TES Biological Aide (PPA-7721) (Temporary Employment Services)

 NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

 NOTICE OF JOB VACANCY

TITLE: TES Biological Aide (PPA-7721) 

(Limited to 944 hours per fiscal year, Temporary Employment Services)

ANNOUNCEMENT #: 12-26

ISSUE DATE: 03/31/26

CLOSING DATE: 4/20/26

SALARY: $19 per hour

LOCATION: Statewide Travel within New Jersey, Division of Plant Industry located in Ewing, NJ

[X]  GENERAL PUBLIC

ELECTRONIC FILING INSTRUCTIONS

Interested applicants must email a cover letter, including the announcement number, resume, and transcripts by the closing date of this Notice of Job Vacancy to njdajobs@ag.nj.gov.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture, Division of Plant Industry, is seeking temporary employees to conduct pest survey work including deploying and maintaining insect traps, collecting leaf tissue for plant disease testing, collecting soil for nematode testing, conducting visual survey for snails and slugs, and delivering specimens and samples to the appropriate lab for screening, testing, and identification. Temporary staff in this position will also assist in lab screening as needed. This work relates to the Plant Protection Act and the required survey work. Work is Monday to Friday and 40 hours a week. This is a seasonal or summer position from approximately May to end of August or September. Other related duties as required. This position may require statewide travel with most travel mainly focused in Southern New Jersey. Additional training may be added and required during employment as necessary and this TES position will be under a supervisor’s training and guidance in the Division of Plant Industry.

REQUIREMENTS

EXPERIENCE: Applicants with a background in entomology, horticulture, forestry, or other related fields is preferred, but not necessary. Outdoor work experience is preferred.  Applicants must have the ability to walk several miles over uneven ground.

Applicants must have a valid driver’s license in the State of New Jersey and are required to use their personal vehicle; mileage will be reimbursed at $0.47 per mile. 

NOTE: All college degrees (both U.S. and non-U.S.) and/or transcripts from a college or university must be evaluated for accreditation by the closing date of posting.  Transcripts must be submitted with a resume. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in ineligibility.

NOTE: Foreign transcripts must be evaluated by a recognized evaluation service at your expense. Please submit a copy of the evaluation with each application that requires a college degree or credits. For additional information, please refer to the Civil Service Commission website at: https://www.nj.gov/csc/

LICENSE: Appointees will be required to possess a driver’s license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle rather than employee mobility is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position 

AUTHORIZATION TO WORK: The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States according to the Department of Homeland Security, United States Citizenship, and Immigration Services regulations. 

NOTE:  The State of New Jersey does not provide sponsorships for permanent residency to the United States or work visa.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Effective September 1, 2011, NJ PL 70 (NJ First Act), requires all State employees to reside in New Jersey, unless exempted under the law, or current employees who live out-of-state and do not have a break-in service of more than 7 calendar days, as they are "grandfathered."  New employees or current employees who were not grandfathered and who live out-of-state have one year after the date of employment to relocate their residence to New Jersey or request an exemption.  Current employees who reside in NJ must retain NJ residency, unless an exemption is obtained. Employees who fail to meet the residency requirements or obtain an exemption will be removed from employment.

SAME PROGRAM INFORMATION 

SAME APPLICANTS: If you are applying under the NJ “SAME” program, your supporting documents (Schedule A or B letter), must be submitted to njdajobs@ag.nj.gov along with your resume, cover letter, announcement number, and transcript (if position has a degree requirement) by the closing date indicated above. For more information on the SAME Program visit their Website at: https://nj.gov/csc/same/overview/index.shtml, email: CSC-SAME@csc.nj.gov, or call CSC at (609) 292-4144, option 3.

BENEFIT(S)*

*Pursuant to the State/Department’s policy, procedures and/or guidelines 

TES benefits include: Earned Sick Time

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer