Agricultural Compliance Officer (#MGBZ01)
$58,719.00 Yearly Min / $73,399.00 Yearly Mid / $88,079.00 Yearly Max

Serves as the State of Delaware's technical authority on enforcement and compliance in the areas of feed, fertilizers, certain dairy products, and the like, which are areas of major concern to the Department of Agriculture. Responsible for applying technical expertise to all assigned duties which include providing advice to associate department personnel and the Director and Secretary of Agriculture and revising and developing the chemical aspects of State guidelines pertaining to feeds, fertilizers, dairy products, etc. Oversees provision of laboratory services pertaining to pesticides. Must keep informed on the current literature, trends and the new technology and products in the specialty area. Justifies, defends or settles matters involving significant or controversial regulations or policies or the development of statewide standards and guides.  Incumbent is provided administrative direction with assignments in terms of broadly defined missions of functions; has responsibility for planning, designing and carrying out programs, projects, studies, cases or other work independently. Results of the work are considered as technically authoritative and are normally accepted without significant change; review concerns such matters as fulfillment of program objectives, effect of advice and influence of the overall program.

Essential functions are fundamental, core functions common to all positions in the class series and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all job duties for any one position in the class.  Since class specifications are descriptive and not restrictive, incumbents can complete job duties of similar kind not specifically listed here.

• Approves all test results issued by the chemical laboratory before the report is distributed to the respective individual, dealer or manufacturer; violations are noted and approval is made of penalty fines.
   
• Oversees operation of chemical laboratory to determine correct methods and procedures are followed; all methods utilized are required by Delaware Law to be approved by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists.
   
• Monitors work of the inspections staff responsible for sample collection and sample preparation for laboratory analysis; approves action(s) to be taken in the field when a violation is noted.
   
• Administers all requirements set forth by the Delaware Commercial Feed Law; to include label approval, registration approval, taking enforcement action against unregistered feeds, issuing stop-sale notices and publicizing violations.
   
• Administers all requirements as set forth by the Delaware Commercial Fertilizer and Soil Conditioner Law to include label approval, registration approval, taking action against unregistered products, effecting stop-sale notices, issues monetary deficiency penalties and publication of violations.
   
• Administers Delaware Commercial Liming Materials Act to include label approval, registration approval, taking action against unregistered limes, effecting stop-sales and publication of violations; takes initiative within northeast area to unify lime requirements.
   
• Administers all regulations set forth by the Delaware Frozen Dessert Law to include proper labeling at retail locations in order to differentiate between ice milk and ice cream; milk shake and shake as determined by solids and butterfat content.
   
• Administers the compensatory and testing requirements of the Delaware Code pertaining to milk, cream and other milk products; monitors all commercial dairies for fair and accurate payment to Delaware dairy farmers.  Samplers,
  testers and glassware are also regulated.
   
• Oversees dairy testing program for the Delaware Dairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA); laboratory serves as a Nationally Certified DHIA Lab; fulfills contract with DHIA for butterfat, protein and domatic cell count in milk samples from participating herds.
   
• Determines the analytical instrument and equipment needs of the laboratory for pesticides; evaluates new instruments and changes in the currently used instruments and equipment pertinent to pesticides; recommends to the Department of Agriculture and the federal authorities the purchase of new instruments and equipment.
   
• Performs studies and analyses to automate data records pertaining to enforcement and compliance, analytical laboratory activities, and related data collections and reporting performed by the Department's Administration
  and Management Section. 
   
• Some current examples are:  working with TVA to implement new Uniform Fertilizer Tonnage Reporting System and with Cornell University for implementation of an electronic mail system.
   
• Personally performs laboratory tests when necessary to cover personnel absences or when trying out new procedures and techniques.

The intent of the listed knowledge, skills and abilities is to give a general indication of the core requirements for all positions in the class series; therefore, the KSA’s listed are not exhaustive or necessarily inclusive of the requirements of every position in the class.

• Knowledge of chemical theory, practice and interpretation as well as knowledge of the chemical characteristics of the type sample being analyzed and reported.
• Knowledge of federal and state laws, regulations and practices covering all substances examined, analyzed and reported.
• Knowledge of the practices of and developments within all the variety of industries being served by and examined by this laboratory.
• Knowledge of electronic data processing system to include operation of hardware, uses and development of software pertinent to this assignment; ability to translate existing procedures into an automated method.
• Knowledge of chemical principles, theories, practices and established methodology sufficient to perform a full-range of duties involved in modifying and adapting standard methods and procedures that detect, identify and quantify feeds, fertilizers, pesticides and milk products.
• Knowledge of the principles of and skill in calibrating and operating the analytical instruments included in this laboratory.
• Knowledge of standard practices or related mathematical, physical or biological sciences as they relate to the work.
• Knowledge of any pertinent regulations, laws, or industrial/agricultural practices and processes as they affect the nature and kind of analytical or testing approaches to be used.
• Skill in performing a full-range of analyses on a variety of fertilizers, feeds, milk products, pesticides, etc., typically acquired through a bachelor's/master's degree program in chemistry and several years experience in analyzing agricultural products.
• Skill in determining the specific data required to answer a question or solve a problem in relation to compliance, enforcement or broad program requirements.
• Skill in developing, adapting and evaluating analytical methods employed by this laboratory.
• Ability to use initiative, resourcefulness and past personal experience to deviate from the established approaches and precedents.
• Ability to develop methods and procedures and apply basic chemical principles and theories.
• Ability to exercise judgment to select the best approach and methods and to make modifications to solve specific problems and meet specialized requirements.
• Ability to use enforcement and compliance discriminately while dealing with the various industries concerned.

JOB REQUIREMENTS for Agricultural Compliance Officer
Applicants must have education, training and/or experience demonstrating competence in each of the following areas:

1. Possession of a Bachelors degree or higher in Chemistry or Biochemistry or related field.
2. Three years experience in conducting data review to ensure numerical input, calculations, formulas and interpretation of output is accurate, instruments were operating according to specifications, analytical procedures were followed and documentation is complete.
3. Three years experience in generating and interpreting chemical test data by performing quantitative and qualitative statistical analysis.
4. Three years experience in developing new and modified methods for laboratory analysis.
5. Three years experience in project management such as planning, developing, implementing, managing and evaluating projects to ensure objectives are met.
6. Six months experience in budget management and control which includes managing a budget for the purpose of keeping expenditures within the limitations of available appropriations and available revenue and maintaining, monitoring, projecting and controlling a budget within set policies and procedures.
7. Six months experience in interpreting laws, rules, regulations, standards, policies, and procedures.