Salary: $42,444.00 – $56,676.00 Annually
Location: Douglas County – East Wenatchee, WA
Job Type: Full Time – Permanent
Closing Date: 8/31/2023 11:59 PM Pacific

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 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. Within an assigned geographical area, this position is a specialist that performs any or all of the duties of the Program Assistant. 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.

The Agricultural Commodity Inspector 3 position inspects and certifies fresh commodities such as potatoes, pears, onions, apples, and 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 commodities. This position reports directly to an Agricultural Commodities Inspector Supervisor (ACIS). This position will perform inspections in Douglas County. 

Position and Salary Information

WSDA is recruiting for two full-time permanent Agricultural Commodity Inspector 3 positions within the Commodity Inspection Division. These positions are located in East Wenatchee, Washington. These positions are represented by Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) Union. 

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: $ 42,444.00 – $ 55,224.00 annually.

Duties

Include, but not limited to:

• Inspects commodities to meet State and Federal/State shipping point requirements. US apple Export Act, Importing countries specific work plans and phytosanitary requirements.
• Interprets and applies grade standards while performing inspection procedures for fresh commodities such as potatoes, pears, onions, apples, and cherries.
• Follows established sampling procedures when marking/pulling and/or obtaining samples.
• Identifies and documents various quality and condition defects such as off color, skin breaks, bruising, sutures, decay, and rain cracks.
• Records detailed accurate inspection information such as sample data into F&V’s FA2LT inspection system or appropriate paper documents.
• Determines if product meets country work plan requirements.
• Ensures shipping carton markings are complete and accurate.
• Enforces state and federal fruit and vegetable laws and regulations. 
• Rejects inspection lots when product is out of tolerance. Issues off grade/condition reports for noncompliant commodities that do not meet Federal/State regulations and follow proper procedures to ensure the product has the proper disposition.
• Issues federal-state certificates, shipping documents and other clearance documents for domestic and foreign destinations.
• Identifies post-harvest decay and perform additional inspection protocol.
• Conducts on-line quality control for industry participating in the Certificate of Compliance Program.
• Performs general administrative activities such as time records, mileage reimbursements, etc.
• Collector of pests for identification. Knowledge of pest collection protocol, chain of custody procedures including how to inspect and collect the specimen.

Qualifications

Required: 

• High school diploma or GED.
• Must be able to acquire and maintain a valid driver’s license to travel on agency business.
• Must maintain a Federal Commodity Inspection License (FV200) for all commodities within the assigned area.
• Must be able to distinguish between certain colors and pass a color-blind test.

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

• Two years of college level course work with major emphasis in horticulture, agronomy, or closely related field.
• Ability to read, interpret and comprehend federal directives, rules, and regulations, and state and agency policies and procedures.
• Ability to communicate clearly verbally and in writing.
• Ability to deal tactfully and effectively with customers, stakeholders, and team members.
• Must demonstrate good time management skills.
• Must be detail oriented.
• Ability to communicate clearly both orally and in writing.
• Regular and reliable work attendance.
• Ability to read, interpret, comprehend, and follow inspections and methodology in policies, procedures, directives, notices, rules, and regulations relating to the position and the industry.
• Ability to operate standard inspection equipment- i.e., sizing rings, knives, scales, tablet computer, pressure tester, refractometer, and thermometer.
• Effectively train or retrain inspection staff under the direction and supervision of the ACIS or Regional Manager.

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:

· A resume detailing experience and education

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

· Three professional references 

For more information and to apply: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/4136433/agricultural-commodity-inspector-3-multiple-positions