Agricultural Inspector - St. Joseph, MO

Job Location: St. Joseph, MO

Why you’ll love this position:

Grain Inspection Services (GIS) plays a critical role in Missouri’s grain market by acting as an unbiased third-party to help to establish the value of grain being bought and sold.

Employees in this position primarily perform hands-on work in the field as grain is being loaded into railcars or containers, with some in-office duties - no two days are the same. The nature of the work is dynamic, allowing for increased flexibility and pay incentives.

Compensation:

• Starting base salary: $40,081.92
• Pay incentives:
  • +$5.00 per hour for qualifying work on shuttle trains
  • +$2.00 per hour for work outside of normal business hours
  • Standby pay when qualifying work is rescheduled (up to 8 hours weekly)
  • Per diem (typically $18-$38) when working extended shifts in travel status
• Full state benefit package (see section below)

Schedule:

This position is not a standard 9-5, Monday-Friday office job and employees must be adaptable. This position can provide increased flexibility and quick accumulation of (comp) time off beyond the standard leave accumulation.

While employees are generally expected to work during normal business hours, actual time worked often fluctuates due to railroad volatility and seasonal business needs. Early starts (5a-8a) and long days (10-14+ hours) are very common. Evening and weekend work are less common but are still an expectation of this position. For example, you may be scheduled at a container-loading facility 6am to 6pm on Tuesday. You could also be scheduled for a Sunday train which typically runs 10-14 hours. In these examples, you could “flex out” those extra hours later in the week as the schedule allows or earn comp time.

Service needs can often lead to inspectors working more than 40 hours in a week. For example, if someone worked 50 hours in a week, in lieu of overtime pay, this extra 10 hours is converted (1.5x) to 15 hours of comp time to be used to take time off later. This comp time could be used for a scheduled vacation or for a week where the customer service needs are lower.

While supervisors work with their employees for scheduling and utilizing flex time, employees must be reliable and available, and all leave must be approved.

Growth Opportunities

Once employees have met minimum qualifications of this position, including but not limited to obtaining required licenses (see licensing section), employees may train for additional FGIS inspection licenses such as wheat and sorghum licenses. Additional compensation is available for obtaining these licenses. Employees are also then eligible for promotion to Senior Agricultural Inspector which results in additional compensation and responsibilities. There are further opportunities for promotion including the Quality Assurance Specialist, Assistant Manager, and Manager positions at each field office.

• Receive on-the-job training (no experience required)
• Inspect railcars, containers, trucks and/or other carriers to ensure they are in proper condition for loading and free from leaks, odors and infestation
• Observe and verify the weighing of carriers by grain company employees
• Obtain representative samples of grain & process the samples for moisture content, test weight, dockage, and presence of foreign material
• Inspect the grain for damage and other subjective factors
• Complete sample pan tickets and work records legibly, accurately, and efficiently
• Maintain vehicles, sampling and lab equipment, and work environments properly
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees, grain businesses, others in the grain trade and the general public
• Perform other related work as assigned

Minimum Qualifications:

• At least 18 years old
• Possess a valid Driver’s license.
• Possess a high school diploma or GED/equivalent. Work experience may be substituted for deficiency in the required education.
• Adapt to variable work schedules that include nights, weekends and holidays, and that are subject to change with little notice
• Have consistent & reliable means of communication - mobile phone with app-download capability
• Have consistent & reliable means of transportation, including occasionally in inclement weather

Physical Considerations:

Employees in this position must be able to:

• Regularly work in a grain elevator environment that may include factors such as loud noise, foul air, grain dust, all forms of weather, extreme heights and moving machinery
• Regularly work in enclosed spaces (shipping containers) for short periods to inspect the carrier for damage
• Distinguish subtle differences in color
• Detect subtle changes in odor
• Occasionally work from heights, including the ability to climb stairs and ladders
• Frequently lift a minimum of 15 pounds, and occasionally lift 50 pounds to a height of five feet with reasonable accommodations
• Sit or stand for extended periods (several hours)

Licensing Requirements:

• Ability to obtain USDA/FGIS licenses within established timeframes which will include a combination of independent study and hands-on training. No additional compensation will be provided for obtaining these licenses as they are a condition of continued employment.
  • Within first 2 months of employment: sampling, technician, weighing, and mycotoxin licenses
  • Within first year of employment: corn and soybean inspection licenses
• Ability to obtain additional USDA/FGIS inspection licenses at management direction - such as wheat or sorghum inspection licenses. These additional licenses will result in additional compensation.
• All training for these required licenses is paid, on-the-clock training. Candidates are not responsible for any licensing or testing fees.

Preferred Experience:

One or more years of any of the following:

• Agriculture-related experience such as crop production, feed mills, general farm labor, grain elevators, grain/oil seed processing, livestock production, or other closely related area; OR
• Skilled trades or similar, such as assembly, carpentry, construction, electric, heavy equipment operation, HVAC, manufacturing, technician, quality control, welding; OR
• Similar field or relevant experience

Conflict of Interest:

Employees in this position may be ineligible for hire if they, their spouse, their minor children, or any relative immediately residing in their household is employed by or otherwise receives direct or indirect financial consideration from any grain elevator or warehouse, or engage in the merchandising, storage, commercial transportation, or other commercial handling of grain. If applicable, this relationship must be disclosed prior to hire.

Lack of post-secondary education will not be used as the sole basis denying consideration to any applicant.

Benefits Include:

• 3 weeks paid vacation AND 3 weeks paid sick leave
• 13 paid holidays per year
• Insurance: health (medical, dental, vision) and free life insurance
• Retirement: including up to a $75.00 per month match on savings plan
• Up to 6 weeks paid parental leave for birth or adoption
• And several additional resources including the SELF program (formerly EAP), discount websites, and healthy living incentives!

The State of Missouri offers an excellent benefits package that includes a defined pension plan, generous amounts of leave and holiday time, and eligibility for health insurance coverage. Your total compensation is more than the dollars you receive in your paycheck. To help demonstrate the value of working for the State of Missouri, we have created an interactive Total Compensation Calculator. This tool provides a comprehensive view of benefits and more that are offered to prospective employees. The Total Compensation Calculator and other applicant resources can be found here .

hr@mda.mo.gov

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• State of Missouri

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