Food Inspector 1 or Trainee (NY HELPS)- Westchester County- 9.2026

Harvest your potential with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets!   Join our team and become an integral part of a team dedicated to fostering a competitive food and agriculture industry that benefits both producers and consumers alike. Here, you can cultivate your career in a dynamic environment that values innovation, sustainability, and community engagement. With a wide range of opportunities spanning from environmental science to economic development, you can find your niche in public service and grow both professionally and personally. Embrace the chance to join our team, and you’ll not only reap a fulfilling career but also sow the seeds for a healthier, stronger New York.

Position Information:

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets is seeking a permanent Food Inspector 1 or Trainee to conduct food safety inspections of food establishments to ensure sanitary, wholesome, and pure food in accordance with applicable laws and regulations in Westchester County, NY. The Food Inspector 1 or Trainee will prevent fraud, adulteration and misrepresentation in the processing, packaging, storage, distribution, and sale of food and food products by educating food establishment operators on applicable laws and regulations; sampling food products to verify food safety controls, product labeling, and contents; and issuing written notices, letters, and reports citing food establishment violations and enforcement actions.

The Food Inspector 1 or Trainee is a full-time position working 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday. This position may be based out of your home and requires travel within an assigned region. This is a perfect opportunity for a self-driven candidate who wants autonomy over their schedule and enjoys working outside of the office setting!

Salary:

The starting salary for the Food Inspector Trainee 1 is $53,764/ year, and the hiring salary for the PEF salary grade (SG) 14. This position requires the completion of a two-year traineeship. After successful completion of the first year of the traineeship, the appointee will advance without further examination to the Trainee 2 level SG-16 (starting salary of $59,994). Completion of the second year of the traineeship will result in permanent advancement to the Food Inspector 1, SG-18 (starting salary of $66,951) without further examination. Candidates may be eligible for appointment directly to the Trainee 2 or full performance level. For more information, see Advanced Placement below.  

The full title Food Inspector 1 position is in the PEF Salary Grade (SG) 18. The starting salary of the PEF SG-18 is $66,951/year. 

The candidate appointed at the Food Inspector 1, SG-18 level, will be eligible to participate in the New York State Performance Evaluation Program. Through this program, employees receive yearly performance evaluations.  Performance advances are payable to PEF employees whose base annual salary is below the job rate for their current position and who were rated "Satisfactory" or its equivalent on their yearly performance evaluation. Performance advance payments are added to an employee's annual salary. Over time, yearly performance advances may lead to the SG-18 job rate salary of $85,138/ year!

Employees that work in New York City, Nassau, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester counties receive an additional downstate pay adjustment of $4.000/year!

Benefits:

This is a PEF-represented position offering a comprehensive and valuable benefits package. You'll benefit from cost-effective health insurance options, fully covered dental and vision care, participation in the secure New York State Pension Plan, and ample paid time off. Your first year includes 5 personal days, 13 vacation days, 13 sick days, and 13 paid holidays – providing excellent work-life balance. Explore additional advantages with programs such as the Deferred Compensation Plan, Flex Spending Account, and NY's 529 College Savings Program. For comprehensive details on these programs, please visit the New York State Office of Employee Relations website.

As a New York State employee, you could potentially qualify to participate in the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)! The PSLF Program forgives the remaining balance on your direct student loans after you have made 120 qualifying monthly payments under an accepted repayment plan and while working full-time for the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets or another eligible employer. 

NY HELPS Minimum Qualifications:

NY HELPS Qualifications: Applicants may be appointed to this position permanently if they meet these qualifications: Either 1. 120 semester credit hours which MUST include 24 credit hours in: chemistry, microbiology, food quality control, epidemiology, entomology, food technology, food science, food processing technology, food sanitation, dairy science, biology, environmental sanitation, environmental health, human physiology, genetics, animal science, nutrition/dietetics, or medical sciences;

Or 2. 60 semester credit hours which MUST include 24 credit hours in: chemistry, microbiology, food quality control, epidemiology, entomology, food technology, food science, food processing technology, food sanitation, dairy science, biology, environmental sanitation, environmental health, human physiology, genetics, animal science, nutrition/dietetics, or medical sciences AND two years of experience where your primary responsibility is in the areas of environmental health protection and sanitation of food establishments, or quality control of food products at a wholesale food manufacturing facility.

Advanced Placement: If you meet the minimum qualifications and have an additional one year of experience in which the primary responsibility involves the application of scientific techniques in the areas of environmental health protection and sanitation of food establishments or quality control of food products at a wholesale food manufacturing facility, you may be appointed to the Food Inspector Trainee 2. This will reduce the traineeship time by one year. If you meet the minimum qualifications and have an additional two years of experience in the areas listed above, you may be appointed to the full performance title, Food Inspector 1, Grade 18. You must inform the hiring agency of this additional experience at the time of interview.

Examples of Acceptable Experience: For the purposes of this examination, qualifying experience can be gained in jobs such as Environmental Health Technician, Sanitarian for food business, Food Inspector/Investigator, Meat Inspector, Quality Control Technician for a food processing plant or food warehouse, or Laboratory Technician with experience conducting analysis of food or dairy products.

Examples of Unacceptable Experience: Food Service Worker, Restaurant or Food Store Manager, Chef, Butcher, Caterer, Food Warehouse Foreperson, Food Warehouse Management, Food Comptroller, Beverage Comptroller, Food Production line worker, Banquet Manager, Steward, Food Equipment Salesperson, Food and Sanitation Equipment Salesperson, Food Broker, or Pesticide Applicator.

NY HELPS Program:

This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS).

For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title may be filled via a non-competitive appointment, which means no examination is required but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply.

At a future date (within one year of permanent appointment), it is expected employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination. Employees will then be afforded with all the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in a NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.

Alternate Minimum Qualifications:

You may also be eligible for appointment to this position if you meet any of the following minimum qualifications.

70.1 Transfer Qualifications to Food Inspector Trainee 1, NS: Applicants may be appointed to this position permanently if they have: one year of permanent, competitive service in a title designated as appropriate for transfer under Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law. Such titles include Farm Products Grading Inspector 1, G-14.

70.1 Transfer Qualifications to Food Inspector Trainee 2, NS: Applicants may be appointed to this position permanently if they have: one year of permanent, competitive service in a title designated as appropriate for transfer under Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law. Such titles include Farm Products Grading Inspector 2, G-18.

70.1 Transfer Qualifications to Food Inspector 1, G-18: Applicants may be appointed to this position permanently if they have: one year of permanent, competitive service in a title designated as appropriate for transfer under Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law. Such titles include but are not limited to: Dairy Products Specialist 1, G-18.

70.4 Transfer Qualifications to Food Inspector Trainee 1, NS: Applicants may be appointed to this position permanently if they have: one year of permanent, competitive service in a Grade 11 title or higher AND

Either 1. 120 semester credit hours which MUST include 24 credit hours in: chemistry, microbiology, food quality control, epidemiology, entomology, food technology, food science, food processing technology, food sanitation, dairy science, biology, environmental sanitation, environmental health, human physiology, genetics, animal science, nutrition/dietetics, or medical sciences;

Or 2. 60 semester credit hours which MUST include 24 credit hours in: chemistry, microbiology, food quality control, epidemiology, entomology, food technology, food science, food processing technology, food sanitation, dairy science, biology, environmental sanitation, environmental health, human physiology, genetics, animal science, nutrition/dietetics, or medical sciences;

AND two years of experience where your primary responsibility is in the areas of environmental health protection and sanitation of food establishments, or quality control of food products at a wholesale food manufacturing facility;

AND received a passing score on the most recent Food Inspector 1 examination. 

Reinstatement Under Rule 5.4: Applicants may be appointed to this position permanently if they were previous permanent New York State employees who resigned their positions may be reinstated to their former positions, or to positions to which they were eligible for transfer or reassignment without further examination. Employees separated from their positions may be reinstated within one year of the date of their separation. Employees separated from their positions who have also been separated from state service for more than one year may be reinstated upon approval by the state Civil Service Commission. 

55-b/c Qualifications: Applicants may be appointed to this position permanently if they meet these qualifications: Either 1. 120 semester credit hours which MUST include 24 credit hours in: chemistry, microbiology, food quality control, epidemiology, entomology, food technology, food science, food processing technology, food sanitation, dairy science, biology, environmental sanitation, environmental health, human physiology, genetics, animal science, nutrition/dietetics, or medical sciences;

Or 2. 60 semester credit hours which MUST include 24 credit hours in: chemistry, microbiology, food quality control, epidemiology, entomology, food technology, food science, food processing technology, food sanitation, dairy science, biology, environmental sanitation, environmental health, human physiology, genetics, animal science, nutrition/dietetics, or medical sciences AND two years of experience where your primary responsibility is in the areas of environmental health protection and sanitation of food establishments, or quality control of food products at a wholesale food manufacturing facility.

Advanced Placement: If you meet the minimum qualifications and have an additional one year of experience in which the primary responsibility involves the application of scientific techniques in the areas of environmental health protection and sanitation of food establishments or quality control of food products at a wholesale food manufacturing facility, you may be appointed to the Food Inspector Trainee 2. This will reduce the traineeship time by one year. If you meet the minimum qualifications and have an additional two years of experience in the areas listed above, you may be appointed to the full performance title, Food Inspector 1, Grade 18. You must inform the hiring agency of this additional experience at the time of interview.

Examples of Acceptable Experience: For the purposes of this examination, qualifying experience can be gained in jobs such as Environmental Health Technician, Sanitarian for food business, Food Inspector/Investigator, Meat Inspector, Quality Control Technician for a food processing plant or food warehouse, or Laboratory Technician with experience conducting analysis of food or dairy products.

Examples of Unacceptable Experience: Food Service Worker, Restaurant or Food Store Manager, Chef, Butcher, Caterer, Food Warehouse Foreperson, Food Warehouse Management, Food Comptroller, Beverage Comptroller, Food Production line worker, Banquet Manager, Steward, Food Equipment Salesperson, Food and Sanitation Equipment Salesperson, Food Broker, or Pesticide Applicator.

Information about the Workers with Disabilities 55-b and the Veterans with Disabilities employment program 55-c can be found at 55b/c Recruitment Resources Center (ny.gov). 

Travel Requirements:

These positions require extensive travel. Appointees must either possess at the time of appointment and continuously thereafter a valid driver’s license to operate a motor vehicle in New York State and have access to a motor vehicle when necessary or otherwise demonstrate their capacity to meet the regular transportation requirements in carrying out their field work responsibilities. Additionally, appointees are required to travel out-of-state for overnight trips on occasion due to ongoing training commitments.

How to Apply:

Candidates that are eligible and interested in being considered for this position must use the below link to apply by: October 1, 2026. Within this online application please upload your resume, transcript, and cover letter.

If you have any questions, please contact Amy Sacco in Human Resources at (518) 457-3216 or [email protected].

The Department is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  All people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.  We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity, and reasonable accommodations and/or modifications as necessary, for qualified persons with disabilities.  If you are in need of a reasonable accommodation, please visit: https://agriculture.ny.gov/employment-information.