TDA - Region 4 - Inspector - Regulatory

Agency Information: The Texas Department of Agriculture's key objectives are to promote production agriculture, consumer protection, economic development and healthy living.

Responsibilities

• Inspecting commercial legal-for-trade scales at businesses such as grocery stores, pawn shops, shipping companies, and propane distribution locations.
• Conducting random and standard package inspections to ensure correct measurement of packaged goods.
• Inspecting nursery plants, trees, and shrubs for disease and insects.
• Inspecting and grading eggs in grocery and convenience stores.
• Monitoring compliance with the Handling and Marketing of Perishable Commodities Law.
• Obtaining samples of agricultural and vegetable seeds and enforcing seed laws and regulations.
• Monitoring and enforcing quarantines that may include the sweet potato weevil, fire ant, Japanese beetle, citrus greening, and spongy moth.
• Inspecting nursery stock and agricultural commodities leaving the state and issuing state and/or federal phytosanitary certificates.
• Inspecting agricultural crops for purity, insect, disease, fungus, etc., for seed certification.
• Inspecting growers and/or organic handlers for organic certification.
• Conducting price verification inspections to ensure correct pricing at point of sale utilizing products scanned barcode.
• Inspecting public grain warehouse businesses, including but not limited to measuring grain, auditing records, and platting/charting warehouses and storage structures.
• Conducting complaint-based, risk-based inspections for consumer protection programs, as required.
• Conducting re-inspection on non-compliant entities or business establishments.
• Issuing stop-sales, notices of seizure, findings reports, and rejection notices.
• Collecting and remitting fees to include licensing and late fees.

About the role

The Inspector will perform moderately complex regulatory inspection work for the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) to contribute to the enforcement of agricultural laws and regulations for consumer protection in the State of Texas. You will assist in completing case preparations and may testify at hearings on violations of agriculture or structural pest control laws and regulations. You will work under general supervision with limited latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.

This is an entry-level position with increasing responsibilities as training progresses. Newly hired inspectors are required to complete trainings on different types of inspections which will assist them in learning regulations, operating procedures, and other job responsibilities.

Essential Job Duties

• Perform entry-level regulatory inspections and complete accurate and detailed reports to ensure compliance with laws and regulations.
• Inspect large capacity scales (truck scales, livestock scale, hopper scales, etc.) to include driving a large truck to perform these inspections.
• Respond to and investigate complaints involving allegations of noncompliance and complete case investigation reports with data integrity and properly gather and document data and records of violations to include interviewing witnesses and collecting and submitting samples.
• Audit sales records, issue Stop Sales, notice of seizures, rejection notices, and collect and remit licensing and late fees for violations.
• Complete travel vouchers and mileage reports; complete various weekly and end-of-month reports.
• Coordinate and ensure that the Regional Director and Assistant Regional Director are kept informed of all issues related to the inspections.
• Represent the agency in a positive manner when dealing with constituents.
• Become proficient in the use of Performing Inspections, Enforcement and Recruitment (PIER), Bringing Resource Integration and Data Together for Greater Efficiency (BRIDGE), and business intelligence reports.
• Follow all TDA policies and procedures.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree.
• Must reside in Tom Green, Concho, or McCulloch County or within a 10-mile radius of the county line or assigned work area.
• Valid Texas commercial driver's license (CDL) OR valid Texas commercial driver's license (CDL) within 180 days of employment and an acceptable driving record (subject to drug and alcohol testing for CDL drivers per Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations).

Substitution: A high school diploma and two years full-time work experience related to the essential duties may substitute for a degree.

Skills

• Knowledge of laws, codes, standards, and regulations related to the area of responsibility; of the principles and methods of field inspection and quality control; and of business practices in regulated occupations and industries.
• Skill in conducting inspections; in providing customer service excellence to both internal and external customers; in determining proper courses of action; in using instruments or tools necessary to perform inspections; in using a computer and applicable programs and databases, and in maintaining records and written reports.
• Ability to prepare reports; to interpret laws and regulations; to gather and analyze data; to communicate effectively.

Location

This position will report to one of the following TDA locations: San Antonio, TX. This position will work in Tom Green, Concho, or McCulloch County in the state of Texas, as needed.