IPM Specialist

Connected Careers Page•Sacramento, CA

10d•Onsite

About The Position

The IPM Specialist is responsible for owning and executing all Integrated Pest Management functions within the nursery and propagation facility. This role focuses on pest and pathogen prevention, scouting, spray applications, beneficial insect programs, product evaluations, compliance documentation, chemical storage, SDS management, and protecting the health of mother plants, clones, and young plant material. The ideal candidate is experienced, highly organized, self-motivated, and capable of independently managing the nursery IPM program with minimal oversight while using sound judgment to prevent application errors and crop damage. Current schedule is Tuesday through Saturday, with availability for one or both weekend days as needed for spray applications or urgent nursery needs.

Requirements

Proven experience applying horticultural pesticides in nursery, greenhouse, propagation, cannabis, or agricultural environments.
Strong understanding of pesticide labels, mixing rates, application techniques, PPE, REI intervals, compatibility, and safe handling procedures.
Demonstrated ability to accurately calculate spray volumes, weights, and dilution rates.
Experience in recognizing and avoiding phytotoxicity risks and common application mistakes.
Experience maintaining spray logs, compliance records, and SDS systems.
Strong scouting skills with knowledge of common nursery pests, pathogens, and plant stress indicators.
Ability to work independently, stay organized, solve problems, and take ownership of responsibilities.
Ability to pass respirator medical evaluation and fit test.
Must be 21 years of age or older.

Nice To Haves

Experience conducting product trials or evaluating treatment performance preferred.
Experience with beneficial insect programs, sticky trap monitoring, and pest trend tracking preferred.
Experience working with clones, mother plants, propagation systems, or young plant production preferred.
Applicator License preferred.

Responsibilities

Own and execute the nursery IPM program from scouting through treatment and follow-up.
Protect the health and cleanliness of mother stock, clones, veg plants, and nursery inventory.
Perform all pesticide, biological, foliar, and sanitation spray applications according to label, safety, and compliance standards.
Accurately calculate and mix products using proper measurements, dilution rates, and label directions.
Use prior application knowledge and sound judgment to prevent common treatment errors, crop injury, or ineffective applications.
Understand environmental considerations such as light intensity, temperature, humidity, and dry-back timing when making applications.
Conduct side-by-side product trials to evaluate treatment effectiveness, plant response, and phytotoxicity.
Document trial results and provide recommendations for program improvements.
Conduct and ensure completion of routine scouting throughout all nursery, propagation, and mother plant areas.
Monitor sticky traps, track pest counts, identify trends, and respond proactively to developing pressure.
Release and manage beneficial insects and biological control agents according to program schedules.
Identify and track hotspot areas, recurring pest zones, and environmental risk factors.
Follow up weekly on previously identified issues to confirm treatment effectiveness and resolution.
Identify and respond proactively to pest pressure including mites, thrips, aphids, fungus gnats, mildew, root issues, and other threats common to nursery production.
Evaluate incoming clones and plant material for health, cleanliness, vigor, and pest risk.
Maintain all internal logs and state-required compliance records related to sprays, products, rates, PPE, REI intervals, treatments, scouting data, and trial results.
Keep all records accurate, organized, and audit-ready.
Maintain cleanliness, organization, and compliance of all chemical storage and application areas.
Maintain an up-to-date SDS library for all onsite products, digital and non-digital.
Monitor chemical inventory levels and communicate reorder needs.
Coordinate treatment schedules with nursery and cultivation leadership.
Assist in improving existing pest management, sanitation, and nursery health programs to reduce losses and improve plant quality.
Train staff on sanitation practices, clone handling, room-entry procedures, and pest prevention protocols.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Oversee temporary labor assigned to scouting, sanitation, defoliation support, or treatment preparation.
Train cultivation staff on IPM procedures, sanitation standards, pest awareness, and proper room protocols.
Delegate support tasks as needed to maintain treatment schedules and facility cleanliness.
Monitor completion and quality of assigned IPM-related tasks by support staff.