Agriculture Services Laborer

State of Oregon•Wilsonville, OR

4d•$3,515 - $4,124•Onsite

About The Position

The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) is currently recruiting for three Agriculture Services Laborer positions within the Agriculture Services Division. These positions will work primarily with the Shipping Point Inspection and Plant Health programs covering night and weekend shifts. These positions support the department’s mission to safeguard Oregon's agriculture, natural resources, working lands, economies, and communities through assistance, compliance, and market support. At the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA), employees work with a dynamic and supportive team of mission-focused individuals tasked with ensuring healthy natural resources, environment, and economy for Oregonians now and in the future through inspection and certification, regulation, and promotion of agriculture and food. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are embedded in the Department of Agriculture core values. Employees at all levels of the agency work together to foster fairness, equity, inclusion, and belonging. The department strives to be a model employer committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. As an Agriculture Services Laborer, you will be part of the Agriculture Services Division, a group of programs that work together statewide to assist Oregon’s agriculture producers to successfully sell and ship products worldwide. The Shipping Point Inspection (SPI) Program provides a variety of services for the inspection, verification, and certification of Oregon commodities prior to their shipment into US and world commerce channels. These include impartial third-party inspection of product to determine grades of fruits, nuts, and vegetables and implementation of alternative inspection programs where ODA staff collaborate with customers to provide inspections. SPI program staff provide inspections and issue phytosanitary certificates to support export of Oregon agriculture commodities. The main goals of the Plant Health program are to protect Oregon’s agricultural industries, environment, and quality of life from damaging plant pathogens and parasites and to enhance the marketability of Oregon's agricultural and horticultural products. The programs within Plant Health are conducted statewide and affect all segments of Oregon’s agricultural and horticultural industries as well as natural resources in urban and rural environments. In this position, you will provide shipping point inspections, phytosanitary inspections, official sampling and witnessing, and other services to assist customers in moving agricultural products. This position works in the Plant Health laboratory and performs inspections of commodities, including seed and nursery planting material. This position assists laboratory staff in preparing materials and samples for testing, prepares media, washes glassware, and other duties as assigned. This position assists with field work such as surveys, sample collection, commodity inspection, and field inspection of crops for plant pests and diseases to support quarantines and exports. As part of the smoke management program, this position conducts PiBALs and participates in observation of open field burning. As needed this position may support other Agriculture Services Division or agency programs. The Agriculture Services Laborer is located at the North Valley Complex in Wilsonville, Oregon. This is a seasonal/part-time position which has a variable work schedule based on operational needs. Hours will fluctuate from week to week, including periods of full-time work, part-time work, or no scheduled hours. There is no guarantee of number of hours in any given week.

Requirements

Must be at least 18 years of age at time of hire.
Must have a valid driver’s license and an acceptable driving record.
Work availability for night and weekend shifts.

Nice To Haves

General knowledge of agriculture, horticulture, plant pathology, agronomy, or related experience.
Experience with inspection, laboratory testing, and/or plant disease identification.
Basic knowledge of arithmetic (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division).
Ability to keep accurate written records of inspection activities and fee collections.
Ability to communicate orally and in writing with a variety of people to obtain or provide information.
Consistent adherence to established protocols, safety standards, and ethical conduct when representing the agency.

Responsibilities

Provide shipping point inspections, phytosanitary inspections, official sampling and witnessing, and other services to assist customers in moving agricultural products.
Perform inspections of commodities, including seed and nursery planting material, in the Plant Health laboratory.
Assist laboratory staff in preparing materials and samples for testing, preparing media, and washing glassware.
Assist with field work such as surveys, sample collection, commodity inspection, and field inspection of crops for plant pests and diseases to support quarantines and exports.
Conduct PiBALs and participate in observation of open field burning as part of the smoke management program.
Support other Agriculture Services Division or agency programs as needed.