Plant Industry Specialist ; Pesticide Training and Quality Assurance Specialist

About this Position:
This position has statewide responsibility and oversite of MDARD’s pesticide inspector training activities and pesticide section’s quality assurance program. This position acts as the statewide specialist for pesticide inspection staff training and performs a range of professional duties requiring analyses, planning and procedure development, development of long‑term training objectives and goals, and other decision‑making related to training of field staff.

This position contributes to the development and delivery of pesticide‑related training materials and is responsible for managing workshops and other training‑related events for the pesticide section. This position is responsible for maintaining the pesticide program’s quality assurance plan and ensuring the compliance monitoring program is operating in accordance with the quality assurance plan, including the maintenance and implementation of the complaint response policy.

This position requires thorough knowledge of pesticide‑related laws and regulations and environmental enforcement principles, and comprehension of the full scope of Michigan’s pesticide program. This position requires frequent instate travel.

The position will have a home workstation.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is comprised of four bureaus that use a customer-driven, solution-oriented approach to cultivate and expand new economic opportunities for the food and agricultural sector; safeguard the public's food supply; inspect and enforce sound animal health practices; control and eradicate plant pests and diseases threatening the $125.8 billion food and agriculture system; preserve the environment by which the farming community makes their living and feeds consumers;

and protect consumers by enforcing laws relating to weights and measures.

MDARD offers a positive work‑life balance with optional hybrid work options and flexible work schedules. Department leaders support a great team culture and are committed to professional development.

MDARD is committed to a department-wide diversity, equity, and inclusion program that builds upon our values and invests in our employees. We provide an inclusive culture through involvement and empowerment, where the inherent worth and dignity of all people are recognized.

Possession of a bachelor's degree in agronomy, agriculture technology, agriscience, biology, horticulture, botany, crop science, entomology soil science, horticulture, forestry, landscape architecture, plant biology, plant pathology, plant science, or plant physiology.

Four years of professional experience in the plant industry equivalent to a Plant Industry Field Scientist, including two years equivalent to a Plant Industry Field Scientist P11 or one year equivalent to a Plant Industry Field Scientist 12.

Please attach a cover letter, resume and official college transcripts (if applicable) to your application. For our purposes, "Official Transcripts" must contain the college/university name and address, the degree conferred and date granted, coursework completed (especially if no degree granted), and the Registrar's signature and/or seal.

Information provided in your application, resume, cover letter, transcripts, and any other documentation provided will be used to verify responses to the supplemental questions. Unsupported responses may not be considered further.

Your application for any position does not guarantee that you will be contacted by the Department/Agency for further consideration. Only those applicants interviewed will be notified of the results.

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