Job Posting: Environmental Scientist

Department of Food & Agriculture

JC-508936
-
Environmental Scientist
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST

$4,418.00 - $9,321.00 per Month
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.

Final Filing Date: 3/16/2026

Job Description and Duties

Per CCR 249.3, this job control may be used to fill subsequent vacancies.


Under the supervision of the Senior Environmental Scientist (Supervisory), the incumbent will conduct environmental health inspections of facilities housing egg-laying hens, calves raised for veal, and breeding pigs to ensure conformance with confinement standards, gather scientific data on food-animal housing and confinement systems, research and investigate complaints or incidents of farm animal cruelty due to improper housing and care, as well as misbranded products from noncompliant sources, provide analytical expertise and reports on specific livestock confinement parameters on egg-laying farms, pig breeding facilities, and veal calf production operations, and conduct inspections and audits of distributors, retailers and other end-users for traceable records of shipments from compliant sources. The Environmental Scientist (ES) will enforce complex environmental health and safety laws and regulations, and execute policies and procedures to improve environmental health, the humane confinement and care of food-producing animals, and the sustainability of California agriculture.


• Travel throughout the state of California and outside of California by vehicle and by air travel, to conduct inspections of animal production and distribution facilities for compliance with all applicable state animal care confinement, certification and registration requirements necessary for distribution of covered animal products (shell eggs, liquid eggs, veal meat and pork meat) in both intra and interstate commerce.


• Conduct on-site audits of CDFA accredited third-party certifiers within and outside of California to ensure conformance of producer and/or distributor certification activities with requirements of the California Code of Regulations.


• Conduct verification inspections of producers and distributors certified by accredited third-party certifying agents to ensure standardized and uniform application of animal confinement standards of the Health and Safety Code


• Travel throughout the state of California, by vehicle and by air travel, to conduct enforcement activities for compliance with the Health and Safety Code, the Food and Agricultural Code and other applicable environmental health laws and regulations, related to farm animal cruelty and animal confinement under the California initiative Proposition 12.


• Establish and maintain cooperative relations with local environmental health departments, other state regulatory agencies including the California Department of Public Health, and federal food safety and animal health authorities in district offices of the USDA and FDA.


• Respond to emergency animal housing or cruelty incidents linked to violations of confinement provisions of the Health and Safety Code and California Code of Regulations and conduct environmental health inspections and audits to identify, mitigate and correct the cause of confinement violations.


• Prepare clear and complete reports, letters, and memorandums as required.


• Participate in conference calls and meetings with industry, coworkers, supervisory staff, and management as directed.


• Prepare and deliver oral presentations as assigned


• Complete and submit functional time reports on field activities in a timely manner as directed by management.


• Accurately complete timesheets, travel expense claims, and auto logs, as applicable, and submit in a timely manner as directed


Candidates may perform these essential functions with or without reasonable accommodation.

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

Working Conditions

The duties of this position are performed outdoors approximately 70% of the time. This 70% of time will be visiting locations inside and outside of California which includes overnight travel when necessary. The incumbent works out of their home office and reports to the Ontario Office only to pick up supplies, attend meetings and turn in required documents. Most of the workday will be spent traveling to various locations throughout California or locations outside of California.

Minimum Requirements

You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

Additional Documents

Position Details

Job Code #:
JC-508936
Position #(s):
014-108-0762-010
Working Title:
Environmental Scientist
Classification:
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST
$4,418.00 - $6,035.00 A
$5,370.00 - $7,350.00 B
$6,796.00 - $9,321.00 C
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.
# of Positions:
1
Work Location:
San Bernardino County
Telework:
In Office
Job Type:
Permanent, Full Time

Department Information

The Animal Care Program, as part of the Animal Health and Food Safety Services (AHFSS) division, regulates the confinement of calves raised for veal, breeding pigs and egg-laying hens to ensure compliance with farm animal housing and care provisions of the Health and Safety Code and California Code of Regulations. The Program registers facilities involved in the handling, distribution and sales of eggs, pork meat and veal meat, and conducts audits and inspections to ensure products reaching California consumers are from sources in conformance with animal cruelty prevention requirements in state law.

Special Requirements

  • The position(s) require(s) a valid California Drivers License (CDL). You must answer the questions addressing your CDL on your application. Ensure you provide your CDL number, class, expiration date, and any endorsements and/or restrictions.

A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is required and must be submitted with your Employment Application (STD. 678). Applications received without an appropriate SOQ based on the instructions below will be disqualified from this recruitment. Resumes, cover letters, and other documents will not be considered as a response to the SOQ.  SOQ Instructions are below:

• Restate Questions prior to response

• Include your name and job control number

• Must be single-spaced, no more than two (2) pages, and Arial size 11 font

1. Describe your experience collecting and analyzing data? Include if this experience was done in the field or a laboratory.

2. Describe your experience or education in interpreting laws and regulations.

3. Describe your experience with compliance or enforcement to a specific set of standards.

4. Describe your experience in developing new methods or procedures and/or revising existing methods or procedures.

5. Describe your experience in coordinating an inspection schedule that requires travel to multiple locations.

6. What is your experience traveling for a job and how do you handle your assigned tasks while traveling?

Application Instructions

Completed applications and all required documents must be received or postmarked by the Final Filing Date in order to be considered. Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the USPS, are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an application.

Final Filing Date: 3/16/2026

Who May Apply

Individuals who are currently in the classification, eligible for lateral transfer, eligible for reinstatement, have list or LEAP eligibility, are in the process of obtaining list eligibility, or have SROA and/or Surplus eligibility (please attach your letter, if available). SROA and Surplus candidates are given priority; therefore, individuals with other eligibility may be considered in the event no SROA or Surplus candidates apply.

Applications will be screened and only the most qualified applicants will be selected to move forward in the selection process. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications stated in the Classification Specification(s).

How To Apply

Complete Application Packages (including your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) and applicable or required documents) must be submitted to apply for this Job Posting. Application Packages may be submitted electronically through your CalCareer Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included. If you choose to not apply electronically, a hard copy application package may be submitted through an alternative method listed below:

Address for Mailing Application Packages

You may submit your application and any applicable or required documents to:

Department of Food & Agriculture
Attn: Human Resource Branch JC-508936
1220 N Street, Room 242
Sacramento, CA 95814

Address for Drop-Off Application Packages

You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:

Department of Food & Agriculture
Human Resource Branch JC-508936
1220 N Street, Room 242
Sacramento, CA 95814
ELECTRONIC APPLICATION IS PREFERRED. All mail or drop-off applications must include JC-508936
08:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

  • Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
  • Resume is optional. It may be included, but is not required.
  • Statement of Qualifications -

    A completed Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) must be submitted with your State Application to be considered. The SOQ must follow the specifics as stated in the “Special Requirements” section.

Applicants requiring reasonable accommodations for the hiring interview process must request the necessary accommodations if scheduled for a hiring interview. The request should be made at the time of contact to schedule the interview. Questions regarding reasonable accommodations may be directed to the EEO contact listed on this job posting.

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.

Contact Information

The Hiring Unit Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position or application process.

Hiring Unit Contact:
Elizabeth Cox
(916) 900-5115
elizabeth.cox@cdfa.ca.gov

Please direct requests for Reasonable Accommodations to the interview scheduler at the time the interview is being scheduled. You may direct any additional questions regarding Reasonable Accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity for this position(s) to the Department's EEO Office.

EEO Contact:
Office of Civil Rights
(916) 654-1005
Civil_Rights@cdfa.ca.gov
California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice) TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Hard Copy Applications:

If you are dropping off or mailing in your application, please use the Examination/Employment Application, STD 678 Revised 06/2024 version.

 

Additional Information:

Please do not include any confidential information such as social security number, marital status, ethnicity, age, salary or disability information on any of the documentation uploaded with your online application.


If the classification you are applying for has an education requirement, transcripts will be required to verify you meet the minimum qualifications of the classification. Please be sure to redact any confidential information before uploading your transcripts.


Upon hire you may be required to provide official sealed transcripts or an original degree or certificate.


Applicants with foreign degrees may be asked to provide an official foreign transcript evaluation which indicates course work is equivalent to a degree from an accredited U.S. College or University.


This position may require a medical clearance.


Alternate Classifications and Training and Development assignments may be considered.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.

Application Methods:
Electronic (Using your CalCareer Account)
By Mail
Drop-off
Print Job