Plant Health Care Technician

We care about our employees, our clients, and our planet. We pride ourselves on creating a team environment and creating value for every individual here at EE. We encourage creativity, innovation, and feedback, because we want to be the best landscaping company in Northern Virginia to work for.

If this is the work environment you’re looking for, we’d love to talk to you!

Position Summary:

We’re searching for a dedicated Plant Healthcare Technician to take a role in providing our clients with the highest quality Integrated Pest Management and snow services available. As the Plant Healthcare Technician, you will help with promoting and identifying new opportunities in each account. We will also count on you to help build a team of highly-skilled individuals to fulfill workflow demands in keeping with the highest of standards—both yours and ours. To succeed in this role, you must be able to identify and treat diseases that affect plant material (trees and shrubs), turf, and grassy areas.

We are on a fast-growth track. As our Plant Healthcare Technician, meeting client and company expectations will secure your reputation as a highly skilled landscape professional in the DMV area. Plant Healthcare Technician is expected to promote a positive company image with clients, among fellow employees, and with the public in general.

Key Responsibilities and Duties:

Client Service – Day-to-Day Operations

• Works on assigned contracts in a timely manner.
• Confirms scheduled work with IPM Manager prior to execution. Completes any tasks or punch-lists assigned by the IPM Manager.
• Prior to the week’s start, creates and reviews their team’s upcoming weekly schedule with the IPM Manager to make sure adequate labor, materials and equipment are available according to job estimates.
• Communicates daily with IPM Manager on performance and productivity methods and results. 
• Assists IPM Manager to evaluate results, provides suggestions for improvement to maximize business opportunities and reach company financial goals.
• Makes sure to have the appropriate tools and equipment to meet the needs of the assigned work. 
• Make sure to accurately record and turn in labor and materials used in a timely manner, as per company policy.
• Completes all request forms pertaining to workforce management, materials, equipment, safety gear, tools etc. in a timely manner to the appropriate party(ies) when needed.
• Ensures that assigned work is conducted in a safe manner, following company policy and procedures as well as label instructions SDS, equipment/tool manufacturer’s operating instructions. 
• Promptly addresses any production issues to IPM Manager.
• Ensures sure to follow up on all clients requesting services by keeping IPM manager informed with work completed as soon as work is done.

Training and Team Building

• Demonstrates role-model capabilities in safety and team management.
• Submits a minimum of 4 training reports per week (when assistant is assigned).
• Reviews training topics and programs with the IPM Manager to ensure assistants and overall IPM team are aware of procedures and team is in compliance with all applicable regulations.
• Completes assigned Greenius training consistently and in a timely manner.
• Reviews applicable manuals and materials to ensure upkeep of personal licensure and assigned Registered Technicians.
• Assist in the training of new Managers to become Registered Technicians or Commercial Applicators when needed.

Financial Control and Budget Management

• Assists IPM Manager with reviews and monitors the financial results of all jobs in progress using established company guidelines to ensure that active jobs are achieving the financial performance goals; follows developed corrective actions to resolve performance problems for under-performing jobs.

• Ensures labor and materials direct cost estimates are met or under projections.
• Adjusts labor hours as necessary to ensure adequate financial cost and timely completion.
• Periodically reviews pesticides label rates with IPM Manager for assigned work and provides feedback to those estimating work.
• Maintains accurate inventory records and conducts periodic counts for all materials on hand, tools, vehicles/equipment, employee uniforms and other direct or indirect costs as required by the company.
• Ensures that inventory control sheets are up to date.

Equipment and Vehicle Use and Care

• Demonstrates good care, cleanliness and custody of truck, trailer, tools, and equipment by following preventative IPM procedures.

• Understands and ensures compliance with the driving policies.
• Understands and follows State Weight Station requirements and procedures, as required by law.
• Follows and understands company procedures for vehicle or equipment breakdown or other incidents.
• Understands the procedures for the usage of snow and ice equipment.
• Follows and communicates to IPM Manager requests for service and/or repair work from the shop staff.
• Assists actively researching for new tools, vehicles, and equipment available in the marketplace.
• Understands handling and safety of Spray Rig operations including calibration.
• Understands handling and safety of motorized spreaders and sprayers. Must be able to read and interpret equipment manuals.

Use and Handling of Restricted-Use Pesticides and Fertilizers

• Understands the importance of Recordkeeping and Application tracking.
• Understands THE LABEL IS THE LAW.
• Complies with all local, city, county, state, and federal procedures and guidelines of pesticide usage.
• Understands the importance of PPE and safe handling of all hazardous materials.
• Demonstrates great care in cleanliness, spill management, and application method when using chemical materials.
• Turns in application records, inventory sheets, and completes material tracking documentation whenever a chemical is used in a timely manner (No excuses or exceptions allowed).

Job Qualifications:

Experience and Education

• Minimum 2-year college degree in horticulture, turf management, plant health care, proper spray of material certifications or related field preferred or proven relevant experience.
• Minimum 3 years of plant health care, processes, and applications.
• Have Plant Identification knowledge.
• Have Pesticide license and be able to pass the 3A commercial exam within 90 days of employment.
• Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment and sufficiently manage time to meet deadlines.
• Must be able to organize self and work area to maximize efficiency and minimize errors/loss of documentation.

Language Skills

• Must be able to read, write and converse in fluent English with clients, co-workers, government representatives and the public at-large.
• Must possess basic Spanish conversational skills.

Computer Skills

• Be able to work with company software BOSS and all its applications.
• Create, Interpret, edit and print information using Excel and WORD software applications.
• Open, create, send and receive inter and intra-company e-mails.

Mathematical Skills

• Must possess a basic knowledge of addition, subtraction, multiplication & division.
•  Ability to calculate the following:  percentages, area, circumference, volume, diameter by use of basic geometric and other job specific mathematical calculations. 

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Employee is frequently required to stand, walk, handle, reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, talk and hear.  Occasionally, employee will sit, climb, or balance.  The employee must occasionally lift and /or move objects up to 100 pounds. Vision ability includes close vision, distance vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
• Employees in this position are periodically exposed to outside weather conditions including extreme cold, heat, wind, and rain.  Employees are occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals. Employees are occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts.

Experience and Education

• Minimum 2-year college degree in horticulture, turf management or related field preferred or proven relevant experience (preferred).
• Minimum 3 years of landscape maintenance and IPM processes and applications (preferred).
• Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment and sufficiently manage time to meet deadlines.
• Must be able to organize self and work area to maximize efficiency and minimize errors/loss of documentation.
• Have a VA Registered Technician license and be able to pass the 3A Commercial exam within 90 days of employment.