Food Safety Compliance Specialist 3 - Inspection Standards Specialist

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 approximately 780 employees 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.

If you process, manufacture, store or handle any food or dairy products for wholesale distribution, or if your custom slaughter or custom cut meat, you need to contact the Washington State Department of Agriculture Food Safety Program for licensing and/or inspection information.

The Food Safety Program performs a variety of public health investigations in cooperation with county, state health and federal food agencies to protect the public health.

Our dual mission is to protect and reduce the risk to public health by assuring the safety of the State's food supply while facilitating the movement of Washington agricultural products in domestic and international markets.

We do this by:

• Inspecting and analyzing food products and food processing and handling; inspecting food storage establishments and practices.
• Inspecting dairy farms and plants.
• inspecting eggs for quality and weight standards, set and enforce sanitary standards for egg graders.
• Inspecting custom farm slaughterers, custom meat facilities.
• Licensing dairy technicians.
• Issuing Export Certificates of Sanitation and Free Sale for food products manufactured in Washington State.
• Issuing licensing for Direct Sellers.
• Issuing voluntary Hemp Extract Facility Certification.

Food businesses operating in the State of Washington that process and/or warehouse manufactured food products for distribution in commerce and resale by other food businesses must follow safe food handling and/or processing practices to protect the public from illness or injury caused by food consumed.

Washington State laws, Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations adopted by WSDA, and WSDA regulations detail the specific food safety requirements.

The vast majority of manufactured food firms licensed by WSDA successfully implement the required practices and maintain substantial compliance for operating in Washington State.

Food Safety Compliance Specialists conduct food safety inspections of food facilities to verify the firm is operating in substantial compliance with the required laws and regulations.

The Food Safety Compliance Specialist 3 (FSCS 3) - Inspection Standards Specialist conduct complex food safety inspections in facilities that process or hold food products including but not limited to; food processors, dairy farms, dairy plants, custom meat facilities and trucks, egg handling facilities, poultry processors, food warehouses, cannabis-infused edible producers, cottage food operations, and other food handlers as needed, to assess compliance with state and applicable federal regulations.

The FSCS 3 performs independent inspections to evaluate the sanitary and personnel conditions found in each facility based on the appropriate state law and applicable federal regulation while assessing conditions that may lead to increased risk to public health. As the FSCS 3 Inspection Standards Specialist you will be responsible to review the work of the FSCS' s for accuracy, consistency, and completeness, therefore a very high degree of familiarity with the Food Safety Program laws, rules and policies is required. This position is responsible for bringing problems noted upon review to the attention of the Region Manager and to assist them as requested to provide coaching of their co-workers to help them produce and submit high quality reports of their inspection observations.

WSDA is recruiting for a full-time permanent Food Safety Compliance Specialist 3 (FSCS 3) - Inspection Standards Specialist position within the Food Safety Program in the Food Safety and Consumer Services Division.

This position is approved for a home duty station within Spokane County, WA and is a Washington Public Employees Association represented position.

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: $61,404 Step A - $80,460 Step L annually.

Requirements

Inspection Standards Specialist

• Conduct quality assurance review, contract endorsement, and data entry in eSAF and/or other data systems.
• Provide technical assistance and training to Food Safety and Food Safety Compliance Specialist inspection staff on FDA contract requirements.
• Provide ongoing quality assurance review (MFRPS desk audits), regarding written inspection reports prepared by other FSCS staff.
• Assist the Region Managers, Program Manager, and MFRPS and FDA Contracts Coordinator with improvement of current reporting standards and development of future reporting standards.
• Report and organize areas of significant non-compliance with program standards to the Region Manager for further action.
• Review the written FDA contract reports and provide official endorsement and subsequent data entry into eSAF and/or other data systems and spreadsheets.

Conducting Food Safety Program public health inspections

• Evaluate firm’s control of public health risks by performing independent inspections of conditions in facilities that hold, pack, transfer or produce food.
• Base inspection on the appropriate state and/or federal regulation and program policy.
• Conduct federally mandated Grade ‘A’ Dairy testing of pasteurization equipment and evaluations of bulk milk haulers and samplers by written and practical examination.
• Discern between critical and minor violations and provide technical assistance to industry whenever possible.

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 all industries and the public regarding food safety regulation, compliance and enforcement.
• Provide license applicants with assistance to achieve licensing status including the review of construction and remodel plans for compliance.
• Present training and seminars 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.
• Provide technical assistance to applicants in all license categories.

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.
• Routinely samples food items 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 adulteration of food products. Sampling activities may include focused aseptic environmental and product sampling to determine the extent or source of a particular problem of public health concern.

Conducting Food Safety Program public health investigations, consumer complaints, traceback and recall effectiveness checks

• Investigate consumer complaints as they are reported and initiates appropriate action.
• Provide investigation and trace back regarding pathogens or other contaminants found in food.
• Act as field support for recall effectiveness checks and other food borne health events.
• Issue Embargo or Diversion documents to remove the potentially contaminated food from the public when needed

Qualifications

Who should apply?
Professionals with:

Required Qualifications:

• A 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.

• Two years of equivalent public health regulatory-related experience or food manufacturing experience.
• Possess and maintain a valid driver's license.
• Must be able to provide their own functional home internet connection and sufficient workspace as this position is an assigned home office workstation.
• Must have the ability to qualify for and obtain FDA Commissioning as required.

• Meets qualifications for FSCS position duties.
• Citizen of US.
• No felonies/misdemeanors (excluding minor traffic offenses) or pending trials/investigations for such.

In addition to the above qualifications, the following knowledge, skills, and abilities will make a candidate highly desirable:

• History of food processing, dairy processing, or of serving as an individual charged with enforcing some type of laws or statutes.
• Prior experience working as a Food Safety Compliance Specialist 2 or 3

Additional Information

Employee Benefits

• A healthy work/life balance, which may include flexible work schedules, and teleworking.
• WSDA provides an excellent benefits package beyond traditional benefits. State employment offers Dependent Care Assistance, Flexible Spending Accounts, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Tuition Waiver, Deferred Compensation; click here for more information.
• 12 paidHolidays & Vacation and Leave Accruals.
• All Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) required will be provided by the agency.

How to apply: You must complete your careers.wa.gov profile and answer the supplemental questions. In addition to completing the online application, and supplemental questions applicants must attach the following documents to their profile to be considered for this position:

· Current resume detailing experience and education

· A cover letter describing how you meet the specific qualifications for this position

· Three professional references

By submitting these materials, you are indicating that all information is true and correct. The state may verify information. Any untruthful or misleading information is cause for removal from the applicant pool or dismissal if employed.

Applications with comments "see attachments" will be considered incomplete. If you are having technical difficulties creating, accessing, or completing your application, please call NEOGOV toll-free at (855) 524-5627 or email support@neogov.com.

The initial screening will be solely based on the contents and completeness of your application and the materials submitted. All information may be verified, and documentation may be required.

Applications received via e-mail will not be accepted in lieu of applying through the state's on-line recruitment system.

Equity at WSDA

The Department of Agriculture recognizes, appreciates, supports, embraces, and respects all cultural identities and backgrounds while we collaborate in authentic ways.

We hire amazing people that share in the commitment to our Pro-Equity Anti-Racist (PEAR) strategic plan, our Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act implementation plan, and our unique needs and desires for belonging, respect, and inclusion.

We value the growth and development of our team members by providing equitable access to resources and opportunities for continuous learning, improvement, and advancement.

We strive to hire, cultivate, and retain a productive and dedicated workforce that reflects the communities we serve while we are committed to a workplace that celebrates our differences and supports equal opportunity employment and inclusion regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, marital status, families with children (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sex, sexual orientation, gender identity diversity, age, status as a protected veteran, honorably discharged veteran or military status, status as an individual with the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with disabilities or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

Contact Us

Should you have any questions regarding this position or the online application, contact the Human Resource Office at Recruitment@agr.wa.gov.

Prior to a new appointment into the Department of Agriculture, a background check including criminal record history will be conducted.

Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability and competence to perform in the position.

The Human Resources Division may use referrals from this recruitment to help fill future similar vacancies for up to six months.

Veteran's Preference: Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications and wish to claim Veteran's Preference MUST attach a copy of their DD214, or other verification of military service.

Please blackout any personally identifiable data such as social security numbers. For additional information on Veteran's Preference and guidance on how to determine if you are eligible, click here.

Persons with a disability, who need assistance with their application or need this announcement in an alternative format, may call 664-1960 or toll free (877) 664-1960. TTY users should first call 711 to access the Washington Relay Service.