Exam Code: 7TRAY
Department: Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
Exam Type: Departmental, Promotional
Bulletin Date: 1/11/2023
Final Filing Date: Continuous Quarterly (cut-off dates: March 31, June 30, September 30, December 31)
Monthly Salary: $4,947.00 - $6,244.00

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INTRODUCTION
Caltrans is pleased to announce the posting of the Tree Maintenance Leadworker, Caltrans examination. Employment from this examination may be offered in all Caltrans Districts and Sacramento County.

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EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Caltrans is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

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DRUG FREE STATEMENT
It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. All applicants will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective, as the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing civil service, and the special trust placed in public servants.

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WHO SHOULD APPLY
This is a Departmental Promotional examination for Caltrans. Applicants must:

1) Be a permanent civil service appointment with Caltrans as of the final filing date in order to participate in the examination; or

2) Have been employed with Caltrans within the last three years, without a break in State civil service; or

3) Be a current or former employee of the Legislature for two or more years as defined in Government Code §18990; or

4) Be a current or former non-elected exempt employee of the Executive Branch for two or more consecutive years as defined in Government Code §18992; or

5) Be a person retired from the United States military, honorably discharged from active military duty with a service-connected disability, or honorably discharged from active duty as defined in Government Code §18991. Persons applying who qualify as a Veteran under Government Code Section 18991 must submit a copy of their DD214 with their Examination Application (STD. 678).

Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications as stated on this announcement may apply for this examination.   Once you have taken the examination, you may not reapply for 12 months.  Candidates that are unsuccessful in the examination must wait six (6) months from the testing date before reapplying to take the examination.

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FILING INSTRUCTIONS
Candidates are required to submit 1) STD 678 State Application and 2) Training and Experience Evaluation

Examinations and STD678s must be received or postmarked no later than the cut-off date. Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the USPS, are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of examination. Faxed or E-mailed examinations will or STD678s will NOT be accepted.

File by Mail

Attention: Caltrans Examination Services (MS 86)
P.O. Box 168036
Sacramento, CA 95816-8036

File in Person

Attention: Caltrans Examination Services (MS 86)
1727 30th Street, 1st Floor
Sacramento, CA 95816-8036

*Any information submitted in your examination effort WILL NOT BE FORWARDED or be included in the determination of your qualifications for a position.

**Candidates are responsible for obtaining proof of mailing or submission of their examination to Examination Services.

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POSITION STATEMENT
The classes in this series are used to perform a wide variety of tree maintenance functions necessary to maintain trees along transportation facility right of ways, in State facilities, in parks or other natural areas, and to do other related work.

Under direction, incumbents work in a lead capacity with a crew engaged in trimming, shaping, cultivating, removing, and planting trees along transportation facility right of ways, in State facilities, in parks, or other natural areas; and do other related work.

Works with and assists in the supervision of a crew engaged in removing, planting, cultivating, irrigating, and trimming trees; inspects trees for diseases, pests, or other damages; uses and assigns the use of vehicles and equipment including aerial equipment and pneumatic tools; maintains safe operations and controls traffic; and keeps simple records and prepares reports.

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REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMITTANCE TO THE EXAMINATION
All applicants must meet the education and/or experience requirements for this examination by the cut-off date.

NOTE: Qualifying experience may be combined on a proportionate basis if the requirements stated below include more than one pattern and are distinguished as “Either I,” “or II,” “or III,” etc. For example, candidates who possess qualifying experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern I, and additional experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern II, may be admitted to an examination as meeting 100% of the overall experience requirements.

Click on the link below to review the California State Personnel Board class specification which contain the requirements for admittance to the examination:
Tree Maintenance Leadworker, Caltrans Classification Specification

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MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Possession of a valid Class C driver license. Applicants who do not possess this license will be admitted to the examination but must secure the license prior to appointment.  AND

Either I
Two years of experience in the California state service performing the duties of a Tree Maintenance Worker.

Or II
Three years of tree maintenance work including climbing work in trees at heights of more than 40 feet and the operation of heavy equipment.

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KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of:
1.  Various ropes, splices, and knots to ensure proper safety standards for equipment
2. Different cuts used for felling and limb removal to maintain the safety, health, and aesthetics of the tree
3. Tree climbing, power tools, and pesticide safety regulations and practices to ensure safety of tree crew
4. Appropriate rigging procedures and use of harnesses, ropes, chaps, etc. that allows for proper equipment use and crew safety
5. Different types of climbing methods to remove and/or trim trees to provide for the safety and health of the tree
6. Pruning techniques to trim and/or remove excess tree limbs/branches for the health and safety of tree and public
7. Rope strengths in conjunction with wood weights to prevent potential hazards when elevated off the ground
8. Operating and service requirements of various types of specialized equipment to ensure compliance as prescribed by department
9. The minimum levels of tree maintenance as prescribed by current CAL-OSHA and Caltrans policies to ensure the safety of public and employees
10. Proper signing, flagging, and lane closure procedures to ensure public safety
11. Safety regulations and practices when using protective equipment and hazardous chemicals to ensure personal and public safety
12. Training techniques (e.g., maintenance of tools and equipment) to ensure tree maintenance is carried out in accordance to safety and Caltrans standards
13. Basic first aid and CPR to ensure tree crew’s safety in the event of an emergency
14.Common names of trees and their growth patterns to ensure timely maintenance of tree branches/limbs
Ability to:
1.  Climb trees in excess of 40 feet in height by means of harnesses, climbing gaffs, and ropes to prune or remove weak/dead tree limbs to ensure public safety
2. Perform tree pruning tasks at considerable heights above the ground to ensure tree is free of weak or dead tree limbs that may endanger the public
3. Coordinate body movements with tasks to be performed to ensure that task is performed safely
4. Select and apply knowledge appropriate to job tasks to ensure work is completed efficiently
5. Communicate in a clear and concise manner to ensure proper assignment of work and equipment to crew
6. Do the necessary rigging and tying of various knots used in tree pruning work to ensure the safety of the tree crew, property, and public
7. Follow oral and written instructions and location directions to ensure work is completed efficiently
8. Learn new methods and techniques to properly tend to trees to ensure the health and aesthetics of the tree
9. Make independent decisions to ensure tree maintenance crew work is performed in a timely manner
10. Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships to ensure group cohesiveness and successful job performance
11. Read and write English at a level required for successful job performance to ensure proper communication with crew
12.  Recognize potential hazards to ensure safety of the public and crew
13. Operate heavy equipment such as chain saws, wood chippers, bucket truck, etc. to ensure job is performed correctly
14.  Plan and direct work crew (e.g. equipment assigning, training) to ensure job is completed safely, on time, and efficiently
15. Evaluate the daily work performance of others to ensure safe operation and maintenance of tools and equipment
16. Follow safe pesticide application procedures to control and prevent discharge of pollutants and prevent pollution of air and water

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EXAMINATION INFORMATION

Examinations are processed on a quarterly basis.  The final quarterly submission dates for 2022 are March 31, June 30, September 30, December 31 by 11:59 pm. Pacific Standard Time (PST).  The Training and Experience evaluation must be completed and submitted by the time and date mentioned above to be processed.  To submit any work completed hit the ‘CONFIRM RESULTS’ button before the quarterly submission date or your examination will not be considered until the next quarter.

Candidates will be notified of their scores approximately 4 - 6 weeks after the final quarterly submission date. 

This examination will consist of a Training & Experience Evaluation weighted 100%. In order to obtain a position on the eligible list, a minimum score of 70% must be attained.

Examinations will be accepted on a continuous basis. Testing is considered continuous, as new test dates can be set at any time as departmental needs warrant.

***Applicants for positions in these classes are required to pass a drug screening test. Testing of current employees who are applicants in an examination or who are transferring is permitted only if the person does not have a current appointment to a class for which drug testing is a requirement.

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ADDITIONAL DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Possession of a valid and unrestricted Class B or Class A driver license with endorsements for P (Passenger/Bus), H (Hazardous Materials) and N (Tank Vehicle).
Possession of a Qualified Applicator Certificate with Landscape Maintenance, Right-of-Way or Forest Pest Control Category issued by the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal-EPA).

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VETERANS' PREFERENCE
Veterans’ Preference will not be granted in the examination as it does not meet the requirements to qualify for Veterans' Preference. 

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CAREER CREDITS
Career Credits will not be added to the final score of this examination.

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CONTACT INFORMATION
General questions on how to apply?  Click HERE for video tutorials.

For more information regarding this examination, please call the Office of Examinations at 916-227-7858, or email the Exam Analyst at Mary.Chew@dot.ca.gov

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GENERAL INFORMATION
For an examination without a written feature, it is the candidate's responsibility to contact the testing department three weeks after the cut-off date if he/she has not received his/her notice.

Applications are available at Standard State Application (STD 678), California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) offices, local offices of the Employment Development Department, and the testing department on this job bulletin.

If you meet the requirements stated on this bulletin, you may take this examination, which is competitive. Possession of the entrance requirement does not assure a place on the eligible list. Your performance in the examination will be compared with the performance of the others who take this test, and all candidates who pass will be ranked according to their scores.

Caltrans reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the service, if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service laws and rules and all competitors will be notified.

Candidates needing special testing arrangements due to a disability must complete an STD679 and submit with the requested examination materials.

General Qualifications: Candidates must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, and the ability to work cooperatively with others; and a state of health consistent with the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class. A medical examination may be required. In open examinations, investigation may be made of employment records and personal history and fingerprinting may be required.

Eligible Lists: Eligible lists established by competitive examination, regardless of date, must be used in the following order: 1) sub-divisional promotional, 2) departmental promotional, 3) multi-departmental promotional, 4) service-wide promotional, 5) departmental open, 6) open. When there are two lists of the same kind, the older must be used first. Eligible lists will expire in one to four years unless otherwise stated on the bulletin.  Eligibility lists may be abolished at anytime after one year, per Departmental needs.  It is the candidates responsibility to maintain eligibility throughout the hiring process.
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