ChemistryTechnician

**Agency** Dept of Agriculture , Consumer Services **Division** Agriculture Consumer Service **Job Classification Title** Chemistry Technician I (S) **Position Number** 60012029 **Grade** NC06 **About Us** The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services provides services that promote and improve agriculture, agribusiness, and forests; protect consumers and businesses; and conserve farmland and natural resources for the prosperity of all North Carolinians. The Department employs approximately 2,000 employees. **Description of Work** This position in located in the Food & Drug Protection Division (FDPD). FDPD has five functioning sections, including the Food Section, the Dairy Section, the Feed Section, the Drug Section, and the Administrative Services Section. In addition, analytical support is provided to the Food & Feed Sections by FDPD’s three laboratory sections, i.e., the Inorganic Chemistry Section, Organic Chemistry Section, and Microbiology Section. The Division protects the health, welfare, and economic interests of consumers of foods, drugs, livestock feeds, fertilizers, and medical devices by ensuring, through inspections and analysis, that these products are wholesome and properly labeled. The Organic Chemistry Section analyzes food, animal feed, and agricultural samples for pesticides residues, mycotoxins, and drugs using liquid chromatography (LC) and gas chromatography (GC) coupled with various detectors. The section additionally evaluates the formulation of commercially available pesticides and antifreeze samples. The Organic Chemistry Section is comprised of four laboratory areas that are defined by technology and analysis type: the Formulations Laboratory; the Mycotoxin Laboratory; the LC Laboratory; and the GC Laboratory. The Mycotoxin Laboratory is responsible for quantitating mycotoxins and drugs in milk, food, animal feed, and forage samples by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).