Viability Seed Laboratory Supervisor

This recruitment is open until filled.

The first review of applications is scheduled for October 1, 2026
. In order to be considered, please submit your application on or before September 30, 2026
. The agency reserves the right to make a hire any time after the initial screening date.

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 780 employees approximately 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 Washington State Department of Agriculture's Commodity inspection Division provides unbiased third-party inspections for a wide variety of Washington State agricultural products and assists agricultural companies in the movement and exporting of their products. The division is made up of roughly 365 FTEs through five statewide programs:
Fruit and Vegetable inspection, Grain inspection, Grain Warehouse Audit, Hemp Program and Seed inspection and Certification.

The WSDA Seed Program provides accurate, timely and high-quality seed analysis and certification services while continually striving for improvements in methods and technologies to assure success for the program and its seed industry stakeholders. WSDA Seed Program is a unit within the Commodity Inspection Division that conducts pre-harvest seed field inspections and laboratory seed testing of agricultural, vegetable, native plants, rangeland grasses and flower seeds grown under the certification and phytosanitary programs.

The program is responsible for seed certification, seed testing, phytosanitary visual seed inspection, seed inspection and official seed sampling as well as the program is the state seed regulatory agent. Additionally, the program monitors two seed quarantines to assist producers to replicate disease and pest free commodities.

WSDA is recruiting for a full-time permanent Viability Seed Laboratory Supervisor position within the Commodity Inspection Services Division. This position is located in Yakima, Washington and is not a union represented position.

The base pay offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the preferred candidate's job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The typical starting salary for this position is:
Range 56 Step A $64,512 - Step M $86,688 annually. Plus 15% recruitment/retention pay per month which equals $1083.

• Plan, schedule, assign and review the daily work of staff.
• Conduct quality control on samples performed by direct reports.
• Adjust assignments and schedule to maintain adequate staffing levels.
• Respond to fluctuating workloads.
• Communicate schedule changes to staff and industry.
• Evaluate employee performance levels.
• Assess training needs, coaching, and mentoring of staff and assigns qualified trainers.
• Provide information and instructions on changes that occur in the marketplace.
• Use program approved training material.
• Evaluate trainee progress by interviewing trainees and trainer and using knowledge assessments and tests.
• Recommend AOSA accreditation for qualified trainees.
• Serve as a liaison between lab staff and management…