Food Inspector or Trainee; NY HELPS - Montgomery, Otsego, Schoharie

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets is seeking a permanent Food Inspector 1 or Trainee to conduct food safety inspections of food establishments in Montgomery County, Otsego County or Schoharie County, NY. The Food Inspector 1 or Trainee will prevent fraud, adulteration and misrepresentation in the processing, packaging, storage, distribution, and sale of food and food products by educating food establishment operators on applicable laws and regulations;

sampling food products to verify food safety controls, product labeling, and contents; and issuing written notices, letters, and reports citing food establishment violations and enforcement actions.

The Food Inspector 1 or Trainee is a full‑time position working 40 hours per week, Monday‑Friday. This position may be based out of your home and requires travel within an assigned region. This is a perfect opportunity for a self‑driven candidate who wants autonomy over their schedule and enjoys working outside the office setting.

The starting salary for the Food Inspector Trainee 1 is $53,764 per year, and the hiring salary for the PEF salary grade (SG) 14. This position requires the completion of a two‑year traineeship. After successful completion of the first year, the appointee will advance without further examination to the Trainee 2 level SG‑16 (starting salary of $59,994). Completion of the second year will result in permanent advancement to the Food Inspector 1, SG‑18 (starting salary of $66,951) without further examination.

Candidates may be eligible for appointment directly to the Trainee 2 or full performance level.

Full title Food Inspector 1 position is in the PEF Salary Grade (SG) 18. The starting salary of the PEF SG‑18 is $66,951 per year.

The candidate appointed at the Food Inspector 1, SG‑18 level, will be eligible to participate in the New York State Performance Evaluation Program. Through this program, employees receive yearly performance evaluations. Performance advances are payable to PEF employees whose base annual salary is below the job rate for their current position and who were rated "Satisfactory" or its equivalent on their yearly performance evaluation.

Performance advance payments are added to an employee's annual salary. Over time, yearly performance advances may lead to the SG‑18 job rate salary of $85,138 per year.

Either 1. 120 semester credit hours which MUST include 24 credit hours in: chemistry, microbiology, food quality control, epidemiology, entomology, food technology, food science, food processing technology, food sanitation, dairy science, biology, environmental sanitation, environmental health, human physiology, genetics, animal science, nutrition/dietetics, or medical sciences;

Or 2. 60 semester credit hours which MUST include 24 credit hours in: chemistry, microbiology, food quality control, epidemiology, entomology, food technology, food science, food processing technology, food sanitation, dairy science, biology, environmental sanitation, environmental health, human physiology, genetics, animal science, nutrition/dietetics, or medical sciences; AND two years of experience where your primary responsibility is in the areas of environmental health protection and sanitation of food establishments, or quality control of food products at a wholesale food manufacturing facility;

AND received a passing score on the most recent Food Inspector 1 examination.

If you meet the minimum qualifications and have an additional one year of experience in which the primary responsibility involves the application of scientific techniques in the areas of environmental health protection and sanitation of food establishments or quality control of food products at a wholesale food manufacturing facility, you may be appointed to the Food Inspector Trainee
2. This will reduce the traineeship time by one year. If you meet the minimum qualifications and have an additional two years of experience in the areas listed above, you may be appointed to the full performance title, Food Inspector 1, Grade 18. You must inform the hiring agency of this additional experience at the…