Competitive salary: $79,310 - $113,298

Who We Are:

ODA helps Ohioans in many ways including: supporting agriculture, protecting consumers, safeguarding plants and animals, and conserving natural resources. As a cabinet-level agency, we answer to the Governor, and we get a lot of stuff done! Ohio’s food and agriculture industry is huge, contributing $124 billion to the economy and employing one in eight people. This success starts on the farm, but these aren’t your great grandpa’s farms! They may have started way back when, but many of Ohio’s more than 70,000 farms are modern, state-of-the-art operations that use technology to maximize production to feed our growing population.

ODA is located in Reynoldsburg on a beautiful, 158-acre campus. Parking is free and so are the amazing connections you will make with professionals who are known as the best in their field.

What We Do:

At ODA, we do a lot that helps a lot of people. That’s a pretty big deal! We make sure the meat and food you eat and the milk you drink is safe. We protect farmland and conserve our soil and water resources. We keep Ohio’s plants, crops, and livestock free of pests and disease. We house the state’s top food safety lab and serve as a hub for a statewide lab safety system. We make sure you get what you pay for through ensuring accurate weights and measures standards. We oversee Ohio’s fairs and make sure the amusement rides you love are safe. As a member of ODA’s family, you’ll be working with a team of the highest caliber, doing work that makes a difference to all Ohioans.

What You’ll Do:

Join an elite team of Veterinarians and Meat Inspectors! We are searching for a large animal Veterinarian with a desire to devote your skills to a greater purpose. This position will be headquartered in one of the following counties: Henry, Hancock, Marion, Fayette, Williams, Preble, Auglaize, Putnam, Miami, Clinton, Warren, Mercer, Sandusky, Lucas, Seneca, Hamilton, Highland, Darke, Montgomery, Adams, Fulton, Defiance, Wood, Union, Hardin, Brown, Paulding, Greene, Madison, Van Wert, Wyandot, Champaign, Clark, Butler, Allen, Logan, Clermont, or Ottawa County.

This position is responsible for:

• Administers, coordinates & enforces regulations of state & federal programs

• Reviews & implements policies & procedures established to ensure efficiency & uniformity of meat & poultry inspections for assigned geographic area

• Reviews Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans, Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP), and Specified Risk Materials (SRM) programs to ensure slaughter/processing facility compliance

• Conducts Humane Handling Verification visits at livestock establishments or Good Commercial Practice Correlation visits at poultry establishments to ensure compliance with all animal handling regulations

• Serves as the expert authority on animal health and food safety maintaining the obligation of providing information on a daily basis to promote and protect public health Uses epidemiologic principles & techniques to monitor various phases of meat handling & processing operations to prevent bacteriological contamination that impacts public health

• Uses In Plant Performance System (IPPS) evaluation methodology to evaluate performance and report deficiencies and to evaluate performance of inspection personnel

• Prepares & submits specimens & samples of other products used in conjunction with meat/poultry products (e.g., curing agents, ingredients, packing & packaging materials)

• Monitors or conducts random & specific tissue sampling to detect chemical & biological residues

• Conducts & leads Food Safety Assessments (FSA) as a trained Enforcement, Investigation, Analysis Officer (EIAO) in meat & poultry establishments

• Performs in-depth evaluations to assess design & validity of establishment’s food safety systems; makes recommendations & prepares administrative enforcement reports

• Supervises inspection staff (e.g., meat inspector trainees) in performance of meat inspection & disease detection activities & Monitors inspection activities (e.g., meat food products & poultry products)

• Trains inspection staff on various inspector duties (e.g., disease & abnormal animal recognition on ante-mortem & post-mortem of carcasses & parts, humane handling & slaughtering, sample collection, preservation & shipment techniques & procedures, aseptic technique, chain of custody, detection of probable causes of spoiled processed meat products, tissue sampling & testing for pathogens, detection & testing of carriers of antibiotics, sulfa, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and other chemicals)

• Evaluates meat inspectors in performance of ante-mortem & post-mortem techniques & humane handling

• Acts as liaison between inspection staff & central office (CO) (e.g., recommends whether a plant is in compliance or whether regulatory control action is warranted; provides technical advice & outreach information to management personnel or owners of meat & poultry slaughtering & processing establishments regarding proposed construction projects & forwards plans to CO for review; monitors establishment actions to ensure recall effectiveness)

• Provides explanations to inspection personnel & plant personnel on animal disease conditions observed as a means of understanding & education

• Assists in disease eradication & surveillance programs sponsored by other departmental divisions through tissue collection, sampling & reporting as assigned, performs best practice visits, assessments, and outreach/education under the FDA Drug Residue Prevention Program

Learn more about the Division of Meat Inspection here: https://agri.ohio.gov/divisions/meat-inspection

We Support Diversity and Inclusion:

ODA values its internal diversity and pledges to cultivate an inclusive and engaging environment for all employees where differences are embraced and celebrated. The agency commits to building a workforce that champions the advancement of DEI principles and initiatives. The values on which these efforts are founded are: respect, empathy, transparency, equality, and equal access.

What’s in it for you:

At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:

Student Loan Repayment Program:

ODA partners with USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) on The Veterinary Medicine Repayment Program (VMLRP). The VMLRP will pay up to $25,000 each year towards qualified educational loans of eligible veterinarians who agree to serve in a NIFA-designated veterinarian shortage situation for a period of three years. 

Medical Coverage

• Quality, affordable, and competitive medical benefits are offered through the Ohio Med PPO plan. 

Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance

• Dental, vision, and basic life insurance premiums are free after completed eligibility period. Length of eligibility period is dependent on union representation.

Time Away From Work and Work/Life Balance

• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, and sick leave 
• 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth/Adoption leave

Employee Development Funds

• The State of Ohio offers a variety of educational and professional development funding that varies based on whether you are a union-exempt employee or a union-represented employee.

Ohio Public Employees Retirement System

• OPERS is the retirement system for State of Ohio employees.  The employee contributes 10% of his/her salary towards his/her retirement.  The employer contributes an amount equal to 14% of the employee’s salary.  Visit the OPERS website for more information.

Deferred Compensation

• The Ohio Deferred Compensation program is a 457(b) voluntary retirement savings plan. Visit the Ohio Deferred Compensation website for more information.

Maternity Benefits

• Expanded maternity health care benefits available to state employees enrolled in the Ohio Med PPO and Ohio Med NN (narrow network) medical plan options. Several prenatal, childbirth, and post-childbirth services are  provided at no out-of-pocket cost to employees utilizing network providers.
• Examples of services now covered by network providers at 100% include:
  • Prenatal care, including physician visits and examinations.
  • Home health care services designated as maternity care (for expectant members on bed rest).
  • Inpatient claims for all types of delivery.
  • Inpatient NICU claims, from birth through discharge.
  • Postpartum care, including office visits for follow-up, and procedures/treatments directly related to maternity.
• Medications prescribed for both antepartum and postpartum conditions (e.g., morning sickness, postpartum depression). Medical services provided by non-network providers will be processed at the applicable coinsurance, deductible, and out-of-pocket limits.
• Prescription drugs that are directly related to maternity care are covered with no copay. The State of Ohio has collaborated with the prescription drug third-party administrator (OptumRx) to provide a list of covered medications that can be approved for zero copay via prior authorization from providers.

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a Model Employer of Individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

License to practice veterinary medicine issued by Ohio Veterinary Medical Licensing Board
AND
Accreditation under CFR, Title 9, Part 161 issued by United States Department of Agriculture
AND
12 months experience working in diagnostic service laboratory identifying livestock diseases, or pathology training, or practicing veterinary medicine, or working in area of livestock disease control & eradication, or working as veterinarian in state or federal food inspection program, or as manager in area of meat & poultry inspection
AND
6 months training or 6 months experience in state & federal laws regulating practice of veterinary medicine, implementation of programs to inspect & control infectious & contagious diseases in livestock & poultry industry or meat & poultry inspection
AND
Must provide own transportation

OR
18 months experience as Veterinarian, 65915
AND
Accreditation under CFR, Title 9, Part 161 issued by United States Department of Agriculture
AND
Must provide own transportation

About Ohio Department of Agriculture

Who We Are: ODA helps Ohioans in many ways including: supporting agriculture, protecting consumers, safeguarding plants and animals, and conserving natural resources. As a cabinet-level agency, we answer to the Governor, and we get a lot of stuff done! Ohio’s food and agriculture industry is huge, contributing $124 billion to the economy and employing one in eight people. This success starts on the farm, but these aren’t your great grandpa’s farms! They may have started way back when, but many of Ohio’s more than 70,000 farms are modern, state-of-the-art operations that use technology to maximize production to feed our growing population. ODA is located in Reynoldsburg on a beautiful, 158-acre campus. Parking is free and so are the amazing connections you will make with professionals who are known as the best in their field. What We Do: At ODA, we do a lot that helps a lot of people. That’s a pretty big deal! We make sure the meat and food you eat and the milk you drink is safe. We protect farmland and conserve our soil and water resources. We keep Ohio’s plants, crops, and livestock free of pests and disease. We house the state’s top food safety lab and serve as a hub for a... statewide lab safety system. We make sure you get what you pay for through ensuring accurate weights and measures standards. We oversee Ohio’s fairs and make sure the amusement rides you love are safe. As a member of ODA’s family, you’ll be working with a team of the highest caliber, doing work that makes a difference to all Ohioans.

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Connections working at Ohio Department of Agriculture