

Supplemental Information

Job # OSWC-8492-7.01.24-JS

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry is an Equal Opportunity Employer and State as a Model Employer (SAME) to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

This position (#8492) is located in the Office of Soil and Water Conservation.

This position is located in Lafourche Parish.

This position has a Special Entrance Rate at (SER) each level of the Career Progression Group

Agriculture Environmental Specialist 1 has an SER of $19.23 per hour.

Agriculture Environmental Specialist 2 has an SER of $20.58 per hour.

Agriculture Environmental Specialist 3 has an SER of $22.02 per hour.

Core Competencies:

Communicating Effectively: The ability to relay information correctly and appropriately to connect people and ideas.

Developing Plans: The ability to prioritize tasks and competing demands to create accurate plans.

Managing Projects: The ability to initiate, plan, execute, manage, and close-out all project goals within the established timeline.

Preferred Competencies:

Focusing on Customers: The ability to serve the needs of those who support and/or rely on the services provided.

Learning Actively: The ability to acquire necessary knowledge and skills to improve performance and achieve organizational goals.

Managing Meetings: The ability to conduct a meeting and manage others to accomplish the results needed in the allotted amount of time.

Networking: The ability to intentionally develop or maintain relationships with internal partners, external partners, and professional contacts.

Solving Problems: The ability to discover solutions to problems.

Thinking Creatively: The ability to generate ideas, manipulate ideas, and make unconventional connections to develop original approaches.

Training Others: The ability to facilitate the acquisition of work-related knowledge and skills in an effort to improve employee performance.

No Civil Service test score is required in order to be considered for this vacancy.

To apply for this vacancy, click on the "Apply"link above and complete an electronic application, which can be used for this vacancy as well as future job opportunities. Applicants are responsible for checking the status of their applications to determine where they are in the recruitment process. Further status message information is located under the Information section of the Current Job Opportunities page.

Resumes WILL NOT be accepted in lieu of completing the work experience sections of the application.

This agency participates in the E-Verify system for verification of citizenship and employment authorization.

All candidates for hire must undergo drug screening.

For further information about this vacancy, contact:

Jasmine Stewart

HR Analyst

Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry

5825 Florida Blvd., Suite 1001

Baton Rouge, LA 70806

jsstewart@ldaf.state.la.us (jsstewart@ldaf.state.la,us)

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry strictly prohibits workplace harassment and discrimination on the on the basis of race, color, gender, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, religion, national origin, military service, sickle cell trait, protected genetic information or other non-merit factor. LDAF also strictly prohibits employment decisions based upon or influenced by such factors.

Minimum Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

A baccalaureate degree with at least twenty-four semester hours in forestry, an agricultural, biological, chemical, or environmental science, an engineering field, or any combination.

SUBSTITUTION:

Experience in inspecting or enforcing for compliance with agricultural laws, rules or regulations will substitute for the specialized coursework on the basis of 12 semester hours for one year of experience.

Experience in planning or implementing soil, water or wetland conservation practices in agricultural or wetland environments will substitute for the specialized coursework on the basis of 12 semester hours for one year of experience.

NOTE: Any college hours or degree must be from an accredited college or university.

Job Concepts

Function of Work:

To perform inspections and investigations relative to laws governing entomology, horticulture, agronomy, pesticide, structural pest control, seed, fertilizer, and quarantine programs.

OR

To assess the environmental impact of agricultural operations on soil, water, air, and other related natural resources and develop and direct management plans designed to protect these resources.

Level of Work:

Entry.

Supervision Received:

General from an Agricultural Environmental Specialist of a higher grade.

Supervision Exercised:

None.

Location of Work:

Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Office of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences or Office of Soil and Water Conservation.

Job Distinctions:

Differs from Agricultural Environmental Specialist 2 by lack of responsibility for journeyman level work.

Examples of Work

Incumbent of this position will provide advanced operational support to the Office of Soil & Water (LDAF-OSWC) within the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry. The Office of Soil & Water sustains and conserves water quality and soil stability on croplands, woodlands, grasslands, wetlands and waterways of Louisiana. This is accomplished by providing financial assistance, administrative support and centralized coordination to the State’s 44 Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCDs) who work with the USDA Natural resources Conservation Service to provide conservation planning services for landowners and managers. Incumbent must possess working knowledge of the State Soil & Water Conservation Commission approved Policy & Procedure Memoranda, State/Federal/Local conservation programs and other applicable SWCD operational guidelines.

AES III will work more independently than AES I or AES II and will develop and implement multi-parish and other regionally based conservation programs and projects. Supervision for this position is received from the Agricultural Environmental Specialist Administrative Coordinator.

55%

Works with USDA-NRCS, LDAF-OSWC, Coastal Protection & Restoration Authority, LDNR, USFWS, BTNEP, LDEQ, SWCD staff, private landowners and others to develop and administer coastal wetland revegetation and restoration programs, and watershed specific agricultural nonpoint source abatement projects through the Clean Water Act Section 319 and other water quality initiatives. Performs resource inventories on private land for conservation plan development and conservation program guidance, assists AES Administrative Coordinator and others with development of coast-wide revegetation programs, site-specific restoration projects and general supervision and guidance to the SWCD vegetative planting program technicians. Performs field inspections and compliance checks of agricultural solid waste composters and processors, and SWCD Supervisory Board capacity building.

30%

Provides programmatic technical support to the statewide Soil & Water Conservation Districts (SWCD), and technical guidance to AES I and II. Meets with SWCD boards at their regular monthly board meetings to develop and maintain local conservation programs. Assists with SWCD capacity building and SWCD supervisor training duties. Incumbent will personally interact with 44 SWCD boards of supervisors and staff with emphasis on SWCDs within the Coastal Zone, various interagency personnel and cooperators, and will represent the LDAF on the State Conservation Technical Advisory Committee.

5%

Provides staff assistance to the LA Association of Conservation Districts (LACD). Works with assigned LACD standing committees to illustrate and research conservation issues and resolutions, and assists in development of the LACD Annual and mid-year meeting programs.

5%

Maintains and enhances established LDAF-OSWC/SWCD environmental conservation education and outreach programs and networks by promoting and conducting LA Project WET (Water education for Teachers) and other educational workshops and initiatives.

5%

Works with private landowners and agricultural processing facility managers to develop Agricultural Solid Waste Management Program best management practice plans. Reviews monthly District board meeting minutes and required attachments for supporting items and information to gauge levels of local SWCD interaction and conservation initiative progression. Other duties as may be assigned.

Other duties as may be assigned

Functional Requirements:

• Moderate light lifting, 30 pounds with occasional lifting of up to 50

• Walking and standing (8 hours)

• Climbing stairs and occasionally ladders

• Prolonged sitting at workstation or in a vehicle for travel

• Occasional bending or kneeling

• Lifting items such as briefcase, computer, scanner, luggage or other items used to travel and perform field work

• Frequent reaching above shoulder height and carrying specialized equipment needed to perform duties

• Occasional walking over irregular ground

• Occasional demands maybe required for strenuous activities over long periods of time

• Drive a vehicle to perform duties

• Safely handle a truck/trailer and safely operate an outboard boat/motor to complete coastal restoration activities

• High levels of interpersonal cooperation and public speaking

Environmental Factors:

• Working indoors and outdoors

• May be required to wear appropriate safety protection

• Slippery and uneven walking surfaces

• Exposed to grain dust, bad odors from farm animals, chemicals, fertilizers and other agricultural materials

• Working in cold temperatures for short periods of time

• Occasionally working around residential and wildland hazards

• Exposed to smoke and dust

• Occasional excessive smoke, heat, humidity, cold, wet, and extreme dry conditions

• Walking on irregular ground for long distances

Louisiana State Government represents a wide variety of career options and offers an outstanding opportunity tomake a differencethrough public service. With an array of career opportunities in every major metropolitan center and in many rural areas, state employment provides an outstanding option to begin or continue your career.

As a state employee, you will earn competitive pay, choose from a variety of benefits, and have access to a great professional development program:

Insurance Coverage More information can be found at https://info.groupbenefits.org/

Parental Leave– Up to six weeks paid parental leave

More information can be found athttps://www.civilservice.louisiana.gov/Parental-Leave/Default.aspx

Holidays and Leave – State employees receive the following paid holidays each year:

• New Year's Day

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day,

• Mardi Gras,

• Good Friday,

• Memorial Day,

• Independence Day,

• Labor Day,

• Veteran's Day,

• Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

* Additional holidays may be proclaimed by the Governor

State employees earn sick and annual leave which can be accumulated and saved for future use. Your accrual rate increases as your years of service increase.

Retirement – State of Louisiana employees are eligible to participate in various retirement systems (based on the type of appointment and agency for which an employee works). These retirement systems provide retirement allowances and other benefits for state officers and employees and their beneficiaries. State retirement systems may include (but are not limited to):

• Louisiana State Employees Retirement System (www.lasersonline.org). LASERS has provided this video (https://lasersonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Your_Retirement_System.mp4) to give you more detailed information about their system

• Teacher's Retirement System of Louisiana (www.trsl.org),

• Louisiana School Employees Retirement System (www.lsers.net), among others

  01

  To ensure compliance with the LDAF Nepotism Policy, do you have any immediate family members or relatives who are currently employed with the LDAF? Immediate family member is defined as children (blood, step, adopted), spouse, brother, sister, father, mother, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, mother-in-law and father-in-law. Relative includes immediate family members previously defined and also includes grandfather, grandmother, grandson, granddaughter, uncle, aunt niece and nephew.

• Yes

• No

  02

  If you answered "yes" to the above question, please list the name of your immediate family member and/or relatives currently employed by the LDAF. If you answered "no" to the above question, enter N/A.

  03

  Are you currently a classified employee of Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry serving with permanent status?

• Yes

• No

  04

  Do you have a valid Louisiana driver's license?

• Yes

• No

  05

  The incumbent of this position may drive a state-owned vehicle during working hours. Office of Risk Management prohibits drivers with three or more moving violations in a one-year period from operating a state-owned vehicle. Based on this information, will you be able to operate a state-owned vehicle?

• Yes

• No

  06

  Do you possess twenty-four semester hours in agriculture, animal science, biology, botany, chemistry, entomology, agronomy, horticulture, plant pathology or zoology, or any combination of credits in these courses to equal twenty-four semester hours?

• Yes

• No

  07

  If you answered 'yes' to the previous question, please type each course name, semester hours earned, and the accredited university. If you answered 'no,' type N/A. Example: AGRI 1001- Introduction to Agriculture - 3 hrs. – LSU NOTE: Failure to list all specific courses may result in your application being considered incomplete.

  08

  This position requires occasionally speaking to large groups. The applicant must possess favorable oral communication skills to deliver training modules and program updates. Please provide a work example of when these skills were performed.

  09

  Rate your ability to communicate effectively based on our definition: The ability to relay information correctly and appropriately to connect people and ideas.

• I have no experience and/or am uncomfortable communicating effectively

• I have limited experience or require assistance to communicate effectively

• I can communicate effectively

• I can communicate effectively and help others improve their communication

  10

  Explain your rating by providing specific and relevant examples in the box below.

  11

  Rate your ability to develop plans based on our definition: The ability to prioritize tasks and competing demands to create accurate plans.

• I have no experience and/or am uncomfortable developing plans

• I have limited experience or require assistance to develop plans

• I can develop plans

• I can develop plans and help others improve their ability to develop plans

  12

  Explain your rating by providing specific and relevant examples in the box below.

  13

  Rate your ability to manage projects based on our definition: The ability to initiate, plan, execute, manage, and close-out all project goals within the established timeline.

• I have no experience and/or am uncomfortable managing projects

• I have limited experience or require assistance to manage projects

• I can manage projects

• I can manage projects and help others improve their ability to manage projects

  14

  Explain your rating by providing specific and relevant examples in the box below.

  15

  It is required to operate a pickup truck, trailer and outboard boat motor for this position. Do you have experience operating a pickup truck, trailer and outboard boat motor?

• I can operate a pickup truck.

• I can operate a pickup truck and trailer.

• I can operate a pickup truck, trailer and outboard boat motor

• I am willing to learn how to operate a pickup truck, trailer and outboard boat motor.

  16

  Some of the essential functions of this position will be physically demanding. Are you able to complete all functions of the position as listed in the announcement?

• Yes

• No

  Required Question

Agency

State of Louisiana

Address

For agency contact information, please refer to

the supplemental information above.

Louisiana State Civil Service, Louisiana, 70802

Phone

(866) 783-5462

Website

http://agency.governmentjobs.com/louisiana/default.cfm

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