We at the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) take our responsibilities to you very seriously and are committed to protecting and promoting Georgia's agriculture through superior service and leadership. 

·         The mission of the GDA is to protect consumers, promote agriculture, both locally and globally, and assist our customers using education, technology, and a professional workforce.

·         The vision of the GDA is to continue to be a globally recognized leader in agricultural excellence through a commitment to safety, quality, growth, and innovation.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

This position is located within the Retail Food Program of the Food Safety Division of the GDA. 

1.    The Retail Food Program is responsible for enforcing state laws, rules, and regulations by conducting sanitation inspections of retail food stores.

2.    Regulated firms include grocery stores, convenience stores, bakeries, seafood operations, salvage food operations, mobile meat trucks, and rolling stores to ensure Good Retail Practices (GRPs) are being followed and the wholesomeness of food is maintained.

3.    The retail food compliance specialist conducts random and unannounced inspections of food sales establishments that are licensed by the GDA. 

4.    All retail food compliance specialists must complete retail standardization.

THE CHOSEN CANDIDATE MUST BE LOCATED IN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE TO ONE OF THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: 

·         HARRIS

·         TALBOT

Job Summary:

Duties of this position include but are not limited to:

·         Inspects and investigates retail food establishments for compliance with applicable health and sanitation laws and regulations. 

·         Performs duties in a manner to ensure compliance with applicable rules and regulations.

·         Collect food samples, water samples, and/or environmental swabs for laboratory analysis.

·         Transports samples to laboratories for analysis within the prescribed methods and timeframe.

·         Maintains a working knowledge of current policies, laws, regulations, and guidance documents. 

·         Attend training sessions, meetings, and conferences.

·         Verifies the accuracy of scales.

·         Checks refrigeration equipment for proper operation.

·         Checks for proper product packaging and labeling.

·         Observe food facility employees.

·         Ensures proper equipment cleaning procedures and proper handling of insecticides and sanitizing chemicals.

·         Investigate food for wholesomeness after disasters including fire, flood, hurricane, tornado, and or transportation accidents.

·         Plans, organizes, and manages assigned territory, training, and program activities.

·         Reports compliance with findings through the appropriate chain.

·         Serves as a technical expert within the program of assignment.

·         Maintains working relationships with the food industry and related entities, including federal, state, and local agencies.

·         Prepares and completes agency, state, and federal forms as required.

·         Performs USDA Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) contract work as directed.

·         Maintains all State-issued equipment properly.

Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Skills:

Bachelor’s degree in agronomy, animal science, biology, chemistry, or a related area from an accredited college or university OR certification as a Registered Sanitarian or Environmental Health Specialist.

Physical Demands:

·         Constant standing/walking

·         Climbing stairs in high ranges

·         Water Exposure

·         Exposure to different temperatures

·         Long travel days

Preferred Education and Experience

• • Two years of professional experience conducting inspections and investigations for compliance with established state and federal health and food and/or milk sanitation laws, rules, and regulations; and/or

• • Working knowledge of Windows computer operating systems and applications.

NOTE: The Georgia Department of Agriculture conducts background checks on all final candidates.  The hiring of applicants is contingent upon satisfactory results of employment verification, background, and criminal records investigations, and motor vehicle reports.

HOW TO APPLY:  Resumes may be submitted by adding to your profile in Team Georgia Careers.

·         Via Team Georgia Careers http://team.georgia.gov/careers/

The GDA is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. All qualified applicants will be considered but may not necessarily receive an interview. Due to the large volume of submissions received by this office, information concerning application and/or interview status cannot be provided.  Selected applicants will be contacted for the next steps in the interview process.  Applicants who are not selected will not receive a notification.

Please contact the Human Resources Office at (404) 656-3615 if you need accommodation.

** The position will be closed once a suitable candidate is identified **