AGRICULTURE - A Cornerstone of Washington's Economy

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.

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 (ACIS). The incumbent in this position inspects and certifies fresh commodities-such as apples, cherries, onions, potatoes, and pears at shipping point for domestic and foreign markets. This position identifies symptoms of pests and diseases for phytosanitary inspections and issues federal/state documents for the export of fresh commodities.

What to Expect

Some of the various responsibilities within this role:

Inspect commodities to meet State and Federal/State shipping point requirements. US apple Export Act, Importing countries specific work plans and phytosanitary requirements.

Interpret and apply grade standards while performing inspection procedures for fresh commodities such as apples, cherries, onions, potatoes, and pears.

Follow established sampling procedures when marking/pulling and/or obtaining samples.

Identify and document various quality and conditions factors.

Accurately report product maturity, container fill, uniformity, color and size.

Record detailed accurate inspection information such as sample data into F&V’s FA2LT inspection system or appropriate paper documents.

Ensure country workplan inspection requirements are met.

Ensure shipping carton markings are complete and accurate.

Enforce state and federal fruit and vegetable laws and regulations.

Reject inspection lots when product is out of tolerance. Issue off grade/conditions reports for non-compliant commodities that do not meet Federal/State regulations and follow proper procedures to ensure the product has the proper disposition.

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 destination.

Assist with training lower-level staff providing guidance to lower-level staff when asked.

Conduct on-line quality control for industry participating in the Certificate of Compliance Program. RCW 15-17-143.

Who should apply?

Professionals with:

High school diploma or GED.

Special Requirements

Must be able to acquire and maintain a valid driver's license to travel on agency business.

Must be able to acquire and 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.

Preferred/Desired Qualifications:

Two years of college level course work with major emphasis in horticulture, agronomy or closely related field

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, Employee Recognition Leave. Learn more about our benefits on the Washington State Healthcare Authority website.

· 12 paid Holidays & Vacation and Leave Accruals.

· All Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) required will be provided by the agency.

· Commute Trip Reduction Program.

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

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must:

1. Create and/or update your careers.wa.gov profile.

2. Complete the online application and attach the required documents: resume, cover letter, and three professional references.

3. Answer the supplemental questions associated with the job listing.

4. Submit your application.

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

Washington State Department of Agriculture

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Fruit and Vegetable Inspector