Agriculture Specialist 1-3

State of Louisiana • Statewide, LA

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The Agriculture Specialist works for the Meat and Poultry Inspection Program within the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s Office of Animal Health and Food Safety. The position is based in Opelousas, Louisiana, and serves St. Landry, Avoyelles, Rapides, Vernon, and Evangeline parishes. It performs regulatory inspections of facilities where animals are harvested and processed for human consumption, ensuring compliance with federal and state requirements. The program also inspects and approves regulated facilities, operates a federally accredited laboratory, and reviews meat and poultry product labels for accurate consumer information.

The position reports to an Agriculture Specialist District Supervisor. It may be filled at the Agriculture Specialist 1, 2, or 3 level, depending on the selected applicant’s experience. Applicants who are not permanent employees of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry may be required to serve a probationary period of up to 24 months.

Requirements

• Three years of experience in administrative services, inspecting or enforcing compliance with agricultural laws, rules, or regulations, inspection and testing of weighing and measuring devices, or a combination of these areas; alternatively, a qualifying bachelor’s degree.
• A qualifying bachelor’s degree must be in forestry, an agricultural, biological, chemical, environmental, health, or physical science, or an information technology, mathematics, or business field.
• Ability to reach above the shoulders; walk and stand for up to eight hours; lift 20 pounds routinely and occasionally lift up to 40 pounds; bend or kneel occasionally; and sit for extended periods at a workstation or in a vehicle.
• Ability to drive a vehicle to perform job duties.
• Ability to use sharp instruments, such as knives, as required by the assignment.
• Ability to wear appropriate safety protection, such as a hard hat.

Nice To Haves

• Professionalism, including consistent conduct, responsible communication, and consideration for others.
• Critical thinking, including objectively analyzing information, identifying connections across sources, and forming logical, well-supported conclusions.

Responsibilities

• Perform regulatory inspections of wholesale meat and poultry establishments for compliance with federal and state regulations.
• Coordinate required inspections and ensure they are accurate, timely, and efficient, including ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections of livestock and poultry intended for human consumption.
• Review product formulations for restricted ingredients and collect samples for foodborne pathogens and economic adulteration.
• Coordinate transport of samples to state and federal laboratories and take appropriate enforcement action to address regulatory non-compliance.
• Evaluate establishment operations and facilities and recommend changes or improvements.
• Perform sanitation audits, product quality inspections, and other inspections under cooperative and cross-utilization agreements involving seafood processing and USDA-regulated establishments, as applicable.
• Maintain documentation for the annual State Self-Assessment “at least equal to” requirements.
• Work with parish, state, and federal agencies on investigations involving meat and poultry regulations.
• Provide technical expertise and guidance on meat and poultry inspection regulations, foodborne illnesses, product specifications, and program policies and procedures.
• Support establishments participating in the LDAF Grading and Certification Program.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Fully employer-funded Employee Assistance Program (EAP), providing support and resources for employees and their household members.
• EAP access is free for all household members.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level