AGRICULTURE LABORATORY DIRECTOR - 81369

Executive Service

AGRICULTURE LABORATORY DIRECTOR

Department of Agriculture

Technical Services

Nashville, TN

Annual Salary: $118,296.00 - $154,140.00

Closing Date: 10/19/2026

Who We are and What We Do:

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture has a consolidated laboratory structure. On the campus of Nashville's Ellington Agriculture Center are three different functional laboratory units, each providing unique services to the broader agricultural community. The Kord Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory (KAHDL, or the Kord Lab) offers veterinary diagnostic services to veterinarians, producers, companion animal owners, and the Office of the State Veterinarian. Service categories include necropsy, histopathology, immunology, serology, parasitology, molecular diagnostics, bacteriology, and toxicology. The Kord Lab is part of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network and plays a critical role in monitoring for and responding to animal diseases of significant consequence, such as avian influenza. Sharing the same facility as the Kord Lab, the Technical Services Laboratory performs testing exclusively for internal customers, which are regulatory programs in the Division of Consumer & Industry Services. Those tests include both chemical and microbiological analyses of human food, animal feed, fertilizer, hemp, pesticides, and environmental samples. Results of these analyses are used to direct regulatory action by the Department. The Technical Services Laboratory is a member of the Food Emergency Response Network and partners with federal, state, and academic laboratories across the nation to ensure the safety of the U.S. food supply. The Johnson Metrology Laboratory maintains and houses the primary standards of mass, volume and length for the State of Tennessee. These standards are directly traceable to the national standards maintained at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Maryland. By offering calibration services through this unbroken chain of traceability, equity in commerce is guaranteed throughout the state and beyond.

How you make a difference in this role:

In addition to your resume, please submit a cover letter describing your interest in the role, how your experience aligns with the needs of the position, key achievements, and management style.

As Director, you will make a meaningful difference by leading a laboratory that protects public health, supports animal health, strengthens agricultural systems, and promotes equity in the marketplace. Through strategic leadership you will help ensure that critical decisions are based on accurate, timely, and scientifically sound results. You will guide staff, uphold rigorous quality and regulatory standards, foster partnerships with stakeholders, and advance a culture of excellence, integrity, and continuous improvement. You may also provide input on Department-wide policy and procedure while serving as a scientific resource for the Department's legislative liaisons. Although no candidate is expected to arrive with subject matter expertise in each area of the laboratory, the ability to evaluate scientific literature, monitor for emerging industry concerns, and serve as a liaison with the general public, academic partners, regulators, and other stakeholders is critical for success in this role. A strong foundational background is therefore necessary in the areas of biology, chemistry, and mathematics. Additionally, the ideal candidate will possess strong critical thinking, public speaking, and resource management skills.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensuring compliance with requirements of state/federal cooperative agreement programs

• Maintaining and expanding the laboratory's scope of accreditation

• Fostering a culture of Quality and Safety

• Supervising directly the managers of each laboratory unit, quality manager, safety manager, and office supervisor

• Making recommendations for personnel actions (e.g., hiring and promotion)

• Overseeing the development of laboratory methods

• Interpreting analytical and calibration data as the final authority for high-risk and complex cases

• Managing budgets, facilities, and other resources in collaboration with Department administrative staff

• Providing technical perspectives to Department leadership on matters of policy and legislation

• Developing, mentoring, and leading a diverse multidisciplinary team of laboratory professionals

• Driving continuous improvement and providing a strategic vision for all areas of laboratory operations

• Supporting workforce development initiatives with industry and academic partners

Pursuant to the State of Tennessee's Workplace Discrimination and Harassment policy, the State is firmly committed to the principle of fair and equal employment opportunities for its citizens and strives to protect the rights and opportunities of all people to seek, obtain, and hold employment without being subjected to illegal discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It is the State's policy to provide an environment free of discrimination and harassment of an individual because of that person's race, color, national origin, age (40 and over), sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, disability, veteran's status or any other category protected by state and/or federal civil rights laws.