AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER PROTECT SPEC - 42005926

Requisition No: 860362 

Agency: Agriculture and Consumer Services

Working Title: AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER PROTECT SPEC - 42005926

 Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 42005926 

Salary:  $42,000.00 - $46,000.00 

Posting Closing Date: 09/12/2025 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES PROTECTION SPECIALIST

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES

OFFICE OF AGRICULTURAL LAW ENFORCEMENT

***OPEN COMPETITIVE OPPORTUNITY ***

The headquarters for this position is negotiable between Suwannee,
Hamilton, Nassau, and Escambia Counties.

Agricultural and Consumer Services Protection Specialist Duties:

The incumbent in this position is responsible for activities as specified in Section 570.65, Florida Statutes.  These acts include, but are not limited to, administrative violations involving domesticated animals, livestock, poultry, aquaculture products, citrus and citrus products. One of the primary missions of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is to prevent the introduction into the state of plant and animal pests and diseases which may have a devastating effect on Florida agriculture. The Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement manages and operates the Agricultural Interdiction Stations, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  

Citrus, avocado, lime and tomato shipments and accompanying documents are inspected to verify conformance with applicable Federal-State Marketing Orders.  Vegetable shipments are verified against manifests and vehicles contents are recorded. Outgoing watermelon and flower shipments are recorded.  Meat products are recorded.  Dairy products are recorded. Intra and inter-state shipments of livestock and accompanying documents are inspected and verified to enforce compliance with applicable health requirements and quarantines; data is collected and reported on all livestock shipments.  Feed, seed, and fertilizer shipments are checked for compliance with state law and recorded.  Hay and harvesting equipment from quarantined areas are checked for fumigation certification.  Nursery shipments, Christmas trees, sod, etc. are checked for required inspection certificates and recorded and reported. In the performance of duties, the Inspector frequently contacts and consults with supervisors in determining the disposition of a given violation.  Such disposition may involve further investigation, arrests, or turning over to another law enforcement agency.  When an Inspector encounters a violation which appears to require further investigation or arrest, a Law Enforcement Officer may take over and conclude the case.

Each inspector is responsible for ensuring that their immediate supervisor, and in the event their immediate supervisor is unavailable, or circumstances dictate, the next available supervisor in the Chain of Command, is informed of all matters relevant to administrative violations being detected and the status and disposition of their activities.  Each Inspector is responsible for submitting in a timely manner concise detailed reports on activities for use by supervisors, and departmental / division partners and ultimate review by the public.

The Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement also participates with various federal, state and local governmental agencies on numerous projects which either increases the efficiency of the agricultural programs or generates additional revenues of the State without increasing costs to the citizens of Florida.  Inspectors will participate in programs as required.

Attending meetings, seminars and schools conducted by the department, agency and outside vendors to otherwise further professional training, keeping informed of recent legislation and new administrative requirements are critical to this position.

Each Inspector is responsible for submitting in a timely manner periodic reports of activities, expense vouchers, time and leave requests, authorizations to travel, professional educational credits and other related documents and reports as required.

Minimum Qualifications:

• High school diploma or its equivalent.
• Three years experience in regulatory inspections, maintenance of mechanical devices, or in a quality control program. 
• Education from an accredited college or university which includes three courses in an agriculture, physical, biological or natural science can substitute at the rate of 30 semester or 45 quarter hours for each year of required experience.
• This position requires the incumbent to possess a valid drivers license.

Additional Requirements: 

• Knowledge of the principles of agricultural and natural resources or one of the physical or biological sciences. Knowledge of the principles and techniques used in the calibration, maintenance or inspection of weighing and/or measuring devices used in the production, processing, sale or inspection of petroleum products, horticultural plants, poultry, eggs.
• Knowledge of inspection procedures and techniques.
• Ability to understand and apply applicable rules, regulations, policies and procedures.
• Ability to conduct inspections.
• Ability to pay attention to details and note discrepancies.
• Ability to plan, organize and coordinate work assignments.
• Ability to communicate effectively.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to deal with the public in a tactful and courteous manner.

Selection Process - The OALE selection process takes approximately three to four months to complete.  Steps to complete the selection process include, but are not limited to:

• A completed State of Florida Employment Application.
• A completed Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement Civilian Supplemental Application.
• Oral Review Board.
• Background Investigation.
• Fingerprint Processing.
• Drug Screening.

Salary - $42,000.00-$46,000.00

Duty Stations and Assignments - Duty stations are assigned based upon position availability, agency needs, and candidate location.  These areas include, but are not limited to, Interstate 10 in Suwannee County; Interstate 75 in Hamilton County; Interstate 95 in Nassau County; and Interstate 10 in Escambia County.

Contact - Carol Richards at (850) 274-7068 or (850) 245-1324 or AgLaw.Recruitment@FDACS.gov with any questions or concerns.

Notes - If possible, please submit your application from a desktop or laptop computer.   Devices such as cellular phones and tablets have been known to cause errors when submitting an application.  Please be sure to review each answer as they cannot be changed once your application is submitted.

Information regarding the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement (OALE) may be found on the following website: https://www.fdacs.gov/Divisions-Offices/Agricultural-Law-Enforcement

Persons selected are generally hired at the minimum starting salary identified in the advertisement and salary increases are granted based upon appropriations as determined by the Florida Legislature.

***ATTENTION CANDIDATES***

To be considered for a position with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:

• All fields in the Candidate Profile must be completed (an attached resume is not a substitution for the information required on the candidate profile).
• Work history, duties and responsibilities, hours worked, supervisor, and formal education fields, etc. must be filled out to determine qualifications for this position.
• Responses to Qualifying Questions must be verifiable in the Candidate Profile.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services values and supports employment of individuals with disabilities. Qualified individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

The Benefits of Working for the State of Florida

Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck.  The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits including:

• Annual and Sick Leave benefits;
• Nine paid holidays and one Personal holiday each year;
• State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision and other supplemental insurance options;
• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions (For more information, please visit www.myfrs.com;)
• Flexible Spending Accounts;
• Tuition waivers;
• And more!

For a complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com

For an estimate of the total compensation package for this position, please visit the “Total Compensation Estimator Tool” located above under the “Posting Closing Date.”

SPECIAL NOTES

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE.  Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply.  Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements.  Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code.  Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here.  All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.