Sanitarian III

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Employee Benefits:

DSHS offers insurance coverage and other benefits available through the State of Texas Group Benefits Plan administered by the Employee Retirement System of Texas (ERS). To learn more about all the benefits available to you as a DSHS employee and other DSHS opportunities for early career pathways, visit the DSHS Careers Page.

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Functional Title: Sanitarian III 
Job Title: Sanitarian III 
Agency: Dept of State Health Services 
Department: Food & Drug 
Posting Number: 12985 
Closing Date: 03/02/2026 
Posting Audience: Internal 
Occupational Category: Life, Physical, and Social Science 
Salary Group: TEXAS-B-22 
Salary Range: $4,801.16 - $7,761.50 
Pay Frequency: Monthly
Shift: Day 
Additional Shift: Days (First) 
Telework: Eligible for Telework 
Travel: Up to 20% 
Regular/Temporary: Regular 
Full Time/Part Time: Full time 
FLSA Exempt/Non-Exempt: Nonexempt 
Facility Location:  
Job Location City: AUSTIN 
Job Location Address: 1100 W 49TH ST (RDM) 
Other Locations:  
MOS Codes: 8056,43HX,4E0X1,68S,740A,74A,74D,92W,MSSR,MST 
 
 
 

Brief Job Description:

As a Manufactured Foods Operations Branch compliance officer, exercises extensive latitude for independent judgment in comprehensive reviews of inspection and investigation reports submitted by Manufactured Food and Drug Unit staff. Composes warning letters. Evaluates evidence and recommends, prepares, and presents cases for escalated enforcement. May testify in court cases as an expert witness. Reviews salvage inspection reports and determines license approval. Provides technical supervision and consultative guidance to Inspection Branch investigators in the field conducting inspections/investigations of 40+ types of facilities regulated by the manufactured foods program. Provides technical consultation and interpretations of state and federal regulations to internal and external stakeholders. Acts as a point-of-contact for complaints, open records requests, detentions, and destructions. May conduct independent and joint field inspections and investigations. Works under limited direction of the Manufactured Foods Operations Branch Manager with extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment. 

Essential Job Functions (EJFs):

EJF 1 - As an independent compliance officer, exercises extensive latitude for independent judgment in comprehensive reviews of inspection reports submitted by Inspection Branch staff to ensure the application of food and drug health standards set forth by the Texas Health and Safety Code (HSC), Chapter 431 and Texas HSC, Chapter 432; and 25 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 229, 21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 1-199 and 40 CFR, Nutritional Labeling and Education Act, and the Dietary Supplement Health Education Act. Comprehensive reviews include an evaluation of the report content, evidence development, and documentation. In addition, the reviewer interprets inspectional findings, lab results, and product or process risk assessments. Based on review findings, the reviewer composes warning and detention letters and oversees the follow-up required including re-inspection; tracks firm response to correspondence and escalated enforcement action based on firm compliance. Evaluates and writes FDA endorsement summaries for inclusion in the FDA FACTS system. Evaluates written responses from industry to determine if the commitments of corrective action and preventative actions are appropriate and sufficient (warning letters & detention letter responses). Consults with other Operations staff, Operations Branch managers, Inspection Branch managers, and Manufactured Food and Drug Unit director to assure equitable and consistent regulatory compliance program statewide. Evaluates unresolved compliance actions for referral to the Compliance Review Committee (CRC). Recommends and/or initiates escalated enforcement to the CRC for either administrative or civil/criminal actions; prepares and presents compliance history and enforcement summaries to the CRC. Oversees the resolution of enforcement cases by providing interpretations of laws and regulations to the Texas Attorney General’s (AG) office, Division Compliance staff, and participates in enforcement conferences. Coordinates follow-up inspections to evaluate compliance with legal orders. May be called upon as a technical expert witness to provide testimony for legal cases. Provides technical supervision and consultative guidance to inspectors related to inspection of 40+ types of facilities regulated by the Division, including complex facilities such as: Low Acid Canned Food, Acidified foods and acid formulated foods, Seafood HACCP, Juice HACCP, Salvaged foods, dietary supplement manufacturers, disasters (fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and truck/train wrecks), and FDA contract inspections. Guidance includes regulatory interpretations, problems encountered during an inspection, documentation of findings in written documents, photos, samples, and record collection. May conduct solo or joint inspections during special assignments and escalated enforcement cases. (60%)

EJF 2 - Receives and enters food complaints and refers the complaints to the appropriate Inspection Branch, Disease Surveillance and Epidemiology Section, or appropriate external agency. Assists in the maintenance of the complaint database and monitoring the completion of complaints under investigation. Assists in the processing of Open Records Requests (ORR). Assists in the monitoring of time frames and maintenance of ORR database, as necessary. Assist with updating the Manufactured Foods program website to assure timely information and notifications are posted, as necessary. May act as a liaison to the Foods Licensing Branch and the Drug & Food Licensing Branch on licensing related matter or back up the liaison to Licensing. May act as a point-of-contact for foodborne illness cases, outbreak investigations, and natural or man-made disasters. Must receive relevant ICS training and participate in any needed activities involving emergency response. Prepares daily and/or weekly summaries of activities, and reports progress of the incidents to program management. May act as a back-up to the Branch Enforcement Coordinator. Participates in food safety related conference calls and meetings to provide guidance, input, and expertise to other agencies and DSHS staff, as needed. (10%)

EJF 3 - Assists in the management of the detention and destruction program. Receives detention requests from Inspection Branch staff and helps to ensure all detention or destruction incidents are received by Manufactured Foods Operations Branch and entered into the tracking system database. Assists in the tracking of open detentions to assure action is being taken to close the detention. Assists in researching and resolving open detentions with no action. Works closely with Inspection Branches and other Operations staff to assure that the detentions are resolved in a timely manner. (10%)

EJF 4 - Prepares and presents various classes, seminars, and training material to internal and external stakeholders concerning various roles pertaining to food manufacturing, food distribution, and food salvage. Provides technical consultation and interpretations of regulations to license holders, Division staff, members of the public and other government or private agencies concerning compliance and regulatory aspects of manufactured and/or distributed foods and drugs in commerce within the State of Texas. Makes recommendations and assists with rule making. May coordinate with Manufactured Food and Drug Unit staff on recalls, review voluntary recall notices for compliance with 21 CFR Part 7, and coordinate with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on interstate recalls. (10%)

EJF 5 - Other Duties as Assigned: Other duties as assigned include but are not limited to actively participating and/or serving in a supporting role to meet the agency's obligations for disaster response and/or recovery or Continuity of Operations (COOP) activation. Such participation may require an alternate shift pattern assignment and/or locations. May act as Manufactured Foods Operations Branch program manager in the manager’s absence. (10%)  

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs):

Knowledge of:

Food safety concepts including but not limited to food microbiology, foodborne illness, and hazard analysis critical control points.

State and federal laws and regulations pertaining to food safety and labeling with full professional competence in conducting inspections of food manufacturers, retailers, and wholesale food distributors.

Evidence development and general legal proceedings.

Skill in:

The use and care of inspectional equipment including but not limited to: black lights; digital and stem thermometers; thermocouples; chlorine, iodine, quaternary ammonia and pH strips; laptop computers; and digital cameras.

Technical writing and oral communication.

Various computer applications, especially word processing, spreadsheets, and database management.

Ability to:

Communicate technical information at various levels of understanding.

Be tactful and diplomatic in adverse situations.

Interact with professionals at all levels of government and industry.

Use proper inspection procedures and logic pathways to determine the compliance status of licensees.

Interpret policy and procedures, and the ability to respond to inquiries regarding same from both internal and external stakeholders.

Exercise extensive latitude and independent judgment to coordinate and prioritize workloads with minimal supervision.

Coordinate and/or supervise activities between various parts of the program and make the best use of resources.

Travel (in-state and out-of-state), as necessary, to attend technical training courses, perform inspections, and conduct training and evaluations of Inspection Branch field staff.

Climb and move up to 50 pounds during inspections. Ability to identify rodent and insect filth.

Read labels with 1/32” type size during inspections. 

Registrations, Licensure Requirements or Certifications:

Registered Sanitarian in the State of Texas 

Initial Screening Criteria:

Possession of a current State of Texas sanitarian registration. (Required)

Undergraduate or advanced degree in food science, public health, agricultural sciences, dairy science, or in a natural, basic, environmental, or other science discipline from a U.S. accredited college or university or foreign degree determined to be equivalent by an acceptable education evaluator. (Preferred)

Two or more years inspection or compliance experience within a manufactured foods program. (Preferred)

Experience at the federal, state, or local level regulating facilities that must comply with the laws and regulations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, State or local laws and regulations based on these federal laws or state or local laws and regulations based on the federal model codes and ordinances, such as the Federal Model Food code, the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Model Code, or the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance. (Required) 

Additional Information

**PLEASE NOTE: The posted salary range is the full range for this position. Agency salary policy, budget and candidate’s qualifications will dictate final salary offer. Typically, salary offers are at or near the midpoint of the range, depending on qualifications or other factors.**

Applicants who fail to follow the written instructions in completing the State of Texas Employment Application may be disqualified.

Application must be complete. It must contain dates of employment, job titles, name of employer, name of supervisor, current/final salary, specific reason for leaving, and a summary of experience that demonstrates you meet the initial selection criteria at minimum. Missing information or errors may lead to disqualification.

Resumes do not take the place of the requirement to enter all required information in the application (“See Resume” is not acceptable on the application). Resumes attached will not be considered equivalent to the State Application. Information on the application must clearly state how the applicant meets the initial selection criteria in the summary of experience section of the application.

Performs emergency response and continuity of operations (COOP) functions and participates in emergency response and COOP training as required. Participates in exercises and actual emergency or COOP responses as required.

Active Duty, Military, Reservists, Guardsmen, and Veterans:

Military occupation(s) that relate to the initial selection criteria and registration or licensure requirements for this position may include, but not limited to those listed in this posting. All active-duty military, reservists, guardsmen, and veterans are encouraged to apply if qualified for this position. For more information see the Texas State Auditor’s Military Crosswalk at https://hr.sao.texas.gov/CompensationSystem/JobDescriptions/.

ADA Accommodations:

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), DSHS will provide reasonable accommodation during the hiring process for individuals with a qualifying disability. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the interview process, please notify the person who contacts you to schedule the interview. If you need assistance completing the on-line application, contact the HHS Employee Service Center at 1-888-894-4747 or via email at HHSServiceCenter.Applications@ngahrhosting.com.

Salary Information, Pre-employment Checks, and Work Eligibility:

• The salary offered will follow DSHS starting salary guidelines. Any employment offer is contingent upon available budgeted funds.
• Depending on the program area and position requirements, applicants selected for hire may be required to pass background and other due diligence checks.
• DSHS uses E-Verify. You must bring your I-9 documentation with you on your first day of work.  Download the I-9 form