Agriculture Specialist 1-3

Salary : $3,181.00 - $5,724.00 Monthly Location : Statewide, LA Job Type: Classified Job Number: AHFS-View phone number on click.appcast.io-TW Department: DAF-Agriculture and Forestry Opening Date: 05/12/2026 Closing Date: 5/26/2026 11:59 PM Central About this Job Job #AHFS-View phone number on click.appcast.io-TW This position is located within the office of Animal Health & Food Safety, Meat Inspection Division. Are you passionate about protecting public health by inspecting food, enforcing quality regulations, and ensuring consumers receive only safe, wholesome products? The Department of Agriculture and Forestry is looking for dedicated professionals-apply today and make a difference. Selected Core Competencies: Following Policies and Procedures: The ability to follow, reinforce, adapt, or develop policies and procedures to maintain compliance with federal and state legal requirements, State Civil Service rules, and organizational policies. Learning Actively: The ability to pursue learning, seek feedback, and integrate new knowledge to improve personal and professional performance. Making Accurate Judgments: The ability to assess options, weigh risks, and make sound decisions using available information and logical reasoning. Selected Preferred Competencies: Displaying Professionalism: The ability to uphold workplace standards through consistent conduct, responsible communication, and consideration for others. Thinking Critically: The ability to analyze information objectively, identify connections across sources, and form logical, well-supported conclusions. LDAF cares about the well-being of its employees! We offer a fully employer-funded Employee Assistance Program (EAP), providing valuable support and resources to help you and your household members thrive at work and at home. The EAP is also free for all members of your household. Minimum Qualifications Three years of experience in one or a combination of the following:

1. Administrative services
2. Inspecting or enforcing compliance with agricultural laws, rules, or regulations
3. Inspection and testing of weighing and measuring devices

OR A bachelor's degree in forestry, an agricultural, biological, chemical, environmental, health, or physical science, or an information technology, mathematics, or business field. Job Specification The official job specifications for this role, as defined by the State Civil Service, can be found here. Job Duties and Other Information Job Duties: The program inspects all animals harvested and processed for human consumption by Louisiana facilities, inspects and approves the premises of regulated facilities to ensure compliance with federal and state requirements, operates a federally accredited laboratory performing analyses on meat food samples, and reviews and approves all labels of meat and poultry products to ensure that accurate product information is supplied to the consumer. Performs regulatory inspections of wholesale meat and poultry facilities to ensure official establishments are in compliance with Federal and State regulations. Inspects meat and poultry food products produced by processing establishments and intended for human consumption. Verifies product formulations for proper use of restricted ingredients. Takes appropriate enforcement actions to ensure regulatory non-compliances are corrected. Evaluates plant facilities and recommends options for changes and improvements. Recommends changes in Program policies and procedures based on inspection findings. May perform inspections under a federal/state cross-utilization agreement in USDA-regulated establishments staffed by State Program personnel. Works with parish, state, and federal agencies during investigations, supporting the enforcement of meat and poultry regulations. Performs other duties as may be assigned Functional Requirements Reaching above the shoulders Walking and standing (8 hours) Light to moderate lifting, 20 pounds, with occasional lifting of up to 40 pounds Occasional bending or kneeling Occasional demands may be required for moderately strenuous activities in emergencies over long periods of time Sit for a long period of time at a workstation or in a vehicle for travel Drive a vehicle to perform duties Assignment may require daily use of sharp instruments (e.g. knives) Environmental Factors: Occasional excessive heat and humidity Slippery and uneven walking surfaces Occasionally working in moderately cold temperatures for short periods of time Required to wear appropriate safety protection (e.g., hard hat) Position-Specific Details: Appointment Type: Full-time- this position may be filled by probation or by promotion of a classified employee of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry serving with permanent status. Applicants who are not permanent employees of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry will be required to serve a probationary period up to 24 months. Career Progression : This position may be filled as an Agriculture Specialist 1, 2, or 3, depending on the level of experience of the selected applicant(s). Compensation : The salary offered will be determined based on qualifications and experience. How To Apply: No Civil Service test score is required in order to be considered for this vacancy. To apply for this vacancy, click on the "Apply" link above and complete an electronic application, which can be used for this vacancy as well as future job opportunities. Applicants are responsible for checking the status of their application to determine where they are in the recruitment process. Further status message information is located under the Information section of the Current Job Opportunities page. * Information to support your eligibility for this job title must be included in the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education).Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of completed education and experience sections on your application. Applications may be rejected if incomplete. For further information about this vacancy, contact: Tiffany Waddell - HR Analyst Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry 5825 Florida Blvd., Suite 1001 Baton Rouge, LA 70806 The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry is an Equal Opportunity Employer and State as a Model Employer (SAME) to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry strictly prohibits workplace harassment and discrimination on the on the basis of race, color, gender, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, religion, national origin, military service, sickle cell trait, protected genetic information or other non-merit factor. LDAF also strictly prohibits employment decisions based upon or influenced by such factors. Louisiana State Government represents a wide variety of career options and offers an outstanding opportunity to make a difference through public service. With an array of career opportunities in every major metropolitan center and in many rural areas, state employment provides an outstanding option to begin or continue your career. As a state employee, you will earn competitive pay, choose from a variety of benefits, and have access to a great professional development program: Insurance Coverage More information can be found at Parental Leave - Up to six weeks paid parental leave More information can be found at Holidays and Leave - State employees receive the following paid holidays each year: New Year's Day Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Mardi Gras, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. ***** Additional holidays may be proclaimed by the Governor State employees earn sick and annual leave which can be accumulated and saved for future use. Your accrual rate increases as your years of service increase. Retirement - State of Louisiana employees are eligible to participate in various retirement systems (based on the type of appointment and agency for which an employee works). These retirement systems provide retirement allowances and other benefits for state officers and employees and their beneficiaries. State retirement systems may include (but are not limited to): Louisiana State Employees Retirement System (). LASERS has provided this video to give you more detailed information about their system Teacher's Retirement System of Louisiana (), Louisiana School Employees Retirement System (), among others 01 To ensure compliance with the LDAF Nepotism Policy, do you have any immediate family members or relatives who are currently employed with the LDAF? Immediate family member is defined as children (blood, step, adopted), spouse, brother, sister, father, mother, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, mother-in-law and father-in-law. Relative includes immediate family members previously defined and also includes grandfather, grandmother, grandson, granddaughter, uncle, aunt niece and nephew. Yes No 02 If you answered "yes" to the above question, please list the name of your immediate family member and/or relatives currently employed by the LDAF. If you answered "no" to the above question, enter N/A 03 Are you currently a classified employee of Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry serving with permanent status? Yes No 04 Do you have a valid Louisiana driver's license? Yes No 05 The incumbent of this position may drive a state-owned vehicle during working hours. Office of Risk Management prohibits drivers with three or more moving violations in a one-year period from operating a state-owned vehicle. Based on this information, will you be able to operate a state-owned vehicle? Yes No 06 Do you possess a High School diploma or GED equivalency? Yes No 07 If you are qualifying for this position under a degree in a specialized field option, provide the level of degree, major as given on your official transcript, school name, and date earned for each degree you have completed. Example: (Bachelor's in biology at Louisiana State University, May 2012) 08 DPf: Displaying Professionalism - How well do you meet expectations for workplace behavior, communication, and responsibility, especially when under pressure? I miss deadlines, act unprofessionally, or avoid responsibility for my actions or workplace expectations. I meet basic standards for work quality, behavior, and communication when given occasional reminders or support. I meet expectations, follow policies, and communicate respectfully and clearly-even in difficult situations. I model professionalism and ethics, adapt under pressure, and build trust through consistent and responsible behavior. 09 DPf: Displaying Professionalism - Explain your selection by providing specific examples from your experience. Tip: Use the STAR method (situation, task, action, result) to explain how you have demonstrated this competency. Examples from work, military service, volunteering, education, or other life experiences are all valid. 10 MAJ: Making Accurate Judgments - How do you make decisions when faced with choices, risks, or limited information? I make reactive or delayed decisions and sometimes overlook risks, priorities, or potential bias. I try to weigh options but struggle when there's uncertainty, competing priorities, or unclear outcomes. I make timely, well-reasoned decisions by using available information, context, and trade-offs. I make sound decisions in complex situations, lead others through ambiguity, and adapt as new information emerges. 11 MAJ: Making Accurate Judgments - Explain your selection by providing specific examples from your experience. Tip: Use the STAR method (situation, task, action, result) to explain how you have demonstrated this competency. Examples from work, military service, volunteering, education, or other life experiences are all valid. 12 TCr: Thinking Critically - How do you analyze information and draw meaningful conclusions from it? I miss key details or oversimplify information, and my conclusions may not be based on evidence. I try to analyze information, but I may overlook the relevance or credibility of my sources. I analyze key information, consider the evidence, and form logical conclusions based on credible sources. I uncover deeper insights by connecting different sources, questioning assumptions, and identifying patterns. 13 TCr: Thinking Critically - Explain your selection by providing specific examples from your experience. Tip: Use the STAR method (situation, task, action, result) to explain how you have demonstrated this competency. Examples from work, military service, volunteering, education, or other life experiences are all valid. Required Question #J-18808-Ljbffr AgHires