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Gardening Specialist
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Position Number: 3553987
Location: Turlock, CA
Position Type: Agriculture - Plant and Soil Science

Gardening Specialist

Job no: 519060
Department: Coll of Arts, Hum, Soc Science
Work type: Staff
Location: Stanislaus - Turlock
Categories: Unit 5 - CSUEU - Operations and Support Services, Custodial/Facilities, Probationary, Full Time

Position Summary
Full-time position available on or after November 14, 2022 for Agriculture Department.

Under the general direction of the Department Chair and the day to day direction of the Program Director for Agriculture, the Gardening Specialist is responsible for managing the Sustainable Agriculture Field Lab, Citrus Grove and New Tree Plot and other related facilities. The incumbent will also support experiential learning and instructional activity needs of faculty.

Job Duties
Duties include but are not limited to:

Assist faculty as directed in providing agricultural production and related activities for classes and labs.

Assist faculty as directed in produce handling and sales activities such as the on-campus produce sale, StanFresh and the produce sale subscription program.

Develop operations calendar for crop production and class related class activities on the site in consultation with faculty members.

Work effectively with Faculty and staff of the university, college, department as well as those departments with shared facilities and goals. Aid in the identification, reporting and resolution of opportunities and conflicts of interests. Work closely with Faculty members and campus Police Dept. to report and correct failings.

Provide advice and assistance to other stakeholders regarding proper care of fruits and vegetables, flowers and ornamental plants, trees and vines, including pruning and other technical skills.

Make recommendations for the planning and development of special use areas.

Facilitate events and assist with class-related activities on all farm sites.

Plant, maintain, and harvest a variety of annual and perennial crops including flowers, fruits, and vegetables, trees, vines, cover crop and row crops.

Select and purchase plants, flowers and other materials and supplies for the school gardens.

Maintain high level of farm cleanliness and plant health to ensure that garden sites are visitor ready at all times to promote professionalism, good work ethics and create a model facility in the community.

Maintain raised beds and other related structures, including fence and pathways.

Consult, Install, operate and maintain a variety of irrigation equipment suitable to gardening applications, taking into consideration the vegetation, soil conditions, evaporation and water retention factors.

When performing irrigation work, incumbent repairs broken sprinkler tines, sprinkler heads, valves. and related equipment, clears blockages from valves and pipes; inspects, services, and maintains automatic sprinkler control devices; performs minor repairs on all sprinkler control devices; and establishes and maintains irrigation system preventive maintenance programs.

Monitor insects and other plant health issues and make recommendations on treatment.

On an as-needed basis, apply chemicals to plants, trees, and shrubs for eradication of fungi, weeds, and pests, including area contained within the lab site.

Select, purchase and mix sprays and poisons according to specific formula to accomplish desired results; select appropriate times to apply the chemicals, taking into consideration weather conditions and frequency of usage; determine where to place poisons and traps; responsible for safely storing chemicals and supplies used in spraying programs.

Operate a variety of power equipment and service/repair equipment as needed.

Maintain a variety of hand tools in safe working condition.

Provide worker safety awareness training/demonstration for students and farm/garden volunteers and documentation as needed.

Maintain all farm sites records including equipment records, safety training records, hazardous materials records.

Provide periodic/weekly reports (including maintenance) to supervisor.

Provide lead work direction to student assistants throughout the year.

Conduct tours and welcome visitors to the farm sites.

Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications
Education: None required.

Experience: Two years of experience in the care and maintenance of landscaped areas or general grounds, one year of which shall have been in either the maintenance, repair or modification of irrigation systems, specialized pest and/or spray control work, or cultivation and care of nursery plants.

Preferred Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in plant science, horticulture or related production agriculture degree.

Two years of full-time equivalent experience in the care and maintenance of crops, vegetable gardens, landscaped areas, one year of which shall have been in either the maintenance, repair or modification of irrigation systems, specialized pest and/or spray control work, or cultivation and care of fruits and vegetables, flowers, and trees and vines.

Current Qualified Applicators Certificate (Category B-Landscape Maintenance and Category D-Plant Agriculture) issued by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) must be presented at the time of hire.

General knowledge of organic and sustainable agriculture production and post-harvest practices of crops and vegetables prevalent in California Central Valley.

Thorough knowledge of the proper use and maintenance of gardening tools and equipment (Such as tractor and attachments), plant propagation techniques, pruning techniques, characteristics of fertilizers, soil conditioners, and soils, and the effects of environment on plant life.

Ability to work individually or in a team in a service-oriented environment subject to frequently changing priorities.

Ability to lift and/or move heavy objects and climb ladders.

Ability to work outdoors in all types of extreme weather conditions.

Ability to perform manual physical labor associated with agriculture crop production.

Ability to maintain electronic database of equipment, tools and other relevant records.

Ability to perform CPR and First Aid.

nowledge and record of carrying out experiential learning activities to any group of learners

Knowledge and proven ability to carry out sustainable agricultural practices such as composting, integrated pest management (IPM), crop rotation etc, and post-harvest management practices.

Ability to identify, diagnose and treat plant disease. correct plant nutrient deficiencies.

Ability to provide and some knowledge of student guidance and supervision.

Ability and knowledge to assist with produce (crops and vegetables) sales.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

Thorough knowledge of the methods, plants, tools and equipment used in planting, cultivating and caring for flowers, shrubs, lawns and trees.

General knowledge of the composition and structure of soil, Ph factors of soils, compatibility and incompatibility factors between soil and plants, difference between plant mixes, and erosion control.

Ability to identify, diagnose and treat plant disease, and correct plant nutrient deficiencies.

Ability to prepare freehand sketches and make recommendations for possible improvements in landscaping within the assigned areas.

Ability to read and write at a level appropriate to the duties of the position and to follow oral and written instructions.

Special Conditions
CSU requires faculty, staff, and students who are accessing campus facilities to be immunized against COVID-19 or declare a medical or religious exemption from doing so. Any candidates advanced in a currently open search process should be prepared to comply with this requirement. The systemwide policy can be found at:
https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/9779821/latest/

Ability to work weekends (infrequently), as required to meet the needs of the University.

Ability and willingness to provide instructional support to faculty to set up class projects and activities.

License or Certifications

Possession of the appropriate California Department of Pesticide Regulation license to perform pest control work. Some positions may require possession of a valid California driver's license.

Salary Range
Anticipated salary will be $3,544 - $3,898 per month plus excellent paid benefits. Salary will depend on the qualifications of the successful finalist. (Full Gardening Specialist range: $3,544 - $5,782 per month)

Compensation & Benefits
Commensurate with qualifications and experience. As a member of the 23-campus CSU System, we offer an extremely competitive benefits package that includes, but is not limited to, outstanding vacation, health, dental, and vision plans; a fee waiver education program; membership in the California Public Employees Retirement System (PERS); and 14 paid holidays a year. Link to (Bargaining Unit: 5) Benefits Summary: CSU Employee Benefit Summary

How to Apply
To be considered, qualified candidates must submit a completed Stanislaus State online employment application, cover letter, and resume. Applications are accepted electronically only. Please note that failure to completely fill out each section of the online application may result in your application not receiving consideration. To apply online, please click the "Apply Now" button on this page.

Applications will be processed in accordance with Article 9.3 of the CSU/CSUEU Memorandum of Understanding. Preference will be given to qualified individuals currently employed at CSU Stanislaus in bargaining units 2, 5, 7, and 9 except when it is determined that it is necessary to appoint outside applicants to meet the best interest of the campus by obtaining specialized skills and abilities not available from current employees.

Application Deadline
OPEN UNTIL FILLED; SCREENING TO BEGIN ON OR AFTER OCTOBER 19, 2022 (Applications received after the screening date will be considered at the discretion of the university.)

Criminal Background Clearance Notice
Satisfactory completion of a background check (which includes checks of employment records, education records, criminal records, civil records; and may include motor vehicle records, professional licenses, and sex offender registries, as position requires) is required for employment. CSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.

Additional Information
Campus & Area
California State University, Stanislaus serves the San Joaquin Valley and is a critical educational resource for a six-county region of approximately 1.5 million people. The University is fully committed to creating a culture of diversity and inclusion - one in which every person in the University community feels safe to express their views without fear of reprisal. Widely recognized for its quality academic programs, the University has 10 nationally accredited programs and 662 faculty members. 94 percent of full-time faculty holds doctorates or terminal degrees in their fields. The University offers 43 undergraduate majors, 16 master's programs, 7 post-graduate credentials, a doctorate in education and serves more than 10,000 students. New instructional facilities have been built for the unique pedagogy of professional programs, laboratory sciences and performing arts.

Stanislaus State continues to receive national recognition with its ranking as one of the best 384 colleges in the nation by The Princeton Review. The University was one of 12 public universities in the nation to be recognized by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities for demonstrating exceptional performance in retention and graduation rates. In addition, U.S. News and World Report ranks Stanislaus State in its top 10 among public universities in the West, while Washington Monthly honored Stanislaus State as the West's No. 1 university for the money. Stanislaus State also is recognized as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) by the U.S. Department of Education.

Clery Act Disclosure

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the annual security report (ASR), is now available for viewing at https://www.csustan.edu/annual-campus-security-report. The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and sexual assault prevention information, and drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR also contains statistics of Clery Act crimes for Stanislaus State for the previous three years. A paper copy of the ASR is available upon request by contacting the office of the Clery Director located at One University Circle, Turlock, CA 95382.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The university is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against persons on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, medical condition, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, covered veteran status, or any other protected status. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply. The person holding this position is considered a mandated reporter' under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083, revised 7/21/17, as a condition of employment.

Applicants requiring necessary accommodations to the application process may contact the Human Resources Department at (209) 667-3351. California Relay Service is available at (800) 735-2922 voice and (800) 735-2929 TDD. As a federal contractor, we are committed to attracting a diverse applicant pool. Please consider completing the Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability form (your response will not be shared with the search committee) at: Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability PDF Form.

CSU Stanislaus hires only individuals lawfully authorized to work in the United States. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

The individuals who appear to be the best qualified for this position will be contacted by telephone or email for an interview.

INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE

To apply, visit https://careers.csustan.edu/st/en-us/job/519060/gardening-specialist