POSITION(S)

Navel Orange Worm - Sterile Insect Program - 

Insect Production Worker - WG 04

Letters of Authority (Limited Appointment/ Temporary positions)— Full Time

(Part Time or Intermittent may be available under special circumstances)

LOCATION(s)

Positions are available in the following Arizona locality: 

• Phoenix - multiple positions

SALARY

Determined based on education, locality, and experience.

Depending upon experience 

• WG 4 Salary range $16.26/hour to $20.13/ Hour

WHO MAY APPLY

This announcement is open to all United States citizens.

TYPE OF APPOINTMENT

This is a Letter of Authority Appointment (AKA: Limited Appointment) lasting up to 180 days per service year

(12 months). Positions can be extended for additional years, but no more than 180 days may be worked per 

service year. 

OVERVIEW

APHIS is a multi-faceted Agency with a broad mission area that includes protecting and promoting U.S. 

agricultural health, regulating genetically engineered organisms, administering the Animal Welfare Act and 

carrying out wildlife damage management activities. These efforts support the overall mission of USDA, which 

is to protect and promote food, agriculture, natural resources and related issues. Plant Protection and Quarantine 

(PPQ) is a program within APHIS which safeguards U.S. agriculture and natural resources against the entry, 

establishment, and spread of economically and environmentally significant pests, and facilitates the safe trade of 

agricultural products. Join our team and gain valuable experience working in the field to stop this invasive 

species from harming our nation’s agriculture. 

Applications are being accepted from the general public for the following position:

Temporary, full-time position as insect production worker. Employees will start work immediately and work for 

up to 6 months. The facility is a 24x7 operation, and work may include weekends on either 1st or 2nd shift.
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QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants for this position must have a high school education. Secondary course work or 

experience in biological sciences is preferred, but is not required. A background check is required. 

DUTIES: Duties may include: Disinfecting production equipment to ensure healthy production levels through 

the productive lifespan of the colony. Providing feed to insects, controlling temperature and humidity, and 

harvesting pupae or adults, recording collection data, and verifying that the data is correct and properly backed 

up in case of data loss from any given source. Separating insects into categories and controlling them to prevent 

escape or intermingling. Observing insect collections for obvious changes of life cycles, deaths, and general 

activity, and reporting observations to a supervisor. Maintaining approved disinfectants to clean and sanitize the 

floors, walls, and equipment of rearing rooms, and disinfecting them based on established protocols. Preparing 

disinfectant for cleaning and sanitation of equipment for rearing of various insect life stages. Determining when 

the insect rearing vessels should be changed, notifying the supervisor, or changing it in the absence of the 

supervisor. Operating high pressure steam washers to clean diet equipment, emergence boxes, and rearing racks. 

Moving insects in containers or on racks from one production room to another, according to procedure or as 

directed by a supervisor. 

For more information check out the Navel Orange Worm Sterile Insect Lab 

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/ppq-program-overview/science-technology/immdlarizona and check out this article: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/ppq-programoverview/plant-protection-today/articles/combatting-navel-orangeworm 

DUTIES

Depending on the needs of the specific duty station assigned, the incumbent may perform any combination of or 

all of the following grade controlling duties on a regular and recurring basis: 

Prepares and weighs out different rearing media and diet ingredients using different scales in preparing to make 

artificial diet for a variety of insect life stages, and maintains records of when the ingredients were weighed.

Follows egg disinfection and preparation protocols to establish rearing colony. Disinfects colony housing 

equipment to ensure healthy production levels through the productive lifespan of the colony. 

Operates and/or synchronizes multiple pieces of equipment for the establishment of the colony. 

Provides feed to insects, controls temperature and humidity, and harvests pupae or adults, records collection 

data, and verifies that the data is correct and properly backed up in case of data loss from any given source. 

Separates insects into categories such as sex and/or species and controls them to prevent escape or 

intermingling.

Observes insect collections for obvious changes of life cycles, deaths, and general activity, and reports 

observations to the supervisor. 

Uses variable quality control data and balance to calculate and weigh the specified number of pupae or sterile 

adults for delivery to different customers.

Provides the Quality Control section with a representative random sample of pupae or adults to obtain statistics 

for the quantification of daily yields and quality of pupae or adults. 

Determines daily production of adults and pupae by determining the average weight and inputting that data into 

facility database, and forwards data by email or fax to customers, notifying them of the total weight and number 

of adults and the number of shipping containers in transit. 
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Maintains approved disinfectants to clean and sanitize the floors, walls and equipment of rearing rooms, and 

disinfects them based on established protocols. 

Prepares disinfectant, for cleaning and sanitation of equipment for rearing of various insect life stages and 

disinfects based on established protocols. 

Determines when the insect rearing vessels should be changed, notifies the supervisor, or changes it in the 

absence of the supervisor.

Operates high pressure steam washers to clean diet equipment, emergence boxes, and rearing racks. 

Performs irradiation and irradiation monitoring of insects prior to shipping and puts the information into storage 

and/or a database.

Moves adults from controlled climate emergence rooms to refrigerated chill rooms, and performs all phases of 

the collection process in order to prepare the adults for aircraft release.

Maintains ultraviolet light fiber optic systems used to attract adults out of emergence boxes, and uses plumbing 

equipment and high-speed industrial blowers to clear and clean collection lines and dry them. 

Safely uses autoclave to sterilize materials, water, and objects used in insect rearing.

Performs set-up, servicing, maintenance, tear-down, and cleaning and disinfection of egg layer containers, 

including changing egg laying substrate and hydrating insect feeder pads. 

Keeps all work areas and equipment clean and aides in the setup and preparation for the next day’s duties. 

Follows and obeys all safety guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). 

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with the selective service.

Must have a valid driver’s license.

Must be able to work alone and/or in teams in remote locations. 

Must possess or be able to learn basic insect pest and tree identification skills.

Must be able to travel overnight occasionally. 

QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants for this position must have a high school education. Secondary course 

work or experience in biological sciences is preferred, but is not required. A background check is 

required.

General Experience: (l) Any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the 

position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject 

area of the occupation.
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HOW TO APPLY & REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR APPLICATION:

Please mail or email all required documents to the address provided below.

Required documents:

• Application Cover Sheet

• Current Resume:

o For each position you’ve held, provide name of Position, Title, Company Name, Dates (mo/yr),

number of hours worked per week, salary/hourly rate, summary of duties and responsibilities

o And, provide at least three references.

• Official or unofficial college transcripts (if applicable)

• Completed and signed Declaration for Federal Employment (Form OF 306)

Mailing Address:

USDA, APHIS, PPQ

Attn. Karla Kekela

3640 E Weir Ave 

Phoenix, AZ 85040 

Email: Karla.K.Kekela@usda.gov
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VETERAN PREFERENCE

When applying for federal jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or 

for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must: 

• Provide a legible copy of your DD-214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, 

general, etc.). 

• If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you 

must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, 

character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. 

• Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers 

of eligible Veterans) must also submit a SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with 

required proof as stated on the form. 

• Documentation is required to award preference. 

For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit: https://www.fedshirevets.gov/jobseekers/veterans/veterans-preference/

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY POLICY

The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex 

(including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, 

disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, 

military service, or other non-merit factor. 

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION POLICY

Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. 

Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should 

contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a 

case-by-case basis. 

A reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done 

that enables an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job duties or receive equal access to job 

benefits.

Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodations when:

• An applicant with a disability needs an accommodation to have an equal opportunity to apply for a job.

• An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to perform the essential job duties or to gain 

access to the workplace.

• An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to receive equal access to benefits, such as 

details, training, and office-sponsored events.
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COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement

To ensure compliance with an applicable nationwide preliminary injunction, which may be supplemented, 

modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action 

to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on 

Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job 

announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to 

Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information 

regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety 

protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.