Agriculture Specialist ; Produce

This job appointment position is located within the office of Animal Health & Food Safety - Food Quality Services (FQS) Program in East Baton Rouge Parish.

Are you passionate about protecting public health by inspecting food, enforcing quality regulations, and ensuring consumers receive only safe, wholesome products? The Department of Agriculture and Forestry is looking for dedicated professionals—to make a difference.

The LDAF Produce Safety Program regulates compliance and enforcement of the Produce Safety Rule. As an Agriculture Specialist, you will support Louisiana’s food safety and public health efforts by inspecting produce (fruit and vegetable) farms, promoting the LDAF Produce Safety Program and educating farmers and growers across the state.

• Following Policies and Procedures: The ability to comply with policies and procedures of the organization as well as State Civil Service rules, and all applicable federal and state laws.
• Learning Actively
  :
  The ability to pursue learning, seek feedback, and integrate new knowledge to improve personal and professional performance.
• Making Accurate Judgments
  :
  The ability to assess options, weigh risks, and make sound decisions using available information and logical reasoning.

The ability to shape, guide, or alter the thoughts, behaviors, attitudes, or decisions of others.

The ability to build and maintain relationships across internal and external networks.

• Administrative services
• Inspecting or enforcing compliance with agricultural laws, rules, or regulations
• Inspection and testing of weighing and measuring devices

• A bachelor’s degree in forestry, an agricultural, biological, chemical, environmental, health, or physical science, or an information technology, mathematics, or business field.

The official job specifications for this role, as defined by the State Civil Service, can be found here .

This job appointment position is located within the Office of Animal Health and Food Safety. The Food Safety office is comprised of the Meat and Poultry (MPI), Poultry & Eggs(P&E), and the Food Quality Services (FQS) Programs. The FQS program has a cooperative agreement with the FDA Office of Partnerships to implement the FSMA Produce Safety Rule (PSR). This position receives supervision from the classified FSMA Produce Safety Program Manager and will perform Fruit and Vegetable regulatory inspections under the guidance of the Produce Safey Program as needed.

• LDAF Produce Safety Program regulates compliance and enforcement of the Produce Safety Rule. This includes promoting the program and educating farmers and growers across the state. Travel is required in state and out of state. The employee inspects produce farms (fruit & vegetables) to ensure that all FDA regulations are followed in relation to the FSMA PSR. Incumbent collects business data during produce farm visits to accurately account for inventory of all produce farms in the state that grow and sell to the public.
• Issues inspection reports and compliance letters as needed, keep files up to date as required and work with appropriate FDA supervision as required by the Federal/State cooperative agreement. Assist in training farmers and growers throughout the state. Completes training requirements necessary for continuing education and/or maintaining employment certifications.
• Assist the Program Manager with coordinating and participating in education and outreach activities related to the grant, including traveling, attending events, and training various stakeholders on topics related to the FSMA PSR.
• Coordinate and participate in trade…