Laboratory Evaluation Officer/Dairy Products Inspector - Polk Co

State of Iowa • Des Moines - 50313 - Polk County, IA

6d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Dairy Products Control Bureau seeks to fill an Agriculture Compliance Investigator position in Central Iowa. This position will consist of approximately 60% Laboratory Evaluation Officer work and 40% Dairy Products Inspector work, covering all counties in Iowa. The official domicile will be in Polk county or another contiguous county. The purpose of this position is to assist the Secretary of Agriculture with enforcing applicable Iowa Code and complying with FDA cooperative agreement requirements. The role involves performing statewide dairy laboratory evaluation, certification, compliance surveillance, and regulatory activities to ensure Grade A milk laboratories, analysts, sampling procedures, and dairy operations comply with state and federal laws, regulations, and FDA requirements, supporting the safety of milk and milk products and their uninterrupted shipment in interstate commerce.

Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in animal science, animal husbandry, animal industry, livestock management, crop production, agricultural law, motor fuels and renewable fuels, or closely related field, and the equivalent of two years' full-time technical experience in livestock inspection, production, auction market, sale barn work, work on an organic farm, motor fuels and renewable fuels or work as an auditor, inspector or compliance investigator with agricultural operations; OR an equivalent combination of any of the above qualifying experience substituting for the required education (on the basis that one year of experience equals 30 semester or equivalent hours of education) with a maximum substitution of four years; OR certification by the Federal Department of Agriculture as an Agricultural Products Inspector and the equivalent of two years' full-time technical experience in state and federal inspections of livestock feed manufacturing firms; OR certification as an Organic Inspector by the Independent Organic Inspectors Association (IOIA) and one year of experience as an organic inspector; OR employees with current continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes the equivalent of two years of full-time experience as a Livestock Inspector, Weights and Measures Inspector, Meat Inspector or a Dairy Product Inspector shall be considered qualified.
• Must possess and maintain a valid Driver’s License.
• Candidate must be able to acquire and maintain FDA credentials.
• Extensive travel is required for positions in this class.
• Employees must arrange transportation to and from assigned work areas.
• Please include work examples of duties related to the requirements in the application or resume.

Nice To Haves

• Cover letter and resume to be attached to the application.

Responsibilities

• Certify laboratories and milk haulers on a state-wide basis as outlined by the Evaluation of Milk Laboratories (EML) manual to assure safe and wholesome dairy products.
• Maintain quality control records.
• Calibrate and maintain laboratory equipment so that the instruments are functioning properly and have minimum downtime.
• Achieve and maintain certification with the FDA as a Laboratory Evaluation Officer (LEO) and a certified analyst, including required out-of-town training, performance on split sample analysis, and on-site evaluation by FDA officials.
• Assist in the preparation of split samples that are sent to laboratories through the state for their performance evaluation, including analysis of the resulting data and dissemination of test results to participants.
• Inspect dairy farms, plant manufacturers, milk trucks, samplers/haulers, dairy product distributors, pasteurizers, and single service containers and closures plants, which requires squatting, kneeling, and bending.
• Advise customers of current State and Federal regulations.
• Obtain random samples of milk and/or milk products, which requires carrying coolers weighing up to 50 lb. of products chest high, climbing a ladder to a height of 15 feet, walking up to 1/2 mile, and standing for an hour or more.
• Enter data into computer systems.
• Prepare technical and scientific reports.
• Meet specified deadlines.
• Adhere to strict safety and housekeeping standards.

Benefits

• 9 holidays
• sick leave
• vacation
• military leave
• jury duty leave
• Medical Insurance with premiums as low as $210.00 per month for family coverage and $64.00 per month for single coverage.
• Dental Insurance: Free for single coverage and $46.00 per month for family coverage.
• Life Insurance: Basic $20,000 policy at no cost, with additional voluntary supplemental life available at a cost.
• Long-term disability insurance available at no additional cost.
• IPERS (Iowa Public Employee Retirement System), a fixed income or defined benefit pension plan.
• Deferred compensation plan (similar to a 401K) with a state match of up to $75.00 per month.

What This Job Offers

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