NOXIOUS WEED SPECIALIST III and IV (SR-22) - HAWAII ISLAND (OHHI)
Salary
See Position Description
Location
Island of Hawaii
Job Type
Various
Job Number
OHHI-26008
Department
Agriculture & Biosecurity
Opening Date
02/07/2026
Closing Date
Continuous
Recruitment Information
Recruitment Number OHHI-26008
The immediate vacancy is with the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity located in Kona.
This recruitment is being conducted under the Operation Hire Hawaii (OH-HI) project, a targeted outreach initiative featuring an expedited hiring process, fast-tracking qualified applicants into job opportunities throughout Hawai'i.
Applications received for this recruitment will be reviewed for Legal Authorization to work in the US. All applicants who pass the Legal Authorization review will be referred to the hiring department for consideration and an initial review of the application.
Applicants who meet the initial review requirements at the departmental level may be contacted by the hiring program for an interview. All applicants interviewed by the hiring program will be notified of their selection or non-selection by the department.
The application referral and potential interview conducted at the departmental level does not imply that applicants have met all Minimum Qualification Requirements. A thorough review of all applications received will be conducted by the Department of Human Resources Development and all applicants will be notified of the final disposition.
III Level: $5,107 to $6,221 per month (SR-20, Step D to Step I).
IV Level: $5,527 to $6,728 per month (SR-22, Step D to Step I).
Note: Hiring rates will be based on availability of funds, the applicants qualifications, and other relevant factors.
A continuous recruitment may be closed at any time. The notice of the last day to file applications will be posted on the Civil Service Hawaii State Government Jobs page of our website.
Duties Summary
Noxious Weed Specialist III performs technical research, development and regulatory work in noxious weed and other plant pest prevention, control and eradication; provides advisory services on the implementation of routine cooperative weed control projects; trains lower-level specialists; and performs other duties as required.
Noxious Weed Specialist IV plans and conducts special investigations and/or research projects involving the full cycle of work in the field of weed and other plant pest control and eradication; supervises and participates in cooperative control/eradication projects for a district; and performs other duties as required.
This position may require occasional night work, weekend work and inter-island travel by air or sea, and stays of 1-2 nights. The employee may be required to wear safety gear, including but not limited to respirators, particle masks, safety glasses and splash goggles, synthetic full-length aprons, disposable coveralls, nitrile, chemical resistant, or leather gloves, steel toed shoes, rubber boots and may be exposed to pesticides, dust, and moisture.
Minimum Qualification Requirements
To qualify, you must meet all of the following requirements:
Legal Authorization to Work:
The State of Hawaii requires all persons seeking employment with the government of the State shall be citizens, nationals, or permanent resident aliens of the United States, or eligible under federal law for unrestricted employment in the United States.
Basic Education: Graduation from an accredited four (4) year college or university with a baccalaureate degree majoring in one of the following areas:
Agriculture, Botany, Landscape, or Integrated Pest Management; Entomology; Horticulture; Nematology; Plant and Environmental Protection Science; Plant Pathology; Tropical Agriculture and the Environment; or Tropical Plant and Soil Science; or
Biological or Agricultural Science to have included course work described in (A) and (B) below:
(A) One (1) course in entomology, nematology, pest management, plant and environmental protection science, plant pathology, tropical agriculture and the environment, virology, or related courses; and
(B) One (1) course in agroecology, agronomy, botany, horticulture, plant physiology, tropical plant and soil science, weed science or related courses.
Specialized Experience: 1 and 1/2 years at the III Level and 2 and 1/2 years at the IV Level of progressively responsible work experience performing or supervising research, development, and regulatory work in the prevention, control, and eradication of noxious weeds and other plant pests. The experience must have provided applicants with knowledge of methods of noxious weed and other plant pest prevention, control, and eradication and/or techniques of research in this field.
Substitutions Allowed: Relevant substitutions as described in the Minimum Qualification Requirements, will apply.
Lifting and Carrying:Some positions may require the ability to lift and carry items of various weights with or without reasonable accommodation. The immediate vacancy requires that applicants be able to lift and carry up to 45 pounds unassisted and lift and carry up to 75 pounds assisted by another person and/or with the use of equipment such as a hand truck.
Drivers License: You must possess a valid drivers license at the time of appointment.
Possession of the required number of years of experience will not in itself be accepted as proof of qualification for a position. The applicants overall experience must have been of such scope and level of responsibility as to conclusively demonstrate that he/she has the ability to perform the duties of the position for which he/she is being considered.
Other Information:
1) The incumbent into the position, must be able to obtain certification by DAB as a Commercial Applicator in Cat 9 and 10 by 4th month of employment.
2) The incumbent into the position, must undergo a Pulmonary Function Test to evaluate fitness to use a respirator as required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for positions that have environmental exposures.
The information provided above represents a summary of the Minimum Qualification Requirements. To view the Requirements in their entirety, please CLICK HERE.
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Other Information
The State of Hawaii complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodations in completing an application, any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the selection process, please call 808-587-1111 for assistance.
PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS (PSLF) PROGRAM
The PSLF Program is a federal program that is intended to encourage individuals to work in public service by forgiving the balance of their federal student loans. To qualify, the individual must have made 120 qualifying payments while employed by a qualifying employer. For more information, please click: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation
ELECTRONIC NOTIFICATION TO APPLICANTS
The Department of Human Resources Development (HRD) will use electronic mail (email) to notify applicants of important information relating to the status and processing of their applications as part of our ongoing efforts to increase operational efficiency, promote the conservation of green resources, and minimize delays and costs.
Please ensure that the email address and contact information you provide is current, secure, and readily accessible to you. We will not be responsible in any way if you do not receive our emails or fail to check your email-box in a timely manner. In addition, please be aware that you may no longer receive notification about applications submitted if you choose to disable the Job Application Emails feature in your Account Settings.
TESTING INFORMATION
The examination for this recruitment will be conducted on an unassembled basis where the examination score is based on an evaluation and rating of your education and experience. It is therefore important that your employment application provide a clear and detailed description of the duties and responsibilities of each position you held.
In-person interviews and/or further testing in Hawaii may be required at the discretion of the hiring agency. If in-person interviews and/or further testing is a requirement, applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements and are referred to the vacancy must be available to participate in person and at their own expense in this required phase of the selection process.
Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible. In addition to employment availability and score, the referral of qualified applicants may be based upon other factors including date of receipt of application.
CLICK HERE for further information about Equal Employment Opportunity, the Merit Civil Service System, Citizenship and other requirements, Reasonable Accommodation, Veterans Preference, Examination Requirements, and the State Recruiting Offices Levels of Review.
YOUR JOB BENEFITS WITH THE STATE OF HAWAII
The State of Hawaii offers its employees who are members of the civil service a range of benefits. Some benefits are offered as a result of collective bargaining agreements and changes may occur.
A summary of these benefits, which is based on full-time employment, is listed below.
Note: Benefits for NON-CIVIL SERVICE appointments will be provided by the hiring department at the time of interview.
With Civil Service modernization, effective July 1, 2002, employees appointed to temporary positions may also gain membership in the civil service upon satisfactory completion of an initial probation period of at least six months. As a temporary member of the civil service, you will be eligible to apply for promotion and transfer opportunities to permanent as well as other temporary positions. You may also enjoy other rights and benefits afforded to members of the civil service, with the exception of return rights and placement rights associated with a reduction-in-force of a permanent member of the civil service.
Paid Holidays
You may be eligible for 13 paid holidays each year; 14 holidays during an election year.
Paid Vacation
You may earn vacation leave at a rate that other employers find tough to match - 21 days each full year from the FIRST year of employment. This compares to an average of 10 days offered by private companies. You may accumulate up to a total of 90 days (720 hours) of vacation.
Paid Sick Leave
You may earn sick leave at the same rate as vacation - 21 days per year from the FIRST year, and there is no limit on the amount you can accumulate. Expectant mothers may also use sick leave for pre-natal or post-natal check-ups or any illness related to pregnancy. Plus, unused accumulated sick leave may eventually be used to increase your retirement benefits in certain situations.
Other Leaves
Reasonable time off with pay may be provided for jury or witness duty, a death in the family, some military duty, and donation to the Blood Bank. Leave sharing donations may be granted to eligible employees who have serious personal illnesses or injuries or need to care for a seriously ill or injured family member. Various leaves without pay may also be granted with full re-employment rights.
Health Insurance
The State pays a part of the premiums for each employees enrollment in a State sponsored Medical, Drug, Vision, and Dental Plan. For more information, visit the Employer Union Trust Fund website www.eutf.hawaii.gov for coverage and options.
Group Life Insurance
The State provides a free life insurance policy for employees.
Retirement Plan
The State contributes to a retirement plan for eligible employees. Generally, employees under the Hybrid Plan with 10 years of credited service and who have reached 65 years of age or have 30 years of credited service and have reached 60 years of age may retire and receive benefits. To find out more about the options you have, go to http://ers.ehawaii.gov.
Premium Conversion Plan
Participating employees may increase their take-home pay by having the State deduct the cost of health care premiums before payroll taxes are withheld.
Flexible Spending Accounts
Eligible employees can reduce their federal and state income taxes and social security taxes through a tax-savings benefit program called Island Flex. This program allows employees to set aside money from their paychecks to pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and eligible dependent care expenses on a BEFORE-TAX basis.
Transportation Benefits
Participating employees may increase their take-home pay by having the State deduct qualified transportation expenses (i.e. eligible parking fees, monthly bus passes for TheBus, fare coupons for The Handi-Van, Vanpool Hawaii participation fee, etc.) through pre-tax payroll deductions.
Deferred Compensation
The State offers employees a voluntary pre-tax retirement savings plan designed to give employees a tax break today and an opportunity to build a retirement nest egg through voluntary payroll deductions. Several types of investment options are available.
Temporary Disability Insurance
Qualified employees may be eligible to receive benefits for a disability caused by a non-work related injury or illness under this program.
Social Security
As an employer, the State also contributes to an employees social security account.
Promotions & Transfers
For employees with membership in the civil service, the State offers promotion and transfer opportunities throughout the State Executive Branch.
Training & Continuing Education
The State supports developmental activities related to an employees work. In many departments there are numerous in-service training opportunities available. Sabbatical leaves with pay are available for qualified employees.
Travel Expenses
The State may pay for certain business related travel expenses including mileage reimbursement for use of a personal car during work, airfare, meals and lodging expenses for trips to neighbor islands or out of state.
Incentive & Service Awards
The State has a program that recognizes employees for their years of service and provides cash awards for their superior accomplishments and other contributions that improve State operations.
Union & Collective Bargaining
Employees have the right to join the union for collective bargaining with the State and employee representation. Some employee unions provide discounts, insurance and other opportunities. Employees may also decide not to join a union, however, employees are required to pay union service fees unless the employees job is excluded from collective bargaining.
The above information is solely intended as a summary of the benefits available to State of Hawaii employees and is subject to change. Whether or not you are entitled to a particular benefit will depend on your specific appointment and employment status (included, excluded, exempt, non-exempt). Please refer to the appropriate collective bargaining agreement or executive order and all applicable laws, rules, policies, or plan documents for further details. Nothing herein shall be deemed as creating an employment contract, promise of employment, promise of continued employment, or obligation of any kind on the part of the State of Hawaii.
CLICK HERE for more information on the State of Hawaiis Benefits At-A-Glance.
The State of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Revised 01/13
01
RECRUITMENT SURVEY (MANDATORY) Completion of this survey is mandatory. You must select one option; multiple selections permitted. The information you provide will be used to improve our recruitment efforts. We appreciate your cooperation.
What led you to explore career opportunities with the State of Hawaii?
02
EMPLOYMENT STATUS SURVEY #1
Completion of this survey is mandatory. You must select one option. This information will assist us with our recruiting efforts. We appreciate your cooperation.
Which of the following reflects your current employment status?
03
EMPLOYMENT STATUS SURVEY #2
Completion of this survey is mandatory. This information will assist us with our recruiting efforts. We appreciate your cooperation.
If you selected recently laid off in response to Employment Status Survey #1, please indicate the name of the employer from which you were laid off.
If you selected other in response to Employment Status Survey #1, please explain.
if these two options do not apply to you, please indicate "N/A."
04
APPLICANTS ACKNOWLEDGMENT - REQUIRED SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS.
The responses you provide to these Supplemental Questions will be used in combination with your application to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements and/or your final score. Failure to provide detailed and complete information may result in your application being rejected or your receiving a lower score. Do not submit a resume in lieu of completing the Supplemental Questions.
You must submit verification (e.g., copies of official transcripts or diploma as directed below) in order to receive credit for education. In general, proof of education downloaded from and/or submitted through the internet will not be accepted. Education obtained outside the United States must be comparable to education earned at an accredited school in the United States. We also reserve the right to request further information about your academic program, evidence of comparability, or an original transcript.
To receive credit for substitute, temporary assignment, or volunteer experience, applicants must submit an official letter of verification. The letter should include the job title, employment dates, number of hours worked, a description of the duties performed, and a contact name and phone number.
Any information you submit may be verified. Supporting documents must be either electronically attached to your application or submitted to our office via email, fax or USPS as soon as possible. Our mailing address is: State of Hawaii Department of Human Resources Development, 235 South Beretania Street--11th Floor, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813. Documents should be identified by job title and recruitment number.
05
APPLICANTS ACKNOWLEDGMENT (Continued)
Applicants must meet all the requirements for the position they are seeking as of the date of the application, unless otherwise specified. In general, concurrent experiences and/or education will not be double credited unless otherwise specified. Your possession of the required amount of experience will not in and of itself be accepted as proof of qualification for the position. The overall paid or unpaid experience must be of such scope and responsibility as to conclusively demonstrate that you have the ability to perform the duties of the position. Our calculation of experience will be based upon a full-time, 40-hour work week. Part-time experience will be prorated. Example: Twelve months of experience at 20 hours/week will be prorated to six months of experience. Also, hours worked in excess of 40 hours/week will not be extra credited. Example: Twelve months of experience at 60 hours/week will be credited as one year of experience, not one and a half years.
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APPLICANTS ACKNOWLEDGMENT - MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS (Complete information and details)
The information provided in the job announcement represents a summary of the complete Minimum Qualification Requirements. A live link to the complete Minimum Qualification Requirements was provided to me in the job announcement.
07
BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT
Do you possess a bachelors degree with a major in one of the following areas:
Agriculture, Botany, Landscape, or Integrated Pest Management; Entomology; Horticulture; Nematology; Plant and Environmental Protection Science; Plant Pathology; Tropical Agriculture and the Environment; or Tropical Plant and Soil Science; or
Biological or Agricultural Science to have included course work described in (A) and (B) below: A) One (1) course in entomology, nematology, pest management, plant and environmental protection science, plant pathology, tropical agriculture and the environment, virology, or related courses; and B) One (1) course in agroecology, agronomy, botany, horticulture, plant physiology, tropical plant and soil science, weed science or related courses.
08
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT (Part 1)
How many years of progressively responsible work experience performing or supervising research, development, and regulatory work in the prevention, control, and eradication of noxious weeds and other plant pests as described in the Minimum Qualification Requirements do you possess?
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SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT (Part 2)
If you answered "No Experience" to the question above, indicate "N/A" or "None" below and proceed to the next question. If you answered YES to the question above, list each employer and position where you gained this type of experience.
The information for each employer and position should include responses to ALL the following questions:
A. Employer name, your job title, dates of employment and number of hours worked per week.
If your employment was seasonal, be sure to provide the exact dates (From-to, month/year) you worked during each season and/or any breaks in employment.
B. Describe this employer (e.g. government agency, university program, volunteer group, internship, etc.). If your experience was gained through an internship, work study program, etc., please indicate if the experience was gained as part of your university studies.
C. What was the primary mission of your agency or organization, the types of services provided, and to whom these services were provided (clientele)?
D. Describe the section or department you worked in. List the staff you worked with (e.g., Entomologists, Botanist, Research Assistant, etc.).
E. What was the primary function of your position, including your major duties and responsibilities?
F. For each employer, describe in detail your experience, if any, involving the performance or supervision of research, development, and regulatory work in each of the following areas. Be descriptive in the methods and/techniques used and provide relevant examples:
1) Prevention of noxious weeds and other plant pests.
2) Control of noxious weeds and other plant pests.
3) Eradication of noxious weeds and other plant pests.
G. What kinds of hand tools, power equipment, laboratory, and/or field equipment did you use in the daily performance of your work?
H. Do you have experience using herbicides and pesticides? Are you a certified pesticide applicator? If yes, please explain and provide a copy of your certification.
I. Did you work with officials or agencies at the federal, state, county, private and/or community levels for the prevention, control and eradication of noxious weeds and pests? If yes, List the agencies you worked with, and the purpose and nature of your involvement and experiences with each one.
J. What was the official job title of your supervisor? Describe in detail how your duties and authority differed from your supervisor.
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SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED
Please indicate if you are using an education substitution as described in the Minimum Qualification Requirements to substitute for some of the required Specialized Experience.
In order to receive credit for your academic training, you MUST SUBMIT a copy of your OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS, identified by the job and recruitment number as verification.
NOTE: Refer to the Minimum Qualification Requirements (see link) for more information regarding the education substitution. Possession of higher education may not be sufficient to meet all of the required Specialized Experience Requirement.
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HRD USE ONLY. ACCEPT PENDING ITEMS:
Required Question
Employer State of Hawaii
Address DHRD - Employee Staffing Division
235 S. Beretania Street, 11th Floor, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96813-2437
Phone 808-587-1111 or 1-877-447-5990 (TTY)