Agricultural Environmental Specialist 1-3

Agricultural Environmental Specialist

Job #: AES-51413-8.12.26-TW This position is located in the Office of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, Pesticides Division, in East Carroll Parish.

Ready to make a meaningful impact on Louisiana's workforce and organizational culture? Join the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry as an Agricultural Environmental Specialist!

This position performs duties for Office of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences within the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry and entails responsibility and professional agricultural inspection and enforcement work in a variety of technically specialized and professional regulatory programs, including but not limited to fertilizer, horticulture, liming, pesticides, quarantine, seed, industrial hemp and structural pest control. General supervision for this position is received from the Agricultural Environmental Specialist Manager or Agricultural Environmental Specialist Supervisor.

Grow your career with opportunities in leadership, professional development, and specialized advancement opportunities.

Why Join Us? • Contribute to a mission-driven organization that serves communities across Louisiana • Enjoy competitive pay and excellent benefits • Be part of a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive team

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.

Selected Core Competencies: Communicating Effectively: The ability to convey information, ideas, and emotions using structured communication methods that promote understanding and engagement. Making Accurate Judgments: The ability to assess options, weigh risks, and make sound decisions using available information and logical reasoning. Thinking Critically: The ability to analyze information objectively, identify connections across sources, and form logical, well-supported conclusions. Selected Preferred Competencies: Accepting Direction: The ability to be open and willing to follow guidance or instructions. Demonstrating Initiative: The ability to assess situations independently and take proactive steps to address them without being prompted or instructed by others. Displaying Expertise: The ability to demonstrate specialized knowledge, skills, and experience to apply subject-matter expertise in diverse and evolving contexts. Driving Results: The ability to set and pursue goals, maintain focus amid competing demands, and deliver results. Managing Projects: The ability to plan, implement, and close out project initiatives by coordinating people, resources, and timelines to achieve defined outcomes.

Minimum Qualifications: Three years of experience in agriculture, chemistry, natural resource management, structural pest control, or inspection or enforcement for compliance with agricultural, environmental, or public health laws, rules or regulations; OR a bachelor's degree in forestry, an agricultural, biological, chemical, environmental science, or engineering field.

Job Duties:

• Evaluates and compiles data and other facts related to inspections within the above described functional areas into comprehensive technical reports using established regulatory criteria, policies, and procedures.
• Ensure consumer products meet applicable quality standards through routine sampling in all of the functional areas such as disease/insect/weed free; quality seed germination; products meet amounts declared on labels; quality plant installation and maintenance; pesticide treatments that provide protection of human health, homes and crops; quality agricultural lime; assists in preventing introduction of noxious weeds, insects and diseases; etc.
• Issues stop orders on applicable goods, products or activities not registered or substandard.
• Conducts field inspections on various crops, bulk bin seed sampling, records inspection and seed processor facility inspections for seed certification, which requires knowledge of various crops and varieties thereof related to the Seed Certification Program.
• Conducts inspections and/or investigations related to pesticide producers, distributors, dealers or aerial or ground pesticide applicators ensuring they are complying with licensing/certification, record keeping, and use laws, rules and regulations.
• Inspects structures treated and pretreated by local pest companies to ensure termite treatment meets minimum standards set by pest control laws, which requires experience in the structural pest control program to understand the rules and regulations related to minimum standards and be able to discuss with pest control operators.
• Collects routine official regulatory samples of seed, fertilizer and agricultural lime from manufacturers, dealers, and farmers, as well as investigative samples due to complaints or as follow up to a previous sample collection.
• Uses various electronic devices that assist in inspection/investigation documentation and keeps current with available technology by participating in training provided or by independent study.
• Incumbent is required to operate and maintain a state vehicle in performance of duties and may be required to make inspections of rice fields on horseback. Statewide travel may be required.

Other duties as may be assigned.

Functional Requirements:

• Moderate light lifting, 30 pounds with occasional lifting of up to 50 pounds
• Reaching above shoulders
• Climbing stairs and occasionally ladders
• Sitting over a long period of time at work station or in a vehicle for travel
• Driving a vehicle to perform inspections and investigations
• Requires considerable walking over irregular ground and standing for long periods of time
• Lifting items such as tools, computer, scanner, luggage or other items used to travel and perform duties/attend class throughout the state

Environmental Factors:

• Occasional excessive heat and humidity
• May be required to wear appropriate safety protection
• Working indoors and outdoors
• Working around routine neighborhood residential hazards
• Occasionally working in moderately cold temperatures for short periods of time
• Exposed to grain dust, bad odors from farm animals, chemicals, fertilizers and other agricultural materials

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 Agricultural Environmental 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. Agricultural Environmental Specialist 1 has an SER of $1,538.47 Bi-weekly. Agricultural Environmental Specialist 2 has an SER of $1,646.40 Bi-weekly. Agricultural Environmental Specialist 3 has an SER of $1,761.60 Bi-weekly.

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.