CDA- Food Safety Program Manager (Management)

Salary : $106,776.00 - $160,164.00 Annually
Location : Broomfield County, CO
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number:
Department: Department of Agriculture
Division: Inspection & Consumer Services Division
Opening Date: 11/04/2026
Closing Date: 11/17/2026 11:59 PM Mountain
FLSA: Determined by Position
Type of Announcement: This position is open only to Colorado state residents.
Primary Physical Work Address: 305 Interlocken Pkwy, Broomfield, CO 80021, USA
FLSA Status: Exempt; position is not eligible for overtime compensation.
How To Apply: Please submit an online application for this position at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/colorado. Reach out to the Department Contact to apply using a paper application, including any supplemental questions. Failure to submit a complete and timely application may result in the rejection of your application. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that application materials are received by the appropriate Human Resources office before the closing date and time listed.
Department Contact Information: Human Resources, Colorado Department of Agriculture, 305 Interlocken Parkway, Broomfield CO 80021

Description of Job
Organizational Purpose
This work unit oversees the strategic direction, program performance, and administrative operations for the seven regulatory programs within the Division. For each program, this unit manages regulatory reviews, sets strategic goals, and builds relationships with industry and consumers. This work unit also executes the licensing and registration component of each program, including issuing licenses and registrations, receipt of revenue, and serving as the first point of contact for licensees and consumers.

Major Objectives of the Position
The Food Safety Program Director will manage the Produce Safety, Handweeding Variance, Custom Meat, and Egg programs. The Food Safety Program Director will supervise the Feed & Regulatory Program Manager and serve as the secondary-level reviewer of the standards coordinator. The Food Safety Program Director's duties will include staff management, strategic planning, developing rules and regulations, making legislative changes, developing budgets and contracts, and determining staffing requirements. This position will meet the objectives of the FDA Cooperative Agreement, state Custom Meat, and state Egg programs, which are to encourage the safe production of fresh fruits and vegetables, safe meat processing at Non-USDA facilities, and enforce the state egg rules to allow regulatory authorities to direct food safety and regulatory activities to reduce foodborne illness hazards in the United States. The position will work with State and Federal agencies on the development of regulatory requirements, as well as with industry producers and associations, to develop the program's inspection, compliance, and enforcement. The position requires a valid Colorado driver's license for travel within the state and nationally. Travel in and out of state will be required for up to ten weeks each year.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities
Program Administration:

Brief Duty Description:

As the statewide authority and program director for Colorado's Food Safety Programs, this position exercises independent, high-level administrative direction to establish, operate, and maintain comprehensive regulatory frameworks complying with FDA Produce Safety, state Custom Meat, and Egg rules. The position defines program scope, establishes statewide strategic goals, secures legislative and rule changes, and shapes policy across state and federal jurisdictions to protect consumer health and support agricultural producers. Duties include:

• Determine appropriate legislative, statutory, and rule changes needed to establish, operate, and maintain a unified Food Safety Program in Colorado, collaborating with Department leadership, legal counsel, and legislative liaisons to secure passage and implementation.
• Determine comprehensive staffing requirements, organizational structure, roles, and responsibilities for the program; direct, train, and oversee inspection staff to ensure rigorous, standardized enforcement and evaluation.
• Integrate program operations with existing food safety frameworks (such as the FDA Animal Feed Regulatory Program Standards) and research, negotiate, and implement Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with state, federal, and external entities (including CSU, NASDA, and AFDO) to streamline commodity production roles.
• Establish and oversee a comprehensive statewide farm inventory of producers covered under FDA Produce Safety, Custom Meat, and Egg rules, leveraging department data, grower organization partnerships, and direct producer outreach to maintain an ongoing, accurate maintenance system.

Produce Safety Program Operations:

Brief Duty Description:

This position exercises comprehensive strategic leadership and programmatic control to direct the long-term vision, operational scaling, and regulatory compliance of Colorado's Produce Safety Program. The position operates with broad administrative discretion to shape statewide policy, govern large-scale technical infrastructure, and establish rigorous evaluative frameworks across multi-sector jurisdictions. This position operates with broad administrative discretion to provide input into national program policy, working with federal government agencies and national associations. The position requires a valid Colorado driver's license for travel within the state and nationally to successfully lead the program's operations. Travel in and out of state will be required for up to ten weeks each year. Duties include:

• Provide strategic planning and performance governance.
• Spearhead the development, execution, and continuous refinement of comprehensive 5-year strategic plans, establishing enterprise-level performance metrics, accountability benchmarks, and quantitative evaluation methodologies to ensure program alignment with statutory mandates and fiscal allocations.
• Provide administrative governance over OIT-contracted vendors and technical partners, directing the architectural design, implementation, and maintenance of advanced database systems capable of securely managing massive volumes of statewide agricultural datasets.
• Formulate and execute overarching operational policies and compliance structure that integrates state regulatory standards with federal cooperative agreements, ensuring seamless integration across diverse agricultural sectors and regional territories.
• Direct enterprise-wide risk management, resource management, and collaborative coordination with state leadership, academic institutions (e.g., CSU), and grower associations to proactively address operational vulnerabilities and drive continuous program improvement.

Produce Safety Grant & Contract Management:

Brief Duty Description:

This position manages all funding and contracts for the Produce Safety Program, overseeing federal grants, state funds, and vendor agreements. Operating with full autonomy, the position ensures financial compliance, manages budgets, and directs partnerships to support ongoing program operations. Duties include:

• Administration, compliance monitoring, and fiscal execution of federal grant awards (including the FDA Produce Safety Cooperative Agreement) and funding guidelines, establishing rigorous internal controls, financial forecasting, and comprehensive reporting processes to satisfy federal and state auditors.
• Direct the end-to-end lifecycle of external contracts, memorandums of understanding (MOUs), and service agreements, evaluating partner performance and operational alignment to ensure all external entities meet rigorous programmatic and statutory parameters.
• Formulate long-term financial strategies, budgetary allocations, and operational purchasing priorities-spanning technology, capital assets, and personnel scaling-to maximize grant efficiency and ensure program solvency across diverse economic cycles.
• Lead comprehensive fiscal audits, grant reviews, and strategic stakeholder briefings with federal grantors, legislative bodies, and departmental leadership to justify program expenditures and secure ongoing financial support.

Custom Meat, Egg, and Handweeding Variance Operations:

Brief Duty Description:

This position exercises administrative oversight and strategic operational direction for the custom meat, egg, and handweeding operations. The position establishes statewide inspection standards, direct enforcement protocols, evaluates regulatory effectiveness, and ensures rigorous compliance across diverse commercial and agricultural operations. Duties include:

• Establish and monitor comprehensive annual performance goals for inspections, leveraging risk-based assessments (facility size, historical compliance, and operational complexity) to prioritize regulatory oversight and streamline licensing workflows.
• Determine, initiate, and oversee complex enforcement actions against non-compliant licensees-including penalties, fines, and stop-sale orders-while collaborating with Department leadership and legal counsel during administrative hearings and civil proceedings.
• Continuously analyze the effectiveness of existing regulatory procedures and inspection reports, designing and implementing strategic procedural improvements to optimize operational efficiency and consumer protection.
• Serve as the statewide expert on specialized regulatory requests, evaluating and determining the approval or denial of handweeding variance applications while ensuring clear, transparent communication with producers.
• Manage program expenditures, oversee resource and supply distribution for inspection staff, and provide expert technical guidance to administrative and inspection personnel on complex compliance matters.

Supervision and Leadership:

Brief Duty Description:

Responsible for the supervision of program managers, as well as supporting all unit staff to be successful in their positions. This includes establishing a positive team culture, providing resources and training, and leading initiatives that improve staff performance and development. Specific duties include:

• Establish an organizational structure to provide balanced and efficient workflows.
• Hire all employees within the