FOOD SAFETY PROGRAM MANAGER

Arizona State Government; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 66,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

Arizona Department of Health Services seeks a Food Safety Program Manager in Phoenix to lead its food safety and environmental health inspections efforts. You will provide consultative services, oversee Cottage Food and Marijuana Kitchen programs, and coordinate training and standardization of sanitarians.

The role requires directing staff, managing budgets, and ensuring compliance with state and federal food safety laws, with a focus on improving public health across the state.

Qualifications

• Must hold a current Registered Sanitarian (R.S.) credential through Arizona, NEHA RS, or equivalent.
• Experience providing consultative services to county health departments and conducting inspections.
• Ability to become commissioned and credentialed for FDA food inspections; training and background checks required.

Responsibilities

• Manage and direct subordinate staff, including training, assignments, evaluations, and discipline.
• Oversee inspection activities, plan reviews, licenses, outbreak investigations, and enforcement actions.
• Assist with annual reports, data gathering, and program budgeting; manage grants and contracts as needed.
• Coordinate with county, state, and federal stakeholders to promote food safety and sanitation education and compliance.

Skills

Inspect food safety

Train sanitarians

Food code interpretation

Stakeholder collaboration

Data analysis

Tools

Word

Excel

Access

PowerPoint

Google Workspace

Job description

DEPT OF HEALTH SERVICES

The Arizona Department of Health Services promotes and protects the health of Arizona’s children and adults. Our mission is to promote, protect, and improve the health and wellness of individuals and communities in Arizona. We strive to set the standard for personal and community health through direct care, science, public policy, and leadership. ADHS promotes alternative work schedules, flexible hours. We have positions that can fit any stage in your career; from entry to senior level. We offer a robust benefit package, including the ADHS Student Loan Assistance Program, where eligible employees can receive up to $300.00 per month for their outstanding student loans. Come check us out and see how you can make a difference in the lives of all Arizonans.

FOOD SAFETY PROGRAM MANAGER

Job Location:

Address: 150 N 18th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85007

Post Details:

Salary: $77,000

Grade: 22

Job Summary:

This position will provide consultative services to county health departments conducting food safety and environmental health inspections (and/or complaint investigations), training and standardization of sanitarians, providing Food Code interpretations and clarification, and overseeing Cottage Food registrations. Inspections of state-licensed facilities include but are not limited to prisons, children's camps, behavioral health facilities, public schools, school gardens, trailer parks, bottled water manufacturers, food manufacturing establishments, warehouses, marijuana facilities, businesses with SFA complaints, and other types of establishments as needed. Experience in architectural plan review for new and remolded covered establishments is preferred. Must hold either a current Registered Sanitarian (R.S.) credential through the state of Arizona, NEHA Registered Environmental Health Specialist /RS, and/or equivalent.

This position will manage several Food Safety Programs which may include the Cottage Food Program and the Marijuana Kitchen Program. It will also support other Food Safety Programs.

The Sanitarian Supervisor is responsible for:

• Managing, training, and directing staff;
• Managing budgets, ensuring delegation agreement and contract compliance, grant proposal and management, grant deliverables;
• Work related to the standards for retail food establishments and manufactured food facilities;
• Assisting with county delegation agreement and legislative bill reviews;
• Coordinating and overseeing complaint investigations and routine inspections;
• Assisting with annual report generation and data gathering;
• Recommending the issuance of notices of violations, cease and desist orders, and assessments of civil penalties if applicable;
• Coordinating education and compliance efforts regarding the statutes and rules relating to food safety and sanitation of ADHS state-licensed facilities including licensed marijuana kitchens;
• Coordinating and overseeing educational presentations, training, the design and printing of educational materials as needed.
• Representing the Department at administrative hearings, offers support and guidance to county partners, and evaluates the effectiveness of the educational and enforcement activities throughout the State.
• Collaborating with Information Technology internal or external stakeholders on development, troubleshooting, and maintenance of a program databases.
• Collaborating with the Office of Infectious Disease on outbreak investigations, special projects, and meetings.
• Collaborating with the Bureau of Marijuana Licensing on investigations, recalls, special projects, and meetings.
• Ability to become commissioned and credentialed for food inspections by FDA. Commissioning would involve the gaining of federal credentials via a background check, submission of requested documents, several hours of virtual course learning, and at least 2 off site, week long courses.

Job Duties:

Responsibilities include:

• Manage and direct subordinate staff (work assignments, setting priorities, hiring, provide training, approving leave requests, preparing evaluations, and disciplinary actions). Oversees, trains, and directs staff with plan reviews, inspections, licenses, outbreak investigations, embargoes; develops, implements, and maintains SOPs and sets priorities for food safety and sanitation programs.
• Determine program priorities and collaborate with staff and other Offices/Bureaus; supervise and provide direction over Program activities, such as educational presentations, trainings, and inspections (complaint, advisory/educational visits), development of educational materials, maintenance of a functional and effective website, informational phone system, and complaint database.
• Review inspection reports and complaints and oversee enforcement activities as necessary, including the issuance of notices of violation, assessments of civil penalties, cease and desist orders to proprietors of ADHS state licensed food establishment that violate the provisions of the Food Safety and Sanitation statutes and rules, and Marijuana Kitchen statutes and rules.
• Communicate and collaborate with stakeholders, including county health departments and other state/county/city agencies to ensure effective and quality education and compliance. Provide technical assistance and consultative services to CHDs.
• Support county health departments who have delegated functions, powers, and duties under the Food Safety, Sanitation. Assisting with county delegation agreement and legislative bill reviews.
• Assisting with annual report generation and data gathering; collaborating with Information Technology internal or external stakeholders on development, troubleshooting, and maintenance of program databases.
• Other duties as assigned as related to the position.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs):

Knowledge of:

• Program and personnel management, survey and research methods, management theory and practices, including planning, organizing and directing programs;
• Public health practices, knowledge of inspections and investigations methods.
• Arizona Food Code, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's model food code, Code of Federal Regulations (CFRs), as well as any other federal or state law that may apply or relate to this position.
• Communicable and environmentally caused diseases and their control, sanitation principles and practices and appropriate sanitation inspection protocols, and health education.
• Epidemiology and the scientific methods as applied to environmental control.
• Up-to-date scientific developments and advancements in food safety and environmental health.
• Experience with Word, Excel, Access, Power Point and Google Workspace applications.
• Knowledge of various software packages and how to provide reports, graphs and spreadsheets in various formats.
• Public health education theories, practices and trends, training theories, strategies, and methods;
• State and federal laws and agency rules, regulations, policies and procedures;
• Performance Management (PM), and Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) and Lean methodologies.

Skilled in:

• Conducting food safety and environmental health inspections, training, and standardization of sanitarians.
• Providing food code interpretations and clarification.
• Conducting food safety and environmental health inspections (and/or complaint investigations) of state institutions or facilities.
• Oral and written communications, interpersonal skills as working independently and as a team.
• Establishing priorities among conflicting needs;
• Researching, collecting, and analyzing data and reports;
• Developing and implementing various improvement initiatives for assigned program areas.
• Interpersonal relationships in relation to work with other staff,