Fruit and Vegetable Quality Control Series

California State Personnel Board Specification

Series established January 12, 1972

Scope

This series specification describes the Fruit and Vegetable Quality Control classes within the Department of Food and Agriculture. Incumbents in these classes perform or supervise inspection and certification of fruits and vegetables and other products to assure compliance with standards set forth in California Food and Agricultural and Administrative Codes, Federal and State Marketing Orders, industry, institutional and military specifications, or U.S. Grade Standards. Incumbents supervise, train and coordinate the work of State and/or county biologists and inspectors; reject commodities not meeting standards; supervise disposition of reconditioning; take enforcement action; prepare evidence for prosecution as required; keep records and issue certifications of inspections made and the condition of commodities inspected.

Inspection and certification involve quality, maturity, condition, grade, pack, container, labeling and shipping conditions. Inspection work is performed at markets, wholesale distribution points, packing and storage plants, processing plants, fields or at inspection stations. The work includes standardization, and shipping point, and fresh products for processing inspection.

Supervisory classes in this series may be in charge of inspection and certification of fresh products for compliance with standards on a district or area basis, or of a product on a statewide basis and be responsible for training, supervision and coordination of inspection and certification work performed by other agencies. Incumbents establish, staff, and manage inspection stations; conduct training demonstrations of maturity tests, various defects and inspection and certification methods; conduct training of Federal, State and county personnel on all phases of grading standards, inspection, and certification procedures; supervise preparation of procedural handbooks and interpret inspection and certification requirements for fruit, nuts, and vegetable commodities; coordinate and evaluate inspection and enforcement activities of county agricultural commissioners; coordinate program activities with other related programs; review certificates issued by subordinates for correctness; settle inspection and certification problems involving Federal, State, and county agricultural commissioners and the produce and processing industry. Evaluate staff performance and take or recommend appropriate action; and prepare correspondence and reports.

Factors Affecting Position Allocation

Level and variety of work assigned, independence of action, degree of training and qualification to perform the full range of duties including appropriate Federal license, and supervision received and exercised. The level of supervisor positions is determined by complexity and volume of operations. These positions may require a Federal supervisory license.

Definition of Levels

Fruit and Vegetable Quality Control Inspector

This is the entry, first working and journey level of this series. Incumbents under direction perform a variety of inspection tasks while becoming proficient in the inspection and certification of fruits, vegetables and other commodities.

As journeypersons, incumbents perform lead inspection duties, perform the more difficult inspections, train and guide lower level inspectors and supervise a crew of seasonal inspectors during peak seasons.

Fruit and Vegetable Quality Control Supervisor I

This is the first of two full-time supervisory levels; involving standardization, shipping point, fresh products for processing, and other inspection. Under direction incumbents supervise an inspection, certification, and enforcement program within a minor district covering fruits, nuts and vegetables within a district; act as assistant to a Fruit and Vegetable Quality Control Supervisor II, and establish and manage inspection stations; conduct demonstrations of maturity tests, various defects and inspection methods; review certificates issued by subordinates for correctness; keep records of inspections made and the condition of commodities inspected.

Fruit and Vegetable Quality Control Supervisor II

This is the second full-time supervisory level. Under direction incumbents are charged with overall management, operation and staff of a major district or product of standardization, shipping point, fresh products for processing, or other inspections of fruits, nuts and other produce. In addition, incumbents act as assistant to the program supervisor, statewide or within a large geographical area.

Program Supervisor, Fruit and Vegetable Quality Control

Under direction incumbents may function either: (1) as an area supervisor in a large geographical region, planning, organizing, directing and coordinating a program of fruit, nut and vegetable inspection and certification; or (2) as a program supervisor in a headquarters assignment, responsible for administering, planning, organizing, and directing the day-to-day activities of a major aspect of the program unit. Incumbent maintains the statewide uniformity of grading and inspection procedures; advises and assists in the preparation and revision of rules and instructions on the methods of conducting inspections and issuing certificates of inspection; assists in solving administrative problems in the application of Federal and State standards and interpretation of the provisions of the Food and Agricultural Code and assists in drafting regulation and program changes as necessary; assists the Chief with administrative duties; plans and prepares budgets; and acts for the Chief as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Fruit and Vegetable Quality Control Inspector

Either I

Experience: Six months of experience performing the duties of an Agricultural Services Technician II, Range B, in California state service. and

Education: Equivalent to completion of nine semester units of college level course work in job-related sciences. (Applicants who are enrolled for the minimum appropriate college courses required may be admitted to the examination, but must show proof of completion before they will be considered eligible for appointment.)

Or II

Six months of experience in the State's Fruit and Vegetable Quality Control Program sampling agricultural products for inspection in a class equivalent to that of an Agricultural Aid.

Or III

Two years of experience growing, harvesting, grading, packing, or inspecting fruits, nuts, or vegetables. (College work in agricultural subjects may be substituted for the required experience on the basis of two years of education being equivalent to one year of experience.) (Registration as a senior in a recognized college will allow admittance to the examination, but applicants must produce evidence of graduation or its equivalent before they can be considered for employment.)

Fruit and Vegetable Quality Control Supervisor I

Either I

One year of experience in the California state service performing the duties of a Fruit and Vegetable Quality Control Inspector, Range B. (Applicants who have completed six months of service as a Fruit and Vegetable Quality Control Inspector, Range B, will be admitted to the examination, but they must satisfactorily complete one year of the experience in the class before being considered eligible for appointment.)

Or II

Three years of progressively responsible experience growing, harvesting, grading, packing, or inspecting fruits, nuts, or vegetables, one year of which must have been in a supervisory capacity. (Experience in the California state service applied toward meeting this requirement must have been in a class with a level of responsibility equivalent to that of a Fruit and Vegetable Quality Control Inspector, Range B.) (Education equivalent to graduation from college with a major work in agriculture may be substituted for two years of the non-supervisory experience.)

Fruit and Vegetable Quality Control Supervisor II

Either I

Either:

1. One year of experience in the California state service performing the duties of a Fruit and Vegetable Quality Control Supervisor I. or

2. Two years of experience in the California state service performing the duties of a Fruit and Vegetable Quality Control Inspector, Range B. (Applicants who are within six months of meeting the minimum qualifications will be admitted to the examination but must have completed the required experience in the class before being considered eligible for appointment.)

Or II

Four years of progressively responsible experience inspecting, growing, harvesting, grading, or packing fruits, nuts, or vegetables, two years of which must have been in a supervisory capacity. (Experience in the California state service applied toward meeting this requirement must have been in a class with a level of responsibility equivalent to that of a Fruit and Vegetable Quality Control Inspector, Range B.) (Education equivalent to graduation from college with a major work in agriculture may be substituted for two years of the non-supervisory experience.)

Program Supervisor, Fruit and Vegetable Quality Control

Either I

Either:

1. One year of experience in the California state service performing the duties of a Fruit and Vegetable Quality Control Supervisor II. or

2. Two years of experience in the California state service performing the duties of a Fruit and Vegetable Quality Control Supervisor I.

Or II

Experience: Five years of progressively responsible experience inspecting, growing, harvesting, grading, or packing fruits, nuts, or vegetables, two years of which must have been in a supervisory capacity. (Experience in the California state service applied toward meeting this requirement must have been in a class with a level of responsibility equivalent to that of a Fruit and Vegetable Quality Control Supervisor I.) and

Education: Equivalent to graduation from college. (Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis.)

Knowledge and Abilities

All Levels:

Knowledge of: Car lot shipping and loading methods; quality, size condition, pack, and other factors involved in inspecting fruits, nuts, and vegetables; provisions of laws, rules, regulations and grade standards applicable to fruits, nuts, and vegetables.

Ability to: Read and write English at a level required for successful job performance; interpret and apply Federal and State standards for packing, grading, and shipping of fruits, nuts, and vegetables; deal tactfully with other members of the industry; analyze situations accurately and act effectively; speak effectively.

Fruit and Vegetable Quality Control Supervisor I and All Higher

Levels

Knowledge of: All of the above, and principles of effective supervision; personnel management; shipping and marketing methods, trends, and developments relating to agricultural commodities; department's Affirmative Action Program objectives; a manager's role in the Affirmative Action Program and the processes available to meet affirmative action objectives.

Ability to: All of the above, and direct the work of others and train subordinates in inspection work; effectively contribute to the department's affirmative action objectives.

Program Supervisor, Fruit and Vegetable Quality Control

Knowledge of: All of the above, and principles of budgeting and public administration.

Ability to: All of the above, and plan, organize, and direct fruit and vegetable inspection activities throughout the State and draft and revise rules, regulations, and instructions.

Special Personal Characteristics

All Levels:

Willingness to travel extensively throughout the State and color vision adequate to successfully perform the job as measured by the Ishihara Pseudo-Chromatic Plate Test or for persons failing the Ishihara, the Farnsworth D-15 Arrangement Test.

Fruit and Vegetable Quality Control Supervisor I and All Higher

Levels

License Requirement: Appointment to some positions may require possession of a valid Federal Supervisor's license issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to supervise inspection of fruits, nuts, and vegetables for fresh shipment or processing. (Applicants who do not possess the requisite license or designation will be admitted to the examination, but they must secure the license and/or designation prior to appointment.)

Additional Desirable Qualification

All Levels:

Education equivalent to completion of the twelfth grade.

Class History