Assistant Pest Technician - Hiring Now at Overland Park Garden Center

Integrated Pest Management Supervisor

Location: Production Farm

Reports to: Head Grower

Works with: Section Growers and GrowerAssistants

Leads:N/A

Introduction

• The Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Supervisor is held within the Grower department. This role assists the Head Grower, Assistant Head Grower, Section Growers, and Grower Assistants to maintain Family Tree Nurserys high product quality, mission, core values and expectations. This is a non-management role, and it is expected that the IPM Supervisor will work shoulder to shoulder with the team to manage core processes and results. Instead of managing people, your main responsibility is to maintain the health of our crops. Although plant health is your focus, you are expected to communicate that standard of excellence to staff, even if they fall outside of your department. Employees within the Grower Department understand plant health more than anyone on our team, and they should be sharing that knowledge with the group. Any process involving the Greenhouse Team within this department should be supported or led by the Growing Team. There might be times when you are asked to work with 2 or 3 Greenhouse Team to get a task done. This is the perfect opportunity to develop your leadership voice. The success of the entire company, not just your department, should be your goal.

Key Responsibilities

• Work with the General Manager to create a schedule, order, and applybeneficial insects.
• Be directly involved with all applications.
• Maintain proper inventory levels of Chemicals and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) while keeping in mind the fluctuation of seasonality in the business cycle.
• Conduct safety and technique training to all Mixers, Loaders, and Handlers,allowing for uniformity of application and effectiveness while minimizing risk, or personal exposure/injury.
• Instructing, teaching, and organizing all applicationsincluding proper product selection/rotation,rates, logging, inspecting equipment,monitoring crop health, and problem solving to achieve the goal of each application.
• Maintain all equipment with regular preventive maintenance. Troubleshooting needs to be done at the time of inspection, but prior to application. Will work with the maintenance department on major repairs but is expected to handle minor repairs.
• Assist in scouting and maintaining the interior and exterior of greenhouses to ensure low disease, pest, and weed pressure.
• Regarding pests and disease, demonstrate a comprehensive approach to available treatment methods and how they can positively, or negatively, impact crop health.
• Ensure all scouting, spraying, drenching, and growing processes and procedures in accordance with all regulatory requirements so that pest pressure may be maintained below the economic damage threshold.
• Keep up to date on all compliance and regulatory guidelines of WPS and Kansas Law.
• Stay up to date on valid medical checks for all chemical handlers.
• Schedule Annual Fit Testing
• Help in Training the WPS with staff.
  • Video for Agricultural Workers- This is done yearly.
  • Training Applicators/Handlers on Written Respiratory Training Program- This is done yearly.

Auxiliary Role Functions:

• Demonstrate the ability to maintain a positiveattitudedespite stressful situations.
• You will be expected to multitask in a fast-paced environment and tackle high pressure situations with clear focus.
• Communication is key to any healthy organization and requires every team member to take ownership of their area of expertise.
• Make yourself available to Head Grower and peers to ensure proper execution of tasks. Routinely check in with Head Grower upon completion of tasks. This may include another department leader if asked to help cover in other departments.
• Prioritize responsibilitieswith Head Growerto reach high efficiency while maintaining quality that meets regulatoryguidelines.
• Must be able to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Flexibility of scheduling and working hours will fluctuate dependent on the timing of applications and seasonality in relation to temperature and pest pressure.We anticipate that there will be early morningsand late shifts.
• Adaptable to new technologies.

Required Qualifications:

• Kansas pesticide applicator license or equivalent certification. (This can be obtained after onboarding is completed).
• Integrated pest management techniques, which may involve the use of chemicals, and an understanding of their modes of action
• Requires an approved or passing Respiratory Medical Exam (This can be obtained after onboarding is completed).
• Requires an approved or passing Respirator Fit Test (This can be obtained after onboarding is completed).
• 2-3+ years of professional experience in: Horticulture, greenhouse production, green industry sales, garden center management, or other plant-based industries.A degree in Horticultural studies would also qualify.
• Ability to professionally demonstrate strong knowledge of annual, perennial, tropical plant material.
• Understand and direct irrigation and fertility techniques
• Ability to operate a pallet jack, forklift, skid steer, cart tug or other equipment and vehicles with a clean driving record.

Working Conditions:

• Will be mixing, loading, and handling restricted use chemicals.
• Will repeatedly roll and unroll hoses from irrigation and application equipment.
• May be asked to work in a variety of weather conditions including hot, cold, wet or dry. Temperatures vary 10 to 20 degrees above or below ambient temperature.
• Exposure tosun for long periods of time.
• Must be able to stand squat, bend, lift arms above head, and lift around 50lbs. Anything over 50lbs needs to be team lifted.
• Work on a variety of surfaces including gravel, concrete, mud, dirt, or others.
• Must be available to work weekends, evenings, early mornings and holidays
• Must be available to work 6 (six) days per week March, April, May, thru mid June depending upon business, 5 days a week all other months
• Able to stand and walk on your feet for multiple hours at a time with minimal breaks.
• Comfortable around a high paced setting involving many people, and in a team type situation.
• strong technology acumen, with Microsoft products and/or other digital products.
• Flexibility in other areas of the business such as operations, receiving and production.

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