Seed Field Supervisor

State of Washington; Olympia (WA); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Teleworking

Flexible work schedules

PPE provided

Job summary

Washington State Department of Agriculture is recruiting a Seed Field Supervisor to oversee the field component of the Seed Program. You will supervise inspection staff, ensure compliance with FSA, AOSCA, OECD, ISTA, and USDA standards, and coordinate field activities across Washington State.

The role requires field presence and supervision of up to 5 permanent and about 14 seasonal inspectors, with a statewide impact on seed certification and quality assurance.

Qualifications

• One year of experience leading or supervising within an agricultural environment.
• Five years in seed industry production/processing/testing or related ag environment interpreting state and federal regulations.
• Must hold and maintain licenses such as ISTA sampling certification and USDA ACO credentials.

Responsibilities

• Determine priorities, set objectives, coordinate field activities and supervise daily work of inspectors.
• Maintain a healthy and safe work environment and empower team members to meet expectations.
• Oversee field inspection staff and adjust assignments for cost-effective staffing across WA.
• Read and apply seed inspection policies, procedures, and regulatory notices.
• Issue phytosanitary certificates as a licensed USDA ACO when required.
• Develop training resources for professional development of permanent and seasonal staff.

Skills

Leadership experience

Seed industry knowledge

Regulatory interpretation

Education

ISTA sampling certification

USDA ACO credentials

Job description

The first review of applications is scheduled for October 6, 2026. In order to be considered, please submit your application on or before October 5, 2026. The agency reserves the right to make a hire any time after the initial screening date.

AGRICULTURE - A Cornerstone of Washington's Economy

The Washington State Department of Agriculture has been serving the state for more than 100 years. Through service, regulation, and advocacy, we keep agriculture viable and vital in Washington State, while protecting consumers, public health, and the environment. We work extensively with farmers and ranchers, but our responsibilities – from ensuring food safety to environmental protection – touch the lives of millions of people locally, nationally, and abroad.

The agency includes 780 employees approximately and grows close to 1,000 employees at the peak of seasonal work. To learn more and view additional openings, please visit our Employment Page.

The Opportunity

The Washington State Department of Agriculture's Commodity Inspection Division provides unbiased third-party inspections for a wide variety of Washington State agricultural products and assists agricultural companies in the movement and exporting of their products. The division is made up of roughly 365 FTEs through four statewide programs Fruit and Vegetable inspection, Grain inspection, Grain Warehouse Audit, and Seed inspection and Certification.

The WSDA Seed Program provides accurate, timely and high-quality seed analysis and certification services while continually striving for improvements in methods and technologies to assure success for the program and its seed industry stakeholders. WSDA Seed Program is a unit within the Commodity Inspection Division that conducts pre-harvest seed field inspections and laboratory seed testing of agricultural, vegetable, native plants, rangeland grasses and flower seeds grown under the certification and phytosanitary programs. The program is responsible for seed certification, seed testing, phytosanitary visual seed inspection, seed inspection and official seed sampling as well as the program is the state seed regulatory agent. Additionally, the program monitors two seed quarantines to assist producers to replicate disease and pest free commodities.

This position directly supports the mission of the program by overseeing quality phytosanitary and certification field inspections, drawing official samples while enforcing federal and state regulations and maintaining positive relations with stakeholders. The Seed Field Supervisor is a specialist who supervises the field component of the program. The incumbent directs the inspection activity and assists operations by supervising inspection staff. This position administers, oversees, and directs field activities and advises public entities and program administrative staff on the program field inspection components.

As Seed Field Supervisor, this position is responsible for ensuring all employees under their supervision comply with the FSA seed regulatory chapters, AOSCA certification standards, OECD certification standards, ISTA sampling methods, USDASAC sampling methods and inspection procedures for all seed commodities within the program scope of inspection. This position is required to be in the field at least 50% of the time.

Important Notes

WSDA is recruiting for a full-time permanent Agricultural Commodity Inspection Supervisor position within the Commodity Inspection Services Division. The Seed Field Supervisor is approved for a home duty station statewide in Washington State and is represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE).

The base pay offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the preferred candidate's job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The typical starting salary for this position is: Range 56 Step A $64,512 - Step L $84,528 annually.

What to Expect

• Determine priorities, set objectives, coordinates field activities and supervises the daily activities of full time and seasonal field inspectors.
• Create a healthy and safe work environment that fosters empowered team members to exceed customer and team expectation within budget.
• Maintainaneutralsupervisoryrelationshipwithstaff.
• Read, interpret, comprehend and follow inspections and methodology in policies, procedures, directives, notices, rules and regulations relating to the position and the industry.
• Exercise full technical and administrative supervision over all field inspection staff; plan, assign, and review the work of up to 5 permanent and approximately 14 seasonal field inspectors, adjust assignments and schedules to maintain adequate cost-effective staffing levels and respond to fluctuating workloads for the entire state of Washington.
• Track the progress of field inspections to be aware of each inspector's progress of assigned work.
• Assess workload and adjust assignments to meet industry needs.
• Performs certification and phytosanitary field inspections and provides staff training. Officially samples seed lots at warehouse as requested. Monitoring maintenances and repairs of state issued vehicles and equipment.

• Ensure vehicles and other necessary equipment are maintained according to schedules in working order and available for seasonal and full-time inspectors.
• Issue a phytosanitary certificate as a licensed USDA ACO according to current rules and regulations.
• Supervise the work of other field staff and identify gaps in training or performance.
• Communicates effectively with growers and seed companies and responds to questions regarding certification from the general public.
• Responsible for regulatory assignments by checking the licensing labelingand shipping for truth in seed labeling requirements and responding to complaints.
• Obtain and maintain licenses with USDA as an authorized official sampler and ACO accreditation.

Develop appropriate training resources for professional development and skill building for permanent and seasonal field staff.

• Supervision and training of permanent and seasonal inspectors in these activities.

Who should apply?

• One (1) year of experience leading or supervising within an agricultural environment.
• Five (5) years of experience in seed industry production, processing, marketing and testing or within an agricultural environment where the candidate interprets and applies state and federal regulations.
• Must maintain specific licensure, such as International Seed Testing Association sampling certification, USDA authorized Sampling and USDA Authorized Certification Officer credentials.
• Must acquire and maintain all specialized licenses and certifications required by the United States Department of Agriculture for all commodities of the area to which assigned prior to appointment.

Preferred/Desired Qualifications:

• Experience applying state and federal seed certification regulations, seed law enforcement standards and identifying diseases and weeds found in crops and/or in seed industry production, processing, marketing, and testing.

Employee Benefits

• A healthy work/life balance, may include flexible work schedules, and teleworking.
• WSDA provides an excellent benefits package beyond traditional benefits. State employment offers Dependent Care Assistance, Flexible Spending Accounts, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Tuition Waiver, Deferred Compensation, Employee Recognition Leave; click here for more information.
• 12 paid Holidays & Vacation and Leave Accruals.
• All Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) required will be provided by the agency.

The Department of Agriculture recognizes, appreciates, supports, embraces, and respects all cultural identities and backgrounds while we collaborate in authentic ways. We hire amazing people that share in the commitment to our Pro-Equity Anti-Racist (PEAR) strategic plan, our Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act implementation plan, and our unique needs and desires for belonging, respect, and inclusion. We value the growth and development of our team members by providing equitable access to resources and opportunities for continuous learning, improvement, and advancement.

We strive to hire, cultivate, and retain a productive and dedicated workforce that reflects the communities we serve while we are committed to a workplace that celebrates our differences and supports equal opportunity employment and inclusion regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, marital status, families with children (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sex, sexual orientation, gender identity diversity, age, status as a protected veteran, honorably discharged veteran or military status, status as an individual with the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with disabilities or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States.

Prior to a new appointment into the Department of Agriculture, a background check including criminal record history will be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability and competence to perform the position.

The Human Resources Division may use referrals from this recruitment to help fill future similar vacancies for up to six months.

Contact Us

Should you have any questions regarding this position or the online application, contact the Human Resource Office at [e-mail].

Veteran's Preference: Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications and wish to claim Veteran's Preference MUST attach a copy of their DD214, or other verification of military service. Please blackout any personally identifiable data such as social security numbers. For additional information on Veteran's Preference and guidance on how to determine if you are eligible, click here.

Persons with a disability, who need assistance with their application or need this announcement in an alternative format, may call 664-1960 or toll free [phone]. TTY users should first call 711 to access the Washington Relay Service.

For more information about the Washington State Department of Agriculture, visit us at www.agr.wa.gov.