Nursery Inspector
INTRODUCTION:
The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) works hard to protect and promote Wisconsin’s agricultural industries and consumers. As an agency, we strive to serve the people of Wisconsin assuring: safe, wholesome food; consumer protection and fair business practices; animal and plant health; a clean environment; and strong agriculture and commerce. To successfully attain these goals, we recognize our success hinges on the diverse, high quality, dedicated staff we employ.
DATCP currently has an opening for a Nursery Inspector (Plant Pest and Disease Specialist – Senior) position within the Division of Agricultural Resource Management, Bureau of Plant Industry.
This position is located at the Prairie Oaks State Office Building situated on Madison’s southeast side and a beautifully wooded and scenic hilltop venue. Our employees enjoy low-cost parking at the facility and are only minutes away from the Beltline Highway, Interstate 90 and Highway 51 for quick access to local restaurants, retail and service locations.
Remote Work Option: This position may have the ability to work remotely up to 6 days per 2-week pay period! An approved remote work agreement is required before an employee may work remotely. Approval of the employee’s remote work agreement and work schedule will vary based on the operational needs of the Division. All DATCP employees who work remotely are required to live in Wisconsin.
Employee Benefits: This position offers the State of Wisconsin’s excellent benefits package, which includes 19.5 days of paid time off to start, 9 paid holidays, accrued sick leave, multiple insurance options and an exceptional retirement plan!
By working for Wisconsin State Government, you may also be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Please click the link for details.
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This posting may be used to fill future similar vacancies.
POSITION SUMMARY:
This is a professional position with responsibilities in the plant sciences emphasizing plant inspections and the enforcement of plant pest regulations, particularly quarantine, nursery, seed, and export laws and rules. This position functions under general supervision and will work closely with the coordinator of the export certification program, the Plant Protection Section Manager, the Pest Survey & Control Section Manager and the Northern Unit Supervisor. This position will (1) provide support to the export certification program coordinator for the issuance of phytosanitary certificates, the coordination of the seed field inspection program, and the coordination of the post-entry quarantine program, once trained and authorized; (2) conduct inspections of nursery plants, Christmas trees, logs, seeds, agricultural crops, and other plant products for plant health certification as assigned; (3) identify and assess insect pests, diseases and invasive plants on a wide range of ornamental plants, trees, and agricultural crops; collecting regulatory samples for laboratory analysis and diagnosis as needed; (4) manage program area compliance activities, including implementing and enforcing plant pest regulations and plant protection laws, particularly pest quarantine, nursery and seed laws; (5) provide timely and objective regulatory outreach to the state's agricultural community via electronic news articles, social media, presentations, media interviews and staffing tradeshow exhibits.
SALARY INFORMATION:
The classification of this position is Plant Pest and Disease Specialist – Senior, which is in schedule-range 15-03 with a starting pay between $31.50 to $36.50 per hour based on qualifications.
This position is not represented by a collective bargaining unit. A 12-month probationary period is required. Pay for current state employees will be set in accordance with the State Compensation Plan at the time of hire.
JOB DETAILS:
At DATCP, we strive to deliver efficient and effective programs and services to Wisconsin agriculture, consumers, and businesses. The Department has numerous on-the-job training (OJT) opportunities, unique to each Bureau.
These OJT opportunities include direct experience and practice through collaboration with co-workers/supervisor, peer mentoring, and job-specific training modules. This position will have access to federal training on plant health certification (e.g. authorized certification official, post-entry quarantine) within the first 12 months.
Conditions of Employment:
DATCP does not sponsor work visas. Any appointment made will be contingent on the selected applicant being able to provide documentation of eligibility to work in the United States.
A criminal background check will be performed on the selected applicant prior to an offer of employment.
Possession of a valid driver's license or the ability to provide one’s own transportation for work purposes, is required.
A valid driver’s license and the eligibility to drive a State of Wisconsin Fleet Vehicle* is required.
*In order to be authorized to drive a State vehicle the candidate must meet the requirements of the State of Wisconsin Fleet Vehicle Policy, which are:
- Must have a valid driver’s license;
- Must have a minimum of two years of licensed driving experience;
- Must be 18 years of age.
Additionally, your driving record MUST NOT reflect any of the following conditions:
- Three or more moving violations and/or at-fault accidents in the past two years;
- Operating While Intoxicated (OWI)/Driving Under the Influence (DUI) citation within the past 12 months;
- Suspension or revocation of driver’s license.
Travel for approximately 40% of this position’s duties with occasional overnight stay is required.
Ability to walk in rough terrain and work outdoors in potentially inclement and adverse weather conditions, including heat, humidity, rain, wind and cold.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Minimally qualified candidates will have each of the following:
- Education, training, or experience in a natural science field (i.e., biology, entomology, horticulture, plant pathology, botany, or equivalent field).
- Experience with plant pest surveys, inspections, or pest scouting or implementing a pest or disease management program (such as integrated pest management, invasive species, or forest insect and disease management).
- Education or experience related to invasive species or natural sciences or key forest pests (i.e., spongy moth, emerald ash borer, hemlock woolly adelgid, Asian Longhorned beetle, spotted lanternfly, sudden oak death, beech leaf disease, other invasive species, or pollinators, etc.).
In addition to the minimum qualifications above, highly qualified candidates will have one or more of the following:
- Advanced education in the Natural Sciences (i.e., BS/MS/PhD in biology, entomology, horticulture, plant pathology, botany, or equivalent field).
- Experience with plant regulation such as interpreting, following, or enforcing quarantines, invasive species laws, export requirements or other federal, state, or local statutes related to noxious weed laws, organic certification, pesticide laws, export rules, etc.
- Experience with geographic information systems (GIS) or electronic data collection using ArcGIS/Survey 123 or similar systems.
HOW TO APPLY:
If viewing this posting on an external site (such as indeed.com, etc.), please visit Wisc.Jobs and search for this Job ID: # 18833 to complete your application for this posting.
DATCP is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer seeking a diverse and talented workforce. Veterans, women, people of color, LGBTQIA+, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. We provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities.
The State of Wisconsin offers a special program for qualified veterans with a 30% or greater service-connected disability. If you are a qualified veteran, please visit the Veterans Employment page for application instructions to be considered for the Veterans Non-Competitive Appointment program. For complete information on veterans hiring programs that may benefit you, please visit the Employment page on WDVA's website.
To be considered for this position, you will need to create an account (if you don’t already have one) and apply online via the “Apply for Job” button listed on the top right of the job posting page. You will be required to upload a current resume and a letter of qualifications that clearly describes your qualifications and experience as they relate to the qualifications listed in this job posting. Review the applicant resources, including tips on how to write a resume and letter of qualifications.
Submitted application materials will be evaluated by one or more job experts. Candidates who are deemed eligible will be invited to participate in the next step of the selection process, starting with those candidates who are deemed most qualified.
For general Wisc.Jobs user information and technical assistance, please check the Frequently Asked Questions. Please address questions regarding the application process to Varinderjit Kaur at varinderjit.kaur1@wisconsin.gov.
DEADLINE TO APPLY:
The deadline to apply for this position is 11:59 p.m. on September 29, 2025.