Cherry Inspector- Chelan

Full Job Description

The Washington State Department of Agriculture has been serving the state for more than 100 years. Through service, regulation and advocacy, we keep agriculture viable and vital in Washington State, while protecting consumers, public health, and the environment. We work extensively with farmers and ranchers, but our responsibilities – from ensuring food safety to environmental protection – touch the lives of millions of people locally, nationally, and abroad.

The agency includes 780 employees approximately and grows close to 1,000 employees at the peak of seasonal work. To learn more and view additional openings, please visit our Employment Page.
The Opportunity:

The Fruit and Vegetable Inspection Program is one half of the Commodity Inspection Division and provides accurate and unbiased inspection services to the fresh produce and processing industry to ensure orderly marketing of fruits and vegetables.

Commodities are inspected for quality, size, labeling, condition, and contract specifications and may be certified as free from disease and insects as required by domestic and international markets.

This position reports directly to an Agricultural Commodity Inspection Supervisor (Cherry Inspection Supervisor).

This position inspects and certifies fresh cherries at shipping point for domestic and foreign markets.

This position identifies symptoms of pest and diseases for phytosanitary inspections and issues federal/state documents for the export of fresh cherries.

Applicants must be 18 years old. No previous experience is required, but we do require some flexibility with your schedule and reliable means of transportation.

These positions require regular, reliable work attendance, as well as the ability to work in industrial and agricultural settings.

Through our on-the-job training, you will earn a Federal Commodity license (USDA-AMS SC200).

What: WSDA is recruiting for three (3) non-permanent/on-call Cherry Inspector positions. These positions are represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees Union (WFSE).

Where: Chelan. If interested in any of our other available locations, please apply to those announcements also (search "Cherry Inspector" on careers.wa.gov).

When: These positions are expected to begin work the first week of June and last approximately 8 -10 weeks depending on the cherry season. Production facilities operate 24/7 and the work schedule may be either the day or night shift, approximately 5-7 days a week with a great opportunity to earn overtime.

Salary: The base pay offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the preferred candidate's job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The typical starting salary range for this position is: Range 36 Step A $18.75 - Step L $24.23 hourly.

Requirements

Some of what you'll do:

Inspection of fresh cherries

• Perform inspections in designated area.
• Interpret and apply grade standards while performing inspection procedures for fresh cherries.
• Follow established sample procedures for the determined product grade when pulling and obtaining samples.
• Read, interpret, comprehend and follow instructions and methodology in policies, procedures, directives, notices rules and regulations relating to the position and industry.
• Identify and document cherry defects such as off color, skin breaks, bruising, sutures, decay and rain cracks.
• Ensure packed cherries meet row size requirements, by using assigned size rings.
• Record detailed accurate inspections information such as sample data into F&V's FA2LT inspection system or appropriate paper documents.
• Interpret country work plan inspection requirements to determine if product meets requirements.
• Ensure shipping carton markings are accurate.
• Enforce state and federal fruit and vegetable laws and regulations.
• Reject inspections lots when product is out of grade tolerances.
• Issue off grade/condition reports for noncompliance of commodities that do not meet Federal/State regulations and follows proper procedures to ensure the product has the proper dispositions.
• Communicate product grade to warehouse to allow for corrective action if necessary.
• Issue federal-state certificates, shipping documents and other clearance documents for domestic and foreign destinations and FV294 documents.

Functions to ensure regulatory compliance

• Perform inspections in designated area.
• Obtain a sample from each cherry shipment brought to the packing facilities from the growing field for crushing.
• Crush cherries to expose pit and submerging cherries in sugar solutions.
• Identify and collects any larva in crushing sample, adheres to protocol if larva is found.
• Communicate findings with supervisor and warehouse foreman.
• Instructs warehouse to place fruit into quarantine as needed.
• Utilize refractometer to create brown sugar and water solution.
• Monitor soluble solids level in light sweet cherry varieties.
• Inform warehouse of pull rates in order to meet California shipping requirements.
• Oversee warehouse crushing stations and verify warehouse personnel are adhering to protocol, including sugar concentration.

Qualifications

Required:

• Must acquire and maintain a USDA-AMS SC200 (previously FV200 which will also be accepted) license to inspect cherries.

Additional Information