Job Details

Job #AHFS-51922-7.22.26-TWThis position is located within the office of Animal Health & Food Safety, Meat & Poultry Inspection Division.About This JobJob #AHFS-51922-7.22.26-TWThis position is located within the office of Animal Health & Food Safety, Meat & Poultry Inspection Division.District Parishes served include St. Landry, Avoyelles, Rapides, Vernon and EvangelineAre you passionate about protecting public health by inspecting food, enforcing quality regulations, and ensuring consumers receive only safe, wholesome products? The Department of Agriculture and Forestry is looking for dedicated professionals—apply today and make a difference.As an Agriculture Specialist, you will support Louisiana's food safety and public health efforts by helping ensure that meat and poultry products are safe, properly processed, and accurately labeled for consumers. The program inspects animals harvested and processed for human consumption at Louisiana facilities, evaluates and approves regulated establishments for compliance with federal and state requirements, conducts laboratory analyses of meat and poultry products, and reviews product labels to ensure consumers receive accurate and reliable information.Selected Core Competencies:Following Policies and Procedures: The ability to follow, reinforce, adapt, or develop policies and procedures to maintain compliance with federal and state legal requirements, State Civil Service rules, and organizational policies.Learning Actively: The ability to pursue learning, seek feedback, and integrate new knowledge to improve personal and professional performance.Making Accurate Judgments: The ability to assess options, weigh risks, and make sound decisions using available information and logical reasoning.Selected Preferred Competencies:Displaying Professionalism: The ability to uphold workplace standards through consistent conduct, responsible communication, and consideration for others.Thinking Critically: The ability to analyze information objectively, identify connections across sources, and form logical, well-supported conclusions.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 at home. The EAP is also free for all members of your household.Minimum QualificationsThree years of experience in one or a combination of the following:Administrative servicesInspecting or enforcing compliance with agricultural laws, rules, or regulationsInspection and testing of weighing and measuring devicesORA bachelor's degree in forestry, an agricultural, biological, chemical, environmental, health, or physical science, or an information technology, mathematics, or business field.Job SpecificationThe official job specifications for this role, as defined by the State Civil Service, can be found here.Job Duties:Job Duties and Other InformationPerforms regulatory inspections of wholesale meat and poultry facilities to ensure official establishments are in compliance with Federal and State regulations.Inspects meat and poultry food products produced by processing establishments and intended for human consumption.Verifies product formulations for proper use of restricted ingredients.Takes appropriate enforcement actions to ensure regulatory non-compliances are corrected.Evaluates plant facilities and recommends options for changes and improvements.Recommends changes in Program policies and procedures based on inspection findings.May perform inspections under a federal/state cross-utilization agreement in USDA-regulated establishments staffed by State Program personnel.Works with parish, state, and federal agencies during investigations, supporting the enforcement of meat and poultry regulations.Functional RequirementsReaching above the shouldersWalking and standing (8 hours)Light to moderate lifting, 20 pounds, with occasional lifting of up to 40 poundsOccasional bending or kneelingOccasional demands may be required for moderately strenuous activities in emergencies over long periods of timeSit for a long period of time at a workstation or in a vehicle for travelDrive a vehicle to perform dutiesAssignment may require daily use of sharp instruments (e.g., knives)Environmental Factors:Occasional excessive heat and humiditySlippery and uneven walking surfacesOccasionally working in moderately cold temperatures for short periods of timeRequired to wear appropriate safety protection (e.g., hard hat)Position-Specific Details:Appointment Type:Full-time- this position may be filled by probation or by promotion of a classified employee of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry serving with permanent status.Applicants who are not permanent employees of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry will be required to serve a probationary period up to 24 months.Career Progression : This position may be filled as an Agriculture Specialist 1, 2, or 3, depending on the level of experience of the selected applicant(s).Compensation :Below positions have a Special Entrance Rate in the Career Progression Group*Agriculture Specialist 1 has an SER of $1,538.47 Bi-weekly.$1,646.40 Bi-weekly.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.#J-18808-Ljbffr