Agriculture Specialist

Full job description Supplemental Information Job# AHFS-51922-5.6.2024-KGB
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 eligible for a 10% increase in salary upon attainment of permeant status.

*This position has a Special Entrance Rate at (SER) each level of the Career Progression Group* Agriculture Specialist 1 has an SER of $19.23 per hour.
Agriculture Specialist 2 has an SER of $20.58 per hour.
Agriculture Specialist 3 has an SER of $22.02 per hour.

The position #51922 is located in the Office of Animal Health and Food Safety, Meat Inspection Division.
This position is located in St. Landry Parish.
Selected Core Competencies: Following Policies and Procedures: The ability to comply with policies and procedures of the organization as well as State Civil Service rules, and all applicable federal and state laws. Learning Actively: The ability to acquire necessary knowledge and skills to improve performance and achieve organizational goals. Making Accurate Judgments: The ability to form an opinion objectively and decisively based on relevant information and in accordance with established standards. Selected Preferred Competencies: Displaying Professionalism: The ability to recognize how your actions impact the perceptions of both you and your organization. Thinking Critically: The ability to objectively question, analyze, interpret, and evaluate information to form a conclusion. As part of a Career Progression Group, vacancies may be filled from this recruitment as a Agriculture Specialist 1, 2 or 3 depending on the level of experience of the selected applicant(s). Please refer to the 'Job Specifications' tab located at the top of the LA Careers 'Current Job Opportunities' page of the Civil Service website for specific information on salary ranges, minimum qualifications and job concepts for each level. Applicants are responsible for checking the status of their application to determine where they are in the recruitment process. Further status message information is located under the Information section of the Current Job Opportunities page. *Resumes WILL NOT be accepted in lieu of completed education and experience sections on your application. Applications may be rejected if incomplete.*
This agency participates in the E-Verify system for verification of citizenship and employment authorization.


All applicants selected for employment must submit to drug screening.


If you are contacted for an interview, please let us know at that time if you have a need a special accommodation for a disability.



For further information about this vacancy contact:
Cody Hulbert
HR Specialist
Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry
5825 Florida Blvd., Suite 1001
Baton Rouge, LA 70806


The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry strictly prohibits workplace harassment and discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, religion, national origin, military service, sickle cell trait, protected genetic information or other non-merit factor. LDAF also strictly prohibits employment decisions based upon or influenced by such factors.
Minimum Qualifications MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
A baccalaureate degree with at least twelve semester hours in agribusiness, an agricultural science, forestry, a biological, chemical, environmental or physical science, an information technology field, a mathematics field, veterinary science, wildlife and fisheries science, or any combination AND an additional twelve semester hours in accounting, agribusiness, an agricultural science, a biological, chemical, environmental or physical science, economics, education, forestry, health sciences, management, marketing, statistics, veterinary science, wildlife, and fisheries science, or any combination.

SUBSTITUTION:
Experience in inspecting or enforcing for compliance with agricultural laws, rules, or regulations, or inspection and testing of weighing and measuring devices will substitute for the baccalaureate degree and specialized coursework on the basis of 30 semester hours with 6 semester hours of specialized coursework for one year of experience.


NOTE: Any college hours or degree must be from an accredited college or university. Job Concepts FUNCTION OF WORK:
To examine, inspect and investigate products, facilities, services, commodities, and/or livestock to ensure compliance with and enforcement of laws and regulations concerning Meat Inspection, Poultry & Eggs, Fruits & Vegetables, Agricultural Commodities, Weights & Measures, animal feed manufacturing, and/or Livestock.


LEVEL OF WORK:
Entry.


SUPERVISION RECEIVED:
Close from an Agriculture Specialist District Supervisor, Agriculture Specialist Program Manager, Agriculture Assistant Division Director, Ag Specialist Regional Enforcement Supervisor or higher level supervisor. May receive project supervision from Agriculture Specialists 2 and 3 during training periods.


SUPERVISION EXERCISED:
None.


LOCATION OF WORK:
Department of Agriculture and Forestry.


JOB DISTINCTIONS:
Differs from Agriculture Specialist 2 by performance of entry level rather than journeyman level tasks.
Examples of Work This position performs work for the Office of Animal Health Services' Meat and Poultry Inspection Program, within the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. This position reports to an Agriculture Specialist District Supervisor and may be asked to assist the District Supervisor with lead worker responsibilities over lower-level Agricultural Specialists positions. The Meat and Poultry Inspection Program is a cooperative state-federal program receiving 50% of its funding from the United States Department of Agriculture. The Program's primary role is to ensure that consumers receive only safe, wholesome, unadulterated meat and poultry products that are properly labeled. The program inspects all animals harvested and processed for human consumption by Louisiana facilities, inspects and approves the premises of regulated facilities to ensure compliance with federal and state requirements, operates a federally accredited laboratory performing analyses on meat food samples, reviews and approves all labels of meat and poultry products to assure that accurate product information is supplied to the consumer. Meat and Poultry Inspection personnel operate under the authority of the Federal Meat Inspection Act and Poultry Products Inspection Act to enforce the regulations governing the inspection of livestock and poultry harvested and processed for human food. Species that require inspection under the Law are cattle, swine, sheep, goat, ratites (emu, ostrich and rhea), equine (not currently funded), domestically raised chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, guineas, ratites, or squabs (also termed young pigeons from one to about thirty days of age).



80%
Performs regulatory inspections of wholesale meat and poultry facilities to official establishments are in compliance with Federal and State regulations.


Inspects all livestock and poultry harvested and sold as food products for human consumption.


Performs ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections on harvested livestock and poultry.


Inspects meat and poultry food products produced by processing establishments and intended for human consumption.


Verifies product formulations for proper use of restricted ingredients.


Ensures that consumers receive only safe, wholesome, unadulterated meat and poultry products that are truthfully labeled.


Takes appropriate enforcement actions to ensure regulatory non-compliances are corrected.


Collects product samples analyzed for foodborne pathogens and economic adulteration.


Provides for the transport of samples to state and federal laboratories.


Evaluates plant facilities and recommends options for changes and improvements.


Recommends changes in Program policies and procedures based on inspection findings.


Collects and submits documentation to support the program's "at least equal to" requirements for the annual State SelfAssessment.


Updates industry representatives and other associated personnel on new State and Federal regulatory policy.


May perform sanitation audits and various product inspections under a cooperative agreement in seafood processing establishments contracted with the US Department of Commerce.
May perform product quality inspections; provide technical information related to product specifications, program policies and procedures in establishments utilizing the LDAF Grading and Certification Program.


May perform inspections at custom exempt facilities within the district.


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.


Maintains documentation and enters data necessary to verify Program compliance with federal requirements.


Has experience with computer systems used to collect and record field data.


Completes training requirements necessary for continuing education and/or maintaining employment certifications.



20%
Possesses advanced knowledge of foodborne illnesses and meat and poultry inspection regulations.


May be asked to assist the District Supervisor and/or lead worker to accomplish advanced tasks, such as overseeing the local recall response efforts or verifying completion of administrative enforcement actions.


Advanced tasks may require addition training and/or travel than that of an Agricultural Specialist 2 position.


Uses knowledge and training to assist other inspectors in the performance of difficult or complex inspections.


Provides project or technical supervision to lower-level Agricultural Specialists positions. Assigns and reviews the work of lower-level Inspectors when designated by the District Supervisor.


Assists to coordinate and insure that required inspections are completed in a timely and efficient manner.


Participates in training of new Inspectors as directed by the District Supervisor.


May assume the duties and responsibilities of the District Supervisor in their absence.


Other duties as may be assigned.



Functional Requirements
Reaching above shoulders
Walking and standing (8 hours)
Light to moderate lifting, 20 pounds with occasional lifting of up to 40 pounds
Occasional bending or kneeling
Occasional demands maybe required for moderately strenuous activities in emergencies over long periods of time
Sit over a long period of time at workstation or in a vehicle for travel
Drive a vehicle to perform duties
Assignment may require daily use of sharp instruments (e.g. knives)



Environmental Factors:
Occasional excessive heat and humidity
Slippery and uneven walking surfaces
Occasionally working in moderately cold temperatures for short periods of time
Required to wear appropriate safety protection (e.g. hard hat)