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FBI Recruiting Agents &
Inspectors & Safety Officers
Needed To Address Seafood and
Other Consumer Concerns
The public is very concerned that seafood originating in the Gulf
will be
tainted with oil. Product re-calls of other foods also causing anxiety.
Both the Food Safety & Inspection Service and the Food & Drug Administration
are
hiring to address these issues. Signing bonuses and student loan
repayments
offered for some jobs in some locations.
The FDA has established a Twitter account* to keep the public informed of food
safety issues. One of the major issues on Twitter is the safety of seafood
originating in the Gulf of Mexico. The Twitter account and the Agency website
also list current food product re-calls. These concerns are resulting in the
hiring of more Consumer Safety Officers, GS-0696 and Food Inspectors GS-1863.
Nationwide Hiring
At present the Food Safety & Inspection Service, FSIS, has posted a
nationwide Vacancy Announcement for full and intermittent Food Inspectors. The
job pays to $50,431 before locality pay, overtime and other adjustments. Work
experience or related education preparing food may qualify applicants.
The Food & Drug Administration is hiring Consumer Safety Officers. These jobs
occur regularly at specific locations. Depending on grade level the position
pays up to $97,333. These employees may also receive locality pay differential.
Signing Bonuses
The FSIA is giving signing bonuses, called “Recruitment Incentives,” in some
locations. Bonuses can be up to 25% of starting salary, potentially as high as
$12,607. Locations where signing bonuses can change quickly depends on the
supply of qualified applicants. Also available in the same locations are student
loan repayment bonuses of $10,000. Interested candidates can check the Agency’s
website for the
current list of signing bonus locations
.
Full-Time and Intermittent Work
At the present time, there are full-time and intermittent Food Inspector
positions open nationwide. Intermittent means on-call. The base pay is $15.00 to
$24.16 @ hour depending on qualifications. Duties and qualifications are the
same for both full and part-time work.
Qualifications/Food Inspector
At the GS-5 level a candidate must have one year of specialized experience
or have successfully completed a full four-year course of study leading to a
bachelor's degree that included 12 semester hours (18 quarter hours) in the
biological, physical, mathematical or agricultural sciences or related
scientific fields that provided knowledge directly related to consumer safety
officer work.
The Inspection Service describes qualifying experience in this blurb: “You must
have one year specialized experience that was obtained after your 16th birthday.
The experience must show qualifying knowledge, judgment, interpretive ability,
and technical skills.”
Applicable experience can include, “Work experience preparing food, as a chef or
cook in a large-scale commercial establishment. This experience must demonstrate
responsibility for proper food preparation, handling and sanitation practices…”
Applicants can also qualify based on education. The education requirement is
stated by the Service as follows, “You may qualify at the GS-5 level based on
successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelors
degree from an accredited college or university, which included 12 semester
hours in the biological, physical, mathematical, or agricultural sciences. If
you are within 9 months of graduating you may apply.”
Food Inspector Application Process
Food Inspectors
required to complete an Assessment Questionnaire. The
Assessment Questionnaire measures the applicant’s qualification for the job. In
addition, the applicants need to submit a Federal resume or application form. If
an application form is preferred by the applicant it can be
obtained on-line
.
How To Apply
FSIS maintains a phone line to send application packages to interested
applicants. Candidates may call 1-800-370-3747 to request packages. Or email:
foodinspectorapps@fsis.usda.gov
Candidates may also request an application package by mail from the address
below.
Application should be made on-line. For information by mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Food Safety and Inspection Service,
FSIS HRFO Service Teams
Butler Square West 4th Floor
100 North Sixth Street
Minneapolis, MN 55403-1564
Fax: (612)370-2060
Phone: 1-800-370-3747
Consumer Safety Officer
Consumer Safety Officers
, GS 5/13, regulate the food and drug industries
including such activities as investigating complaints of injury, illness, or
death, initiating actions against violators, advise industry, state and local
officials on enforcement policies, plan and direct regulatory programs, develop
inspection procedures and techniques. Salaries range depending on level from
$72,900 - $112,704.00 without differential that boosts pay in applicable areas.
Consumer Safety Officer Qualifications
The Consumer Safety Officer requires at least 30 semester hours in a
scientific field plus appropriate experience. Work experience that involved
inspections of food, drugs, medical devices, blood or cosmetic testing. Most
entry level Officers have B.S. degrees. Entry level jobs open regularly,
although only mid and senior level are open at present. These require at least 5
years experience in a similar position, perhaps, with a state, county or city
organization. The position occurs in FDA facilities throughout the U.S.
How to Apply
Consumers Safety Officer
Candidates interested in Consumer Safety Officer jobs can start
here
.
*
Twitter
FDA
FSIS
Working at FDA
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