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.

Special Notes: This is a grant-funded project position and is currently funded for a 5 year period. This position is full-time telework eligible.

ABOUT THE POSITION: The Inspection Administrative Coordinator will be an integral part of the WSDA Produce Safety Program (Program) which encourages the safe production of fruits and vegetables through education, technical assistance and enforcement of the Produce Safety Rule. This position will help support the mission of the Program by encouraging the microbiological safety of Washington-grown fruits and vegetables through verification of Produce Safety Rule compliance. This position will interact on a daily basis with administrative and other personnel in the agency, other public agencies, and the produce industry we serve.

This position will provide administrative support services for the WSDA Produce Safety Program. This position will have the authority to act in their supervisor’s absence in delegated areas, as directed. This position will be responsible for scheduling produce field inspections, On-Farm Readiness Reviews (OFRRs), and other technical assistance visits with Washington farms. This position will serve as the designated data manager in FoodPro, the electronic farm database, to include cold-calling farms to update inventory information; updating communication logs; entering inspection information into databases, compiling and analyzing required reports; and conducting ongoing communication and coordination with the Program’s inspection team. This position will ultimately be responsible for ongoing, bi-directional communication with the produce industry and all aspects of the administrative components of the inspectional process.

For more information about the Washington State Department of Agriculture, visit us at www.agr.wa.gov

• Schedule produce safety field inspections which will include: communicating with produce farms, maintaining master inspection schedule and maintaining training schedules.
• Cold call produce farms to update inventory information.
• Update communication logs and conduct ongoing communication and coordination with the Program’s Inspection team.
• Serve as the designated data manager in FoodPro by adding and editing farm profiles and pulling and compiling reports.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required:

• One year of experience as an Administrative Assistant 1 OR Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, liberal arts, or a closely allied field and two years of responsible office experience. Clerical or office work experience may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis.
• Must be able to work with various computer and software systems.
• Must be able to prioritize work with potentially competing deadlines.
• Must be able to provide their own functional home internet connection and sufficient workspace as this position is an assigned home office work station.
• Must have the ability to qualify for and obtain FDA Commissioning as required.

Desired:

• Experience in agriculture or regulated field/industry.
• Fluent in Spanish

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 in order to be considered for this position:

• A letter of interest to describe why you are the best candidate and how you meet the specific qualifications for this position.
• Current resume detailing experience and education

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.

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 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.

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.

Military Spouse Preference: To take advantage of military spouse preference, you will have an opportunity to identify your status in the questionnaire. We thank you and are grateful for your service!

The Department of Agriculture celebrates our differences and we are committed to a workplace that supports equal opportunity employment and inclusion regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity diversity, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We will also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local laws.

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.