Manages the State‑wide programs regulating the business activities of commission merchants, dealers, cash buyers and brokers of agricultural products and livestock markets and the Livestock Investigation Program and Audit Program for certified feed lots for the Department of Agriculture and supervises assigned personnel.

Develops plans to provide State‑wide coverage of all firms and individuals subject to Commission Merchants Act, Public Livestock Market Act, and other regulatory controls to assure compliance; schedules, trains and assigns investigators to provide timely response to complaints, perform audits and enforce agricultural laws and regulations; 

Directs issuance of subpoenas, taking of statements and depositions; schedules administrative hearings, prepares and issues hearing notices; presents findings of fact, conclusions of law, and recommended decisions to county prosecutors; 

Assists Assistant Director in directing Livestock Identification program; receives and distributes livestock theft reports; assigns brand inspectors to perform unscheduled inspections; determines validity of claims for estray proceeds (funds withheld from consignors to public livestock markets for lack of proof of ownership); issues special sale permits; assists in planning of brand registration program and production of brand book; compiles and distributes statistical reports; 

Plans and organizes surveillance and auditing of certified feed lots; 

Directs cooperative investigation efforts with other divisions and sections of the Department of Agriculture, as well as other State, county and Federal agencies; 

Acts as hearing officer for Department of Agriculture administrative proceedings as requested; 

Supervises licensing and bonding of commission merchants, dealers, cash buyers, brokers and livestock markets; maintains custody of bonds, makes determinations of claims against licensees or their sureties; makes claims awards; establishes pro rata distribution of funds when claims exceed bond; 

Conducts informational and educational programs to assist firms and individuals in complying with Commission Merchants and Public Livestock Market Acts, and to assist producers in utilizing laws and regulations; 

Prepares budgets, controls expenditures and directs maintenance of records and reports; 

Performs other duties as required.

Knowledge of:  investigative techniques; administrative hearing procedures; agricultural laws and regulations; court decisions; rules of preservation of evidence; laws of arrest, search and seizure; Administrative Procedures Act; accounting, auditing and bookkeeping procedures. 

Ability to: plan, schedule, train and supervise personnel involved in investigative work; preside over fair and impartial hearings on alleged violations of various statutes and regulations; make difficult rulings of admissibility of evidence and complex findings of fact and conclusions of law; write clear, concise, accurate and lawful notices and orders; investigate the most complicated allegations of violations of agricultural laws and assist in prosecutions before the Director of Agriculture or before Justice and Superior Courts.

There may be instances where individual positions must have additional licenses or certification. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure the appropriate licenses/certifications are obtained for each position.

A Bachelor's degree including 12 semester (or 18 quarter) hours of accounting and three years of regulatory experience equivalent to a Commission Merchant Investigator 1 or Brand Inspector 2. 

Additional year of regulatory experience may be substituted, year for year, for education.