Dairy Products Specialist 1 or Trainee (NY HELPS)

 Posting Dates: August 6, 2026 – August 16, 2026

 

 

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets is seeking a Dairy Products Specialist 1 or Trainee to work in Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Steuben County. The Dairy Products Specialist 1 or Trainee is assigned to specific geographic areas of the State to inspect, rate, audit and investigate dairy products and dairy product producers, processors, laboratories, laboratory analysts and handlers to assess their compliance with State and federal rules, regulations and policies that require producing and selling in a sanitary manner without deceptive practices.

 

The Dairy Products Specialist 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. It is preferred that candidates either live in one of the listed counties or are willing to relocate  if selected. This position is perfect for a self-driven candidate who wants autonomy over their schedule, the ability to work from home, and enjoys working outside the office setting!

 

The starting salary for the Dairy Products Specialist 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 Dairy Products Specialist 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 candidate appointed at the Dairy Products Specialist 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!

 

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 Qualifications: Either 1: an associate's degree which must include 18 semester credit hours in specialized courses related to: public health, agricultural science, biological science, physics, chemistry, or production or processing of dairy or food products AND two years of satisfactory full time experience in dairy products inspection, milk or food plant production, or conducting public health inspections to determine compliance with federal, State, or local public health laws, regulations, and established public health standards.

Or 2: a bachelor’s degree which must include 18 semester credit hours in specialized courses related to: public health, agricultural science, biological science, physics, chemistry, or production or processing of dairy or food products.

 

Advanced Placement: If you meet the minimum qualifications and have an additional one year of experience in dairy products inspection, milk, or food plant production, or conducting public health inspections to determine compliance with federal, State, or local public health laws, regulations, and established public health standards, you may be appointed to the Dairy Products Specialist 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, Dairy Products Specialist 1, Grade 18. You must inform the hiring agency of this additional experience at the time of interview.

 

Examples of Acceptable Experience: Employment by a regulatory agency which verifies that an organization is in compliance with relevant laws or regulations pertaining to the storage, preparation, packaging or serving of food or beverages for consumption by the public. This includes but is not limited to: New York State Department of Health Inspectors that inspect a summer camps kitchen facilities for sanitary conditions and operations; New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Inspectors inspecting food processing facilities to verify compliance with state food processing regulations; County Public Health Officials that inspect a restaurant or mobile food service operation for compliance with local health laws and regulations; U.S. Food and Drug Administration Officials that inspect a company that manufactures food products for interstate or international shipment.

 

Examples of Unacceptable Experience: Dairy herd improvement cooperative supervisor (e.g., sampler), farm laborer, bulk-tank pick up milk receiver, feed store operator, animal feed salesperson, or artificial inseminator.

 

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.

 

Reassignment Qualifications: You must be a current Department of Agriculture and Markets employee and have one year of permanent, contingent-permanent, or 55 b/c service as a Dairy Products Specialist Trainee 1, NS, Dairy Products Specialist Trainee 2, NS and Dairy Products Specialist 1, G-18; if you have less than one year, you must be reachable on the current eligible list for this location if one exists.

 

70.1 Transfer Qualifications to Dairy Products Specialist 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: Food Inspector 1, G-18.

 

70.4 Transfer Qualifications to Dairy Products Specialist 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.

Either: 1: an associate's degree which must include 18 semester credit hours in specialized courses related to: public health, agricultural science, biological science, physics, chemistry, or production or processing of dairy or food products 

AND 

two years of satisfactory full-time experience in dairy products inspection, milk or food plant production, or conducting public health inspections to determine compliance with federal, State, or local public health laws, regulations, and established public health standards.

Or 2: a bachelor’s degree which must include 18 semester credit hours in specialized courses related to: public health, agricultural science, biological science, physics, chemistry, or production or processing of dairy or food products.

received a passing score on the most recent Dairy Products Specialist Trainee 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 to Dairy Products Specialist Trainee 1: Applicants may be appointed to this position permanently if they meet these qualifications: Either 1: an associate's degree which must include 18 semester credit hours in specialized courses related to: public health, agricultural science, biological science, physics, chemistry, or production or processing of dairy or food products AND two years of satisfactory full time experience in dairy products inspection, milk or food plant production, or conducting public health inspections to determine compliance with federal, State, or local public health laws, regulations, and established public health standards.

Or 2: a bachelor’s degree which must include 18 semester credit hours in specialized courses related to: public health, agricultural science, biological science, physics, chemistry, or production or processing of dairy or food products.

 

Information about the Workers with Disabilities 55-b and the Veterans with Disabilities employment program 55-c can be found at https://www.cs.ny.gov/dpm/c55.cfm.

 

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.

 

Candidates that are eligible and interested in being considered for appointment to one of these opportunities must use this link to apply: Position Vacancy Online Application by: August 16, 2026. Within this online application please upload your resume, transcript, and cover letter.

 

If you have any questions, please contact Cheryl Carman in Human Resources at (518) 457-3216 or HarvestYourPotential@agriculture.ny.gov.

 

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.