Agricultural Farm Community Assistant - Trilingual (English/Spanish/Mixteco) Required

Salary : $44,651.85 - $62,732.52 Annually
Location : Camarillo and may be required to travel throughout Ventura County, CA
Job Type: Full-Time Regular
Job Number: 0259AGR-24AA (EO)
Department: Agricultural Commissioner
Opening Date: 01/25/2024
Closing Date: Continuous
Description
WHAT WE OFFER

• General Salary Increase - 3.50% effective 12/22/2024.
• Educational Incentive - An educational incentive of 2.5% for completion of an associate's degree, 3.5% for completion of a bachelor's degree, OR 5% for completion of a graduate's degree.
• Bilingual Incentive - Incumbents may also be eligible for bilingual incentive depending upon operational needs and certification skills.
• Vacation Accrual - Initially 14 days per year; after approximately 5 years of service increasing to 19 days a year; after approximately 11 years increasing to 20 days per year and then increasing 1 day a year through 15 years of service; topping out at 26 days per year after approximately 20 years of service with a maximum accumulation of 400 hours.
• Vacation Leave Redemption - After 14,560 hours (equivalent to 7 years) of continuous County service the ability to "cash in" or redeem up to 80 hours of vacation accrued in the same year after using 80 hours of vacation in the preceding 12 months.
• Deferred Compensation- Eligible to participate in the County's 401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or the Section 457 Plan. This position is eligible for up to a 3% match on your 401(k) contributions.
• Health Plans - You are afforded a flexible credit allowance for purchasing medical, dental, and/or vision insurance from a group of authorized plans. For Plan Year 2024, biweekly amounts are $502 (employee only), $730 (employee plus one), and $905 (employee plus two or more).
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Choice of participation in the Flexible Spending Accounts which increase spending power through reimbursement of pre-tax dollars for IRS approved dependent care and health care expenses.
• Pension Plan - Both the County and employees contribute to the County's Retirement Plan and to Social Security. If eligible, reciprocity may be established with other public retirement systems, such as PERS.
• Holidays - 12 paid days per year which includes a scheduled floating holiday.

VENTURA COUNTY
Ventura County is located on California's "Gold Coast," approximately 35 miles northwest of Los Angeles and 20 miles southeast of Santa Barbara. Residents enjoy rolling hills and sweeping ocean views in a nearly perfect Mediterranean climate. The beauty and weather combined with a wonderful quality of life are among the many reasons our residents choose to call Ventura County "home."
Ventura County is a "general law" county, governed by a five-member, elected-by-district Board of Supervisors. The Supervisors appoint a County Executive Officer (CEO) to oversee the County budget, day-to-day operations, and to advise, assist, and act as an agent for the Board of Supervisors in all matters under the Board's jurisdiction. It focuses on serving its residents by promoting engagement, strategy, execution and accountability to include diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to ensure that all employees are treated with respect and without discrimination, and to improve culturally appropriate outcomes for community members.
AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE
Under direction of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors the Agricultural Commissioner's Office has been serving Ventura County since 1895 working in cooperation with the California Departments of Food and Agriculture and Pesticide Regulation, agricultural advocacy groups, concerned citizens, and others to serve the agricultural industry and the public. The Office works to preserve a reasonable balance between commerce and regulatory requirements while addressing the ever-changing climate of agriculture, the needs of the public, and responsible stewardship of the environment.
The Office's Mission is to protect and promote agriculture, while ensuring the welfare of the public, the industry and the environment. This is accomplished by enforcing federal, state and local laws, regulations, and ordinances for pest management and pesticide use; preventing the introduction and movement of quarantined pests; certificating shipments for export; performing quality control for produce, nursery stock, and other agricultural products; ensuring truth in advertising for organic products, and farmers markets; enforcing correct labeling for food safety traceability; reviewing land use compatibility with agricultural operations; compiling and reporting crop production statistics; completing damage assessments; and many other activities.
THE POSITION
Under general supervision, the Agricultural Farm Community Assistant assists with communicating information regarding labor law and workplace environment, leverages existing resources, and government programs available for farmworkers and employers; engages with members from all aspects of the agriculture community to build trust-based relationships; grows and enhances the reputation of the agriculture industry in Ventura County; and performs related duties as required.
This position assists in providing outreach regarding resources, and with the development of relationships within the agriculture community and may provide administrative, clerical, and office support as needed.
The successful candidate will have experience in the agriculture workplace including decontamination, pesticide use information, emergency medical preparedness and safety training and be fluent in English, Spanish and Mixteco. Required is proficiency with Word, Excel and Outlook as well as the willingness and ability to work flexible hours that fall outside an 8-hour day or on weekends.
The ideal candidate will have experience explaining laws, rules, policies to people of various socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, serving as a resource and/or contact for individuals and groups with diverse priorities, and serving as a language interpreter. Proficiency in Publisher and PowerPoint is desired.
The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill current and future Regular, (including Temporary and Fixed-Term), Intermittent, and Extra Help vacancies for this and similar vacancies within the Agricultural Commissioner's Office. There is currently one (1) Regular, Full-Time vacancy within the Agricultural Commissioner's Office.
PAYROLL TITLE
Farm Community Labor Relations Assistant
Farm Community Labor Relations Assistant is represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and is eligible for overtime compensation.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
OPENING DATE: Thursday, January 25, 2024
CLOSING DATE: Continuous and may close at any time; therefore, the schedule for the remainder of the process will depend upon when we receive a sufficient number of qualified applications to meet business needs.
REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS: Applications will be reviewed on a weekly basis beginning the week of February 05, 2024.
Examples Of Duties
Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

• Assists in performing guidance regarding routine fieldworker safety inspections to enforce laws regarding decontamination, pesticide use information, emergency medical preparedness and safety training; conducts interviews of farmworkers in Spanish and/or Mixteco to assess the quality of training provided;
• Assists in investigations of complaints of pesticide misuse exposing farmworker community to potential pesticide residues;
• Serves as liaison with farmworkers, employers, and other representatives in the agriculture community to support the Pesticide Use Enforcement Division by translating in Mixteco and/or Spanish languages; may provide assistance to the Human Services Agency and the Public Health Department with their outreach efforts to the Mixteco community working at farms, ranches, packinghouses and other agricultural settings;
• Provides support for activities such as client interactions, records management, and community outreach to champion the County's mission to protect and promote agriculture while ensuring the welfare of the public, and the industry.
• Distributes and provides clarification of educational and marketing tools in support of the program and serves as a resource for the agriculture community.
• Facilitates resolutions; reviews federal, state and county labor laws, regulations, and policies to assist farmworkers and employers in reaching collaborative solutions related to workplace conditions.
• Prepares a variety of reports and correspondence.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Typical Qualifications
These are entrance requirements to the examination process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list.
EDUCATION, TRAINING, and EXPERIENCE
Any combination of education, training or experience in labor relations, human resources, or community outreach; or comparable education which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge and abilities.
The required knowledge and abilities also can be obtained by two (2) years of related experience.
NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Fluency speaking in English, Spanish and Mixteco
• Proficiency in Word, Excel and Outlook
• Possession of and ability to maintain a valid California driver license
• Ability and willing to drive to multiple work locations and offsite meetings
• Ability and willing to work flexible hours that fall outside an 8-hour day or on weekends

DESIRED
Experience preferred includes:

• Six (6) months with agriculture workplace issues;
• Explaining laws, rules, policies to people of various socio-economic and cultural backgrounds;
• Serving as a resource and/or liaison for individuals and groups with diverse priorities;
• Serving as a language interpreter.

Proficiency in Publisher and PowerPoint is preferred.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ABILITIES
Knowledge of:

• Labor and working condition issues, preferably related to the agriculture workplace;
• Applicable federal and state labor laws and ordinances related to the agriculture workplace including decontamination, pesticide use information, emergency medical preparedness and safety training;
• Agricultural community organizations and resources available to the Mixteco community working at farms, ranches and packinghouses;
• Active listening techniques; problem-solving techniques.

Working ability to:

• Assist with educational outreach;
• Coordinate activities among various groups;
• Conduct educational workshops;
• Present information to community groups, boards, commissions, and officials;
• Communicate and translate effectively orally in Spanish and Mixteco;
• Utilize active listening and interpersonal communication skills;
• Exercise sound judgment, tact, and sensitivity in interactions with community members from a variety of backgrounds;
• Use standard office equipment and software, including MS Office Products, such as Word, Excel, Publisher, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Proficiency in speaking, reading and writing English, and speaking Spanish and Mixteco.

Recruitment Process
FINAL FILING DATE: This is a continuous recruitment and may close at any time; therefore, apply as soon as possible if you are interested. Your application must be received by County of Ventura Human Resources in Ventura, California, no later than 5:00 p.m. on the closing date.
To apply online, please refer to our web site at If you prefer to fill out a paper application form, please call (805) 654-5129 for application materials and submit them to County of Ventura Human Resources, 800 South Victoria Avenue, L-1970, Ventura, CA 93009.
NOTE: If presently permanently employed in another "merit" or "civil service" public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar position as is advertised, and if appointed to that position by successful performance in a "merit" or "civil service" style examination, then appointment by "Lateral Transfer" may be possible. If interested, please click for additional information.
Note to Applicants: Sufficient information must be provided under the Education/Work experience portion of the application and supplemental questionnaire to thoroughly and accurately demonstrate your qualifications to determine eligibility. A resume may be attached to supplement your response in the above referenced sections; however, it may not be substituted in lieu of the application.
APPLICATION EVAUATION - qualifying
All applications will be reviewed to determine whether the stated requirements are met. Applicants meeting the stated requirements will be invited to continue to the next step in the examination process.
SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE - qualifying
All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this examination at the time of filing. The supplemental questionnaire may be used throughout the examination process to assist in determining each applicant's qualifications for the position. Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire may result in the application being removed from further consideration.
BILINGUAL TESTING - Pass/Fail
A bilingual fluency test for Spanish will be administered to all qualified applicants and must earn a pass on the fluency exam to proceed to the next step in the examination process.
ORAL EXAMINATION - 100%
A job-related oral examination will be conducted to evaluate and compare participating applicants' knowledge, skills and abilities in relation to those factors which job analysis has determined to be essential for successful performa...