State Food Inspector Jobs in Florida (NOW HIRING)

Requisition No: 880097 

Agency: Agriculture and Consumer Services

Working Title: CHIEF OF AGE-RESTRICTED FOODS - 42005970

 Pay Plan: SES

Position Number: 42005970 

Salary:  $100,000.16 - $110,000.02 

Posting Closing Date: 08/03/2026 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

CHIEF OF AGE-RESTRICTED FOODS
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES
DIVISION OF FOOD SAFETY
DIRECTOR’S OFFICE
***OPEN COMPETITVE OPPORTUNITY***
 

CONTACT:

Kelly Vance
Kelly.Vance@FDACS.gov
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
A bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university in a physical science (chemistry preferred) and five (5) years of experience in a management capacity; or
A Juris Doctor from an accredited law school with license to practice by the Florida Bar and five (5) years of experience in a management capacity.
Requires possession of a valid Class E driver license.
EDUCATIONAL NOTE: Graduates utilizing education attained in the United States to meet the minimum requirements of a position will not be appointed until verification of the applicable degree has been obtained. Foreign trained graduates utilizing a degree attained outside of the United States to meet the minimum requirements of a position must be prepared to provide a copy of a credential evaluation conducted by an Approved Credential Evaluation Agency.  A list of approved agencies can be viewed at “Approved Credential Evaluation Agencies, Florida Department of Education.” Approved Credential Evaluation Agencies (fldoe.org) 

***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.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
Employees appointed to positions involved in the management of field staff responsible for the inspection of food establishments under authority of Chapter 500, Florida Statutes, must possess and maintain a functional working knowledge of the training and certification required by 5K-4.021, F.A.C
This position has regulatory responsibilities and is subject to the provisions of s.112.313, F.S. and Section 60L – 36.003, Florida Administrative Code.
Occasional travel.
Some tasks will require evening, weekend and/or holiday activity, including overnight and/or extended travel.  
NOTES:
To maintain fairness and integrity, applicants are required to provide honest and authentic responses during all stages of the evaluation and selection process. Applicants must rely on their own personal knowledge, thoughts, and impressions. A candidate’s use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to answer qualifying questions or participate in interviews will be taken into consideration when determining qualification for the position.
Successful applicant must pass a background screening, including fingerprinting, as a condition of employment.
Division has requested that candidates upload a resume to their profile.
JOB DUTIES:
The Chief of the Bureau of Age-Restricted Foods is responsible for overall planning, organization, direction, management and coordination of public health and consumer protection programs mandated by Chapter 500 and section 581.217, F.S., specifically the regulation of Age-Restricted Foods.  This position is responsible for the comprehensive statewide Age-Restricted Food inspection program.
The bureau chief’s administrative responsibilities include program review and development; planning development and implementation of new age-restricted food inspection program to meet public needs and legislative direction; review and evaluation of adverse inspection findings subject to administrative action; and initiation of such administrative action when appropriate.  In evaluating inspection programs, the incumbent must consider such parameters as consumer complaints, external events affecting the food industry (including age-restricted/psychotropic product sectors), changes in processing or manufacturing technology, and degree of regulatory compliance. Provides support to the Bureau of Retail Foods, Bureau of Laboratories, and the Bureau of Wholesale and Dairy as directed. Technical responsibilities include all facets of age-restricted foods, which includes, but not limited to, chemistry of such products, modes/methods of sale, market trends (including emerging psychotropic products), and an overall understanding of the psychotropic effects of these products on the human body.
Personnel responsibilities include employee guidance, evaluation and appraisal; initiation of disciplinary procedures as appropriate; vacancy recruitment and employee selection.  Fiscal responsibilities include planning, preparation of budgetary needs and control over all budget entities within the bureau. Responsible and accountable for managing budget/dollars/resources (staff, vehicles, computers, cell phones, etc.) of any assigned programs in an efficient and accountable manner. Responsible for ensuring that assigned program areas have operational procedures and processes which result in accountability and compliance with division and department policies and procedures.
Communication is an important responsibility of the position.  The bureau chief has a frequent need to communicate with the general public, regulated industries, professional groups, media and with various legislative committees. Represents the division or department as a participant in public meetings and speaking engagements.  Responsible for attending meetings, training sessions and courses as designated. The incumbent is expected to prepare proposed policy statements, technical reports or summaries, and drafts of legislation or regulations dealing with food safety (including age-restricted/psychotropic products), as well as to confer frequently with the division director and/or assistant director, keeping them advised of the status of all ongoing programs and of problem areas encountered or anticipated.  Performs other related duties as may be assigned.
This position is responsible for liaising with external and internal customers and leadership in the performance of such duties and acts as the division’s subject matter expert in these areas of responsibility. This position serves as a member of the division’s senior management team and advises on division level decisions as they relate to areas of responsibility.
Responds to disaster or emergency situations and operates under incident command structure when required.  Periodically handles emergency or request calls.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:      

• Knowledge of the age-restricted/psychotropic food and product markets, products being sold on those markets, terminology used to market these products, chemistry of these products, and the legal basis behind enforcing the sale and distribution of these products.
• Skills necessary for the position include chemical research, internet searching, managing people, computer usage (including hardware and software).
• Ability to communicate complex scientific issues to non-scientific personnel, meet deadlines, keep management apprised of relevant issues without prompting, work independently (and accurately), manage time, and be a team player.
  

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:

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.