Deputy Agricultural Commissioner

Job Description:

Deputy Agricultural Commissioner

Description

Description

WHAT WE OFFER
The County of Ventura offers an attractive compensation and benefits package. In addition to the annual salary, an employee appointed to this position may also be eligible for the following:

• Educational Incentive - An educational incentive of 5% for completion of a graduate's degree.
• State Licensure - Incumbents who possess the state license for Deputy Agricultural Commissioner shall receive an additional five percent (5%) of their base salary while this license remains active.
• Bilingual Incentive - Incumbents may also be eligible for bilingual incentive depending upon operational needs and certification skills.
• Annual Leave - 208 hours per year, increasing to 288 hours after 5 years (10,400 hours) of service.
• Annual Leave Redemption - The ability to "cash in" or redeem up to 100 hours of Annual Leave per year accrued in the same year after using 80 hours within the last 12 months.
• Deferred Compensation - Eligible to participate in the County's 401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or the Section 457 Plan. This position is eligible for up to a 3% match on your 401(k) contributions. Effective February 9, 2024 (and annually thereafter in the third pay period of subsequent years), eligible employees meeting the criteria in Sec. 1907 of the Management Resolution will receive two percent (2%) of their annualized compensation as a contribution towards their 401(k) account.
• Health Plans - You are afforded a flexible credit allowance of up to $25,558 annually for purchasing medical, dental, and vision insurance from a group of authorized plans for Plan Year 2025.
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Choice of participation in the Flexible Spending Accounts which increase spending power through reimbursement of pre-tax dollars for IRS approved dependent care and health care expenses.
• Pension Plan - Both the County and employees contribute to the County's Retirement Plan and to Social Security. If eligible, reciprocity may be established with other public retirement systems, such as PERS.
• Holidays - 12 paid days per year which includes one (1) annual floating holiday.

VENTURA COUNTY
Ventura County is located on California's "Gold Coast," approximately 35 miles northwest of Los Angeles and 20 miles southeast of Santa Barbara. Residents enjoy rolling hills and sweeping ocean views in a nearly perfect Mediterranean climate with an average annual temperature of 74.2 degrees. The beauty and weather combined with a wonderful quality of life are among the many reasons our residents choose to call Ventura County "home."

Ventura County is a "general law" county, governed by a five-member, elected-by-district Board of Supervisors. The Supervisors appoint a County Executive Officer (CEO) to oversee the County budget, day-to-day operations, as well as to advise, assist and act as an agent for the Board of Supervisors in all matters under the Board's jurisdiction.

County operations have an operating budget of approximately $2.86 billion with a staffing allocation of over 10,000 employees. The County has excellent financial standing with its AAA rating, the highest possible long-term bond rating, from Moody's and Standard & Poor's. The County excels in its financial and business operations which are based in continuous process improvement.

AGRICULTURE/WEIGHTS & MEASURES DEPARTMENT
Under direction of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors the Department of Agriculture/Weights & Measures has been serving Ventura County since 1895 working in cooperation with the California Departments of Food and Agriculture and Pesticide Regulation, industry members, agricultural advocacy groups, Ventura County citizens, and other stakeholder groups to preserve a reasonable balance between commerce and regulatory requirements while addressing the ever-changing climate of agriculture, the needs of the public, and responsible stewardship of the environment.

The Department's Mission is to protect and promote agriculture and equity in the marketplace, while ensuring the welfare of the public, the industry and the environment. This is accomplished by enforcing federal, state and local laws, regulations, and ordinances for pest management and pesticide use; preventing the introduction and movement of quarantined pests; certificating shipments for export; performing quality control for produce, nursery stock, and other agricultural products; ensuring truth in advertising for organic products, and farmers markets; enforcing correct labeling; reviewing land use compatibility with agricultural operations; compiling and reporting crop production statistics; completing damage assessments; and many other activities.

Weights and Measures is a division of the Department and is mandated by state law to protect the interest of the buyer and seller to ensure honesty and integrity of everyday business transactions. This protection is accomplished through the enforcement of the laws of the State of California and various federal status. Most transactions involving the exchange of goods, property, and service involve some form of weighing and measuring. Protections is provided by the continuous, systematic inspection and testing for accuracy of weighing and measuring devices used in trade in Ventura County, as well as the checking of packaged commodities for quantity and labeling.

THE POSITION
Under general direction of the Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer and/or the Chief Deputy Agricultural Commissioner, the Deputy Agricultural Commissioner plans and supervises the implementation of department programs in assigned specialized fields of agricultural inspection, coordinates and oversees field operations through a Supervising Agricultural Inspector/Biologists and performs related duties as assigned. This position may be assigned to any of the divisions within the Department dedicated to the programs of Pesticide Use Enforcement, Pest Exclusion, and Agriculture & Consumer Protection.

The successful candidate will have an extensive knowledge and understanding of the role of the Agriculture/Weights & Measures Department as both an inspection and compliance entity, and a public service provider with multiple stakeholders. This individual will demonstrate considerable knowledge of the Civil Service Merit System and how to work effectively within it. Excellent communication, and inter-personal, and collaborative skills to address issues that may be challenging and tense employing tact and diplomacy are required.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate some knowledge of the principles and techniques of management, and the ability to learn and contribute effectively to a strategic systems improvement organizational process.

Deputy Agricultural Commissioners receive management (MB4) benefits and are not eligible for overtime compensation.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
OPENING DATE: Wednesday , September 17, 2025
CLOSING DATE: Tuesday , September 30, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. APPLICATION REVIEW COMPLETE: Week of October 06, 2025

Examples Of Duties

Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

• Coordinates and manages the functions of multiple department inspection programs;
• Plans and revises district workload in collaboration with Supervising Agricultural Inspectors/Biologists;
• Contributes to budget development of assigned programs identifying specific business needs to be funded;
• Defines, clarifies and implements inspection policies, techniques and procedures;
• Prepares reports required for local and state records; maintains statistical records and records of individual inspection reports;
• Supervises, trains and advises staff on problem resolutions;
• Conducts performance evaluations of direct reports; investigates and recommends actions for any disciplinary problems;
• Researches, interprets and clarifies agricultural legislation and regulation, local, state and federal;
• Conducts informative educational programs for the public and the agricultural community;
• Provides technical assistance in sensitive or complex lab and field inspection procedures; advises staff on problem remedies;
• Issues and reviews necessary licenses and permits;
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Typical Qualifications

These are entrance requirements to the examination process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list.

EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE
Completion of a Bachelor's degree in Agricultural, Biological Sciences, or other related field and five (5) years of experience in agricultural inspection.

Substitution:

Two (2) years of a substantial experience in the enforcement of Agricultural laws, Agricultural Pest Control, or in the production, processing or marketing of agricultural commodities may be substituted for 2 years of the education requirement.

Necessary Special Requirements

• Must possess and maintain a valid California driver license.
  
• Must possess a valid Deputy Agricultural Commissioners Certificate issued by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
  
• Must be willing and able to make presentations in front of groups and various stakeholders.
  
• Excellent written communication skills must be demonstrated in the completion of the employment application and supplemental questionnaire.
  

Verification of the required Bachelor's degree in Agricultural or Biological Sciences.

• Submit your diploma, transcripts or grade reports from an accredited college or university which shows your name, the conferred date of your degree and the major area of study within 3 days of submitting your application.
• Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.
• If you need additional time to submit transcripts, contact the analyst conducting the recruitment for an extension.
• Degree(s) from a foreign institution require an academic credential evaluation to determine the U.S. equivalency.
• If the name on this documentation is different from the name on your application, include documents that show the name change (e.g., a marriage certificate).

DESIRED

Experience:

• Supervising in a unionized, public sector environment;
• Skilled in collaborating and providing service to a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders.

Supplemental Information

• Duties require significant public contact and local travel.
  
• Inspection locations where work is performed may be indoors or outdoors, including ships, railroad cars, nurseries, warehouses, residential areas, fields, etc. Inspection duties may require traveling/working throughout Ventura County, as well as working overtime, weekends, and holidays, as needed.
  
• Performing essential functions of this job may require incumbents to perform lifting and bending; sitting and/or walking continuously for up to two (2) hours at a time; walking on uneven and/or slippery ground or floor surfaces; or be exposed to unpleasant or hazardous conditions or substances in the field, such as heat, dust, diesel exhaust, inclement weather, chemicals, and noise.
  

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and ABILITIES

Working knowledge of:

• Provisions of the California Food and Agricultural Code, California Code of Regulations, Business and Professions Code, Health and Safety Code, Labor Code, Ventura County Ordinances and related federal, state and local laws and regulations governing to the work of the County Agriculture/Weights & Measures Department;
• County agricultural products and commodities;
• Principles and techniques of management, including fiscal management;
• Principles and practices of employee supervision, evaluation, training and discipline in a unionized, public sector Civil Service Merit System;
• Inspection policies, techniques, and procedures;
• Personal computer applications utilized by the Agriculture Department;
• Working knowledge of budget development and monitoring.

Skilled in collaborating and providing service to a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders.

Ability to:

• Effectively organize, coordinate, and direct a program of agricultural inspection and enforcement services;
• Make independent decisions regarding assigned program area;
• Research and interpret applicable laws and regulations;
• Prepare reports and statistical records;
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing;
• Make educational and informative presentations in public forums to large audiences;
• Address enforcement issues that may be challenging and tense through tact and diplomacy;
• Train and direct activities of direct reports and program staff;
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with coworkers, management, regulators and customers such as the public, growers, media, schools, etc.

Recruitment Process

FINAL FILING DATE: Applications must be received by County of Ventura Human Resources in Ventura, California, no later than 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 30, 2025.

To apply online, please refer to our website at http://www.ventura.org/hr jobs . A paper application can be obtained by calling (805) 654-5129. Our address is County of Ventura Human Resources, 800 South Victoria Avenue, L-1970, Ventura, CA 93009.

NOTE : If presently permanently employed in another "merit" or "civil service" public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar position as is advertised, and if appointed to that position by successful performance in a "merit" or "civil service" style examination, then appointment by "Lateral Transfer" may be possible. If interested, please click here for additional information.

Note to Applicants: Sufficient information must be provided under the Education/Work Experience portions of the application and supplemental questionnaire to thoroughly and accurately demonstrate your qualifications to determine eligibility. A resume may be attached to supplement your responses in the above sections; however, it may not be submitted in lieu of the application.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE - qualifying

All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this examination at the time of filing. This questionnaire may be used throughout the examination process to assist in determining each applicant's qualifications and acceptability for the position. Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire may result in removal of the application from further consideration.

APPLICATION EVALUATION - qualifying

All applications will be reviewed to determine whether the stated requirements are met. Applicants meeting the stated requirements will be invited to the next step in the examination process.

TRAINING and EXPERIENCE EVALUATION
A Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E) is a structured evaluation of the job application materials submitted by a candidate, including the written responses to the supplemental questionnaire. The T&E is NOT a determination of whether the candidate meets the stated requirements; rather, the T&E is one method for determining who are the better qualified among those who have shown that they meet the stated requirements. In a T&E, applications are either scored or rank ordered according to criteria that most closely meet the business needs of the department. Candidates are typically scored/ranked in relation to one another; consequently, when the pool of candidates is exceptionally strong, many qualified candidates may receive a score or rank which is moderate or even low resulting in them not being advanced in the process.

NOTE: The selection process will likely consist of an Oral Exam, which may be preceded or replaced with the score from a Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E), contingent upon the size and quality of the candidate pool. In a typical T&E, your training and experience are evaluated in relation to the background, experience and factors identified for successful job performance during a job analysis. For this reason, it is recommended that your application materials clearly show your relevant background and specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities. It is also highly recommended that the supplemental questions within the application are completed with care and diligence. If the T&E replaces the oral exam candidates must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.

ORAL EXAMINATION - 100%

A job-related oral examination may be conducted to evaluate and compare participating candidates' knowledge, skills, and abilities in relation to those factors which job analysis has determined to be essential for successful performance of the job. Candidates must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.

If there are three (3) or fewer qualified applicants, an oral examination may not be conducted. Instead, a score of 70% is assigned to each application, and each applicant is placed on the eligible list.

ELIGIBLE LIST
Candidates successfully completing the examination process may be placed on an eligible list for a period of one (1) year.

The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill current and future Regular (including Temporary and Fixed-Term), Intermittent, and Extra Help vacancies in the County of Ventura Agriculture/Weights & Measures Department. There are currently Two (2) Regular vacancies.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION A thorough pre-employment, post offer background investigation which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information and driving record is required for this position.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
The County of Ventura 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.

For further information about this recruitment, please contact Esmeralda Oseguera by e-mail at Esmeralda.Oseguera@venturacounty.gov or telephone at (805) 477-7268.

YOUR BENEFITS AS A COUNTY OF VENTURA EMPLOYEE

MANAGEMENT

To learn more about Benefits, Retirement, and the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), see links below.

• Benefits website or you may call (805) 654-2570.
• Retirement FAQ's
• Memorandum of Agreement

Union Codes:MB3, MB4, MS, MT,MCC, MU

Closing Date/Time: 9/30/2025 5:00 PM Pacific

Salary:

$102,417.24 - $143,398.20 Annually