Manager Biological Control Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Requisition No: 882506 

Agency: Agriculture and Consumer Services

Working Title: BIOLOGICAL GREENHOUSE SUPERVISOR - SES - 42005268

 Pay Plan: SES

Position Number: 42005268 

Salary:  $47,000.20-$51,700.22 

Posting Closing Date: 09/03/2026 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

BIOLOGICAL GREENHOUSE SUPERVISOR-SES

(CLASS TITLE: ENVIRONMENTAL SUPERVISOR I - SES)

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES

DIVISION OF PLANT INDUSTRY

***OPEN COMPETITIVE OPPORTUNITY***

CONTACT:

Lourdes Perez Cordero, Phone (863) 350-0574

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

A high school diploma or its equivalent and two and a half (2.5) years of experience in apiculture, environmental protection, regulation, or health; one of the physical or natural sciences; or engineering; or

A high school diploma or its equivalent and two (2) years of experience as an Environmental Specialist I or higher with the State of Florida; or

A bachelor's degree (4 years) from an accredited college or university and one (1) year of experience as described above.

Requires possession of a valid Class E driver license.

EDUCATIONAL NOTE: Graduates utilizing education attained in the United States to meet the minimum requirements of a position will not be appointed until verification of the applicable degree has been obtained. Foreign trained graduates utilizing a degree attained outside of the United States to meet the minimum requirements of a position must be prepared to provide a copy of a credential evaluation conducted by an Approved Credential Evaluation Agency.  A list of approved agencies can be viewed at "Approved Credential Evaluation Agencies, Florida Department of Education." Approved Credential Evaluation Agencies (fldoe.org) 

***ATTENTION CANDIDATES***

To be considered for a position with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:

• All fields in the Candidate Profile must be completed (an attached resume is not a substitution for the information required on the candidate profile).
• Work history, duties and responsibilities, hours worked, supervisor, and formal education fields, etc. must be filled out to determine qualifications for this position.
• Responses to Qualifying Questions must be verifiable in the Candidate Profile.
  

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services values
and supports employment of individuals with disabilities. Qualified
individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Occasional travel, including overnight and sometimes up to two weeks on an emergency program, required.

NOTES:

To maintain fairness and integrity, applicants are required to provide honest and authentic responses during all stages of the evaluation and selection process. Applicants must rely on their own personal knowledge, thoughts, and impressions. A candidate's use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to answer qualifying questions or participate in interviews will be taken into consideration when determining qualification for the position.

JOB DUTIES:

GENERAL STATEMENT: This is a professional supervisory position responsible for the establishment and maintenance of biological control agents used in ongoing and new biological control programs. Position assists with management of daily technical production and performs work alongside subordinate laboratory technicians.

Employee Management: The incumbent spends majority of their time communicating with, motivating, providing or coordinating training, and directing the work of subordinates. In addition, the incumbent must complete timely performance appraisals, develop accurate work plans, and timely approve attendance and leave for each subordinate. Incumbent has the authority to make recommendations for special pay increases, reclassifications, hiring, and disciplinary actions, when appropriate. Trains technicians, biologists and others on plant care, biological control, quality control, and recordkeeping. Tracks employee activities and monitors work product. Conducts evaluations of subordinate employees and encourages and promotes teamwork among co-workers. Participates in recruitment and training of new employees.

Investigates accidents and injuries to subordinates. Conducts job safety analysis per Department Safety Manual. Maintains office and personnel inventories and assignments.

Biocontrol Operations: Initiates, cultivates, produces, and maintains plants and insects needed for research and mass-rearing programs. Develops and implements standard operating procedures to ensure effectiveness and efficiency in plant production and other mass rearing operations as instructed by management. Works with other employees to grow plant species such as citrus, orange jasmine and others for rearing host insects. Monitors plant health and maintains healthy growing conditions. Determines and directs appropriate pruning, watering, fertilizing, and pest control schedules according to the needs of the insect rearing operation, assigns plants to specific rearing cohorts, and prunes plants to achieve desired growth characteristics to maximize insect production. Maintains appropriate plant inventory levels.

Maintains appropriate use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during pesticide application in accordance with safety protocols.

Facility Management: Ensures that laboratories and greenhouses are operational and sanitized properly. Assists in managing the biological control laboratory and greenhouse facilities. Duties include managing contract services and contractors engaging in the construction and repair of buildings, equipment, and facilities. Receives and oversees the installation of specialized equipment. Monitors the function of laboratory and greenhouse equipment. Serves as a point of contact for service providers for the facility. Makes recommendations for the acquisition or repair of laboratory equipment and the construction and repair of facilities necessary to operations. Responsible for maintaining greenhouses (plumbing, electrical, and structural) containing potted plants, and for informing supervisor of any problems, issues, or suggestions for improvement. Performs standard greenhouse maintenance and repairs.

Records and Data Management: Maintains technical records and data for all observations, rearing programs, experiments, and facility maintenance and repair. Provides data on plant production, quality, and future needs/expectations for plant growth. Analyzes data using appropriate statistical methodology.

Performs other tasks as assigned by management.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of general facility maintenance and repair.
• Knowledge of agricultural practices, including plant maintenance and insect rearing techniques.
• Knowledge of safety protocols and appropriate use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as they relate to pesticide application.
• Skilled in caring for living organisms.
• Skilled in making innovations to equipment and techniques.
• Skilled in data compilation and organization.
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to interpret rules and regulations.
• Ability to interpret and implement established standard operating procedures.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to manage resources including funding, personnel, equipment, and supplies.
• Ability to prioritize, assign tasks, and follow up on completion.
• Ability to motivate employees.
• Ability to lift 35 lbs objects and bend repetitiously.
• Ability to work in extreme hot, cold, and humid temperature environments.
• Ability to walk in natural and cultivated areas with uneven ground and in inclement weather.
• Ability to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) properly.
  

The Benefits of Working for the State of Florida

Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck.  The State's total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits including:

• Annual and Sick Leave benefits;
• Nine paid holidays and one Personal holiday each year;
• State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision and other supplemental insurance options;
• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions (For more information, please visit www.myfrs.com;)
• Flexible Spending Accounts;
• Tuition waivers;
• And more!

For a complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com.

For an estimate of the total compensation package for this position, please visit the "Total Compensation Estimator Tool" located above under the "Posting Closing Date."

SPECIAL NOTES:

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.