Agricultural Environmental Specialist Administrative Coordinator

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry is an Equal Opportunity Employer and State as a Model Employer (SAME) to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace. This position is located within the Office of Agriculture Environmental Sciences, Pesticides division.

Ready to make a meaningful impact? Join the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry (LDAF) as an Administrative Coordinator!
This position is listed Statewide and the work location will be assigned once a candidate is selected.

• Collaborate with passionate teams in a dynamic, supportive environment
• Enjoy autonomy, visibility, and the chance to make real impact
• Grow your career while helping others grow theirs

LDAF cares about the well‑being of its employees! We offer a fully employer‑funded Employee Assistance Program (EAP), providing valuable support and resources to help you and your household members thrive at work and  EAP is also free for all members of your household.

• Eight years of experience in agriculture, chemistry, natural resource management, structural pest control, or inspection or enforcement for compliance with agricultural, environmental, or public health laws, rules or regulations;
• A bachelor’s degree in forestry, an agricultural, biological, chemical, environmental science, or engineering field plus five years of the required specialized experience;
• A master's degree in forestry, an agricultural, biological, chemical, environmental science, or engineering field plus four years of the required specialized experience.

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

• Coordinates field activities of Agricultural Environmental Specialists with cooperating agencies such as:
  Environmental Protection Agency, Cooperative Extension Service, Soil and Water Conservation, State Police, Department of Environmental Quality and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
• Ensure that all pesticide registrant products meet or exceed the Louisiana Pesticide Law/Rules and Regulations.
• Coordinate with pesticide manufacturers to ensure products offered for sale in Louisiana shall be registered with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry.
• Review and process all special registration requests submitted to LDAF.
• Coordinate with industry, university personnel and EPA to ensure that all EPA/State protocols and FIFRA guidelines are followed for submission.
• Review and propose Louisiana state pesticide laws and rules and regulations, governing the use and misuse of pesticide products.
• Disseminate information to and from other state and federal governmental agencies, such as EPA.
• Develop guidelines, policies and training procedures for the Pesticide Registration program and inspections, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program and inspections, Endangered Species (ESA) Protection Program mitigations and inspections.
• Coordinate and assist with all AES districts and field personnel to ensure that they receive proper training to conduct inspections and investigations according to all program guidelines, policies and procedures.
• Develop and maintain program procedure manuals and databases for Pesticide Registration, Pesticide Marketplace Product Inspections, Endangered Species Program inspections and Pesticide Integrated Pest Management Plans and inspections.
• Analyze and process all inspection reports and data generated from Agricultural and Environmental Specialists in assigned programs.
• Review all program files to ensure compliance with program policies and procedures.
• Coordinate with the Inspections and Enforcement Coordinator when needed to address issues of program non‑compliance and to ensure that proper compliance assistance or enforcement action is implemented.
• Receives inquiries from program applicants, pesticide product registrants, attorneys, consultants, action groups, farmers, the public, corporation executives, university and other educational officials, public complaints, and/or other interested parties, and in response to these inquiries, explains technical programs specific procedures, topics, and/or concepts in simplified or lay terminology. These responses require judgment and interpretation of laws, rules, and regulations as they may apply.
• Develop guidelines, programs and policies for state pesticide disposal programs.
• Plan and coordinate LDAF pesticide waste disposal program events in coordination with state approved disposal contracts.
• Develop and maintain program procedure manuals and databases for Emergency Response. Plan, develop, and implement program priority guidelines and training for Emergency Response activities such as spills from pesticide transport and usage.
• Train and assist Agricultural Environmental Specialists to conduct Pesticide Emergency Response investigations and to proceed with cleanup operations.
• Coordinates federal and state cooperative programs.
• Administer regulatory decisions and recommendations involving…