ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALIST II - 42000827 (FOR INTERNAL AGENCY EMPLOYEES ONLY)

State of Florida • Orlando, FL

3d • $48,215 - $55,447 • Onsite

About The Position

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Food Safety, Bureau of Quality Management, is hiring an Environmental Specialist II for an internal agency opportunity. Headquarters may be located in Brevard, Citrus, Flagler, Hernando, Lake, Leon, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Putnam, Seminole, Sumter, or Volusia County. The position carries regulatory responsibilities under Florida law and requires residence in areas specified by Division Policy A-10. Occasional travel is required; some duties involve evening, weekend, or holiday activity, including overnight or extended travel.

The position implements food safety training, prepares new employees for standardization, trains personnel in risk-based inspection methods, develops training materials, and provides retraining. It also conducts regulatory inspections of food establishments under FDACS jurisdiction, evaluates food processes and safety controls, documents deficiencies, explains applicable requirements, and initiates enforcement actions when warranted. Related work includes food sampling and testing, label and advertising reviews, investigations, equipment maintenance, complaint and food-borne illness investigations, emergency response, and administrative reporting.

Employees conducting food establishment inspections must pass and maintain the training and certification required by Florida Administrative Code Rule 5K-4.021 within 12 months of appointment. The successful applicant must pass a background screening, including fingerprinting. A valid Class E driver license is required.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent and one year of experience in environmental protection, regulation, or health; a physical or natural science; agriculture; or engineering; or a high school diploma or equivalent and six months of experience as an Environmental Specialist I or higher with the State of Florida; or a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
• Possession of a valid Class E driver license.
• Must reside in an area specified by Division Policy A-10.
• Must pass and maintain the food-inspection training and certification required by Rule 5K-4.021, Florida Administrative Code, within 12 months of appointment, if appointed to a position involving food establishment inspections under Chapter 500, Florida Statutes.
• Must pass a background screening, including fingerprinting.
• Ability to lift and carry 50 pounds.
• Knowledge of biological, chemical, physical, and environmental factors affecting food safety and related control measures.
• Working knowledge of the current electronic database system, food-safety statutes and rules, and personal computer hardware and software.
• Ability to assess food-establishment structures, environments, equipment, methods, and controls for regulatory and sanitation compliance.
• Knowledge of specialized food processing, pathogens associated with food-borne illness, relevant growth conditions and food substrates, control measures, and application of these factors to HACCP plans.
• Knowledge of food additives, preservatives, coloring agents, and chemicals used in or incidental to food processing and storage.
• Skill in documenting sanitation and regulatory discrepancies and advising management about corrective action.
• Knowledge and proficiency in examining and testing foods for compliance, including test-kit and equipment use.
• Ability to exercise professional judgment during inspections and when instituting enforcement actions.
• Skill in preparing accurate and timely reports.
• Ability to troubleshoot and resolve basic personal-computer hardware and software operating problems.
• Ability to train and instruct others on regulations and procedures using sound communication skills.
• Availability for occasional travel; some tasks require evening, weekend, or holiday activity, including overnight or extended travel.

Responsibilities

• Implement the food safety training program and prepare new employees for standardization.
• Conduct district training for new personnel using risk-based inspection methodology, provide training at district meetings, and retrain personnel as required.
• Assist with researching and writing training modules for district and annual meetings, online training, and other training activities.
• Accompany inspectors on re-inspections, follow-up visits, and visits to recurring problematic firms when administrative action is anticipated.
• Model and explain risk-based inspection elements and professional inspection practices.
• Conduct regulatory inspections of food establishments under FDACS jurisdiction for compliance with regulatory, sanitation, and consumer-protection requirements.
• Evaluate food processing methods, production controls, equipment and structural design and maintenance, and personnel practices to assess food safety.
• Perform inspections or reviews for contract or cooperative-agreement programs with federal partners, including FDA and USDA.
• Conduct initial inspections of food establishments and assess their food processes and activities to determine applicable food-safety requirements.
• Use science-based knowledge to assess compliance for specialized food processes, including reduced oxygen packaging, low-acid food processing, seafood processing, and acidified foods.
• Prepare reports documenting regulatory deficiencies and explain public-health laws, rules, and sanitation and safety standards, including necessary corrective actions.
• Initiate stop-sale orders, stop-use orders, release notices, movement of goods under stop-sale orders, and other documents as indicated by inspection findings.
• Inspect and sample foods for compliance with consumer-protection standards and take enforcement action based on food-testing results.
• Review food labels and advertising for misrepresentation and required consumer information; select and collect food samples for laboratory analysis and investigate possible adulteration or other violations.
• Operate, calibrate, and maintain inspection test equipment, including thermometers and sanitizer test kits, and train employees in food evaluation and sampling.
• Investigate consumer complaints and food-borne illnesses; conduct follow-up reporting, information requests, initial and special inspections, multi-agency investigations, special projects, and emergency-response work.
• Exercise professional judgment and institute appropriate enforcement actions while applying relevant statutes, rules, and legal requirements.
• Prepare and submit accurate, timely inspection, sample-collection, and consumer-complaint reports, daily activity records, travel and expense vouchers, and other required documents.
• Attend designated training sessions and courses, follow department policies and procedures, and perform other related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Annual and sick leave benefits
• Nine paid holidays and one personal holiday each year
• State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision, and supplemental insurance
• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Tuition waivers

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED