Food Safety Compliance Specialist

AGRICULTURE - A Cornerstone of Washington's Economy

The Washington State Department of Agriculture has been serving the state for more than 100 years. Through service, regulation and advocacy, we keep agriculture viable and vital in Washington State, while protecting consumers, public health, and the environment. We work extensively with farmers and ranchers, but our responsibilities – from ensuring food safety to environmental protection – touch the lives of millions of people locally, nationally, and abroad.

The agency includes approximately 780 employees and grows close to 1,000 employees at the peak of seasonal work. To learn more and view additional openings, please visit our Employment Page.

The Food Safety Program performs a variety of public health investigations in cooperation with county, state health and federal food agencies to protect public health. Our dual mission is to protect and reduce the risk to public health by assuring the safety of the State's food supply while facilitating the movement of Washington agricultural products in domestic and international markets. We do this by:

• Inspecting and analyzing food products and food processing and handling; inspecting food storage establishments and practices.
• Inspecting dairy farms and plants.
• Inspecting eggs for quality and weight standards, setting and enforcing sanitary standards for egg graders.
• Inspecting custom farm slaughterers, custom meat facilities.
• Licensing dairy technicians.
• Issuing Export Certificates of Sanitation and Free Sale for food products manufactured in Washington State.
• Issuing licensing for Direct Sellers.
• Issuing voluntary Hemp Extract Facility Certification.

Food businesses operating in the State of Washington that process and/or warehouse manufactured food products for distribution in commerce and resale by other food businesses must follow safe food handling and/or processing practices to protect the public from illness or injury caused by food consumption. Washington State laws, Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations adopted by WSDA, and WSDA regulations detail the specific food safety requirements.

The vast majority of manufactured food firms licensed by WSDA successfully implement the required practices and maintain substantial compliance for operating in Washington State. Compliance Specialists conduct food safety inspections of food businesses to verify the facility is operating in substantial compliance with the required laws and regulations.

The purpose of the Compliance Specialist is to perform inspections, investigations and collect samples to protect the public from unsafe or adulterated food by evaluating conformance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations. This position conducts complex food safety inspections in facilities that process or hold food products including but not limited to food processors, dairy farms, dairy plants, produce farms, custom meat facilities and trucks, egg handling facilities, poultry processors, food warehouses, cottage food permits, cannabis infused edible processors and other food handlers as needed, to assess compliance with state and applicable federal regulations.

The Compliance Specialist conducts or is on track to conduct specialized inspections including the following food types along with the specific federal and state regulations that oversee their production such as Seafood HACCP, Juice HACCP, Preventive Controls, and acidified products or LACF foods. This position performs independent inspections to evaluate conditions found in each facility based on the appropriate state law and applicable federal regulation.

It will also independently assess conditions that may lead to increased risk to public health by discerning between minor and…