Compliance & Technical Review Specialist - Internal

State of Washington•Multiple Locations Statewide, WA

2d•Remote

About The Position

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is seeking to fill three (3) internal, full-time permanent Food Safety Compliance Specialist 3 positions within the Food Safety and Consumer Services Division. These positions are home-based in any county in Washington. The Food Safety & Consumer Services (FSCS) Division is responsible for assuring the availability, safety, and integrity of the state's human and animal food supply. The division comprises approximately 100+ FTEs across five statewide programs: Animal Feed, FSCS Laboratory, Food Safety, Organic, and Produce Safety. It also houses the Rapid Response Team for food and feed emergency responses. The Food Safety Program licenses and inspects businesses that process, manufacture, store, or handle food or dairy products for wholesale distribution, or custom slaughter or custom meat cutting. The program conducts public health investigations in cooperation with county, state, and federal agencies to protect public health and facilitate the movement of Washington agricultural products. This role involves performing complex food safety inspections, investigations, and sample collections to evaluate compliance with state and federal laws and regulations. The Compliance Specialist will inspect various facilities, including food processors, dairy farms, custom meat facilities, egg handling facilities, food warehouses, and cannabis-infused edible processors. Specialized inspections may include Seafood HACCP, Juice HACCP, Preventive Controls, and acidified foods. The position requires assessing conditions, discerning between minor and critical violations, and creating clear inspection reports. There may be involvement in drafting legal documents such as compliance agreements or Notices of Intent to assess penalties. The Technical Review Specialist component involves reviewing advanced industry applications for food processing, determining compliance with regulations for legal food formulations, reviewing Cottage Food and Cannabis-Infused Edibles applications, entering inspection reports into the database, and coordinating with internal and external agencies for uniformity and accuracy. This role also contributes to developing training materials and job guides to enhance the inspectional process and updating management on potential regulatory issues with applications. The position is represented by the Washington Public Employees Association (WPEA).

Requirements

Bachelor's degree involving major study in business, microbiology, food science, food technology, biochemistry, dairy science, environmental health or a degree in a closely allied field.
Additional experience will substitute for education on a year for year basis.
Two (2) years of equivalent public health regulatory related experience or food manufacturing experience.
Must have the ability to qualify for and obtain FDA Commissioning as required.
FDA Commission qualifications (subject to change, discretion, and further inquiry by FDA): Meets qualifications for FSCS position duties.
Citizen of U.S.A.
No felonies/misdemeanors
Must hold and maintain a valid WA State driver’s license.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience working as a Food Safety Compliance Specialist 2
Experience in inspecting, educating, and enforcing state and federal regulations in a regulatory food safety program focused on retail food, food processing or dairy processing

Responsibilities

Conduct advanced technical reviews of all types of food applications including, but not limited to Cannabis-Infused Edibles, Cottage Foods, HACCP Plans, Food Safety Plans and supporting information.
Enter updates with product evaluations and plan reviews to the Food Safety data system in a timely and efficient manner.
Provide recommendations to program staff based on regulatory standards and available scientific information.
Provide ongoing review, feedback, and technical assistance to industry regarding product formulation, processing and labeling that meets current regulations.
Interface with industry to assess future needs and trends to help with program direction.
Work in teams to develop, maintain and improve the program’s standards and processes for all staff.
Assist the program with improvement of product review procedures and identification of future enhancements.
Organize and report significant non-compliance to Training and Technical Projects Supervisor and Region Supervisor for further action.
Perform other tasks as needed by Region Supervisor to support and achieve Program goals.
Help develop training materials and participate in presentations related to product formulation approval considerations and other related topics.
Conducting Food Safety Program public health inspections, investigations, consumer complaints, traceback and recall effectiveness checks.
Evaluate firm’s control of public health risks by performing independent inspections of conditions in facilities that hold, pack, transfer or produce food.
Base inspections on the appropriate state and/or federal regulation and program policy.
Conduct federally mandated IMS and non IMS Grade ‘A’ Dairy inspections, testing of pasteurization equipment, and evaluations of dairy technicians by practical examination.
Discern between critical and significant violations and provide technical assistance to industry when appropriate.
Travel to distant and close locations requiring proper use of state agency vehicle.
Documentation and presentation of inspection and investigation findings.
Provide clear and concise oral and written reports of inspection and investigation findings.
Prepare written reports that serve as the foundation for initiation of enforcement actions including on-the-spot product diversions (voluntary option to avoid embargo), embargo or stop sale actions.
Provide documentation to include but not limited to; photographs, product labels or processing records.
Assist the program in development and review of compliance cases as needed.
Providing technical assistance, conducting informational training to the public, industry or to sister agency personnel.
Provide technical assistance and education to industry and the public regarding food safety regulation, compliance, and enforcement.
Provide applicants with technical assistance to achieve licensing status including the review of construction and remodel plans for compliance.
Participate in developing technical brochures and factsheets to aid and education to stakeholders, peers, and other regulatory officials.
Coordinate and work with other state, local and federal agencies in actions, inspections, investigations, and training dealing with issues of food safety.
Travel to distant and close locations requiring proper use of state Motorpool vehicle.
Conducting Food Safety Program public health investigations, traceback and recall effectiveness checks.
Investigate consumer complaints per state policy and initiates appropriate action.
Act as field support for recall effectiveness checks and other public health events.
Take compliance actions such as embargo or stop sale to remove food from distribution.
Travel to distant and close locations requiring proper use of state agency vehicles.
Collection and preparation of assigned routine samples and collection and preparation of samples relating to investigation of contamination or adulteration of food.
Collect dairy product and water samples at mandated intervals to comply with federal regulation.
Sample food items routinely for scheduled surveillance testing.
Conduct follow-up investigations in response to laboratory results.
Participate in environmental swabbing events as part of FDA contract and state surveillance assignments.
Investigate and sample when inspection observations indicate a potential for public health risk.
Sampling activities may include focused aseptic environmental and product sampling to determine the extent or source of a particular issue of public health concern.
Travel to distant and close locations requiring proper use of state agency vehicle.

Benefits

Flexible work schedules
Teleworking
Dependent Care Assistance
Flexible Spending Accounts
Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Tuition Waiver
Deferred Compensation
Employee Recognition Leave
12 paid Holidays
Vacation and Leave Accruals
All Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) required will be provided by the agency.
Commute Trip Reduction Program