Safety Steward

The Racing Division Horseracing Safety Steward is responsible for the interpretation and enforcement of the Racing Commission Rules and Regulations (Arizona Administrative Code, Title 19, Horse Racing, Chapter 2, Article 1, Horse Racing and applicable statutes for the racing industry, the health, safety and welfare of animal participants, code and conduct of permittee's and licensee's, and the wagering public. Watch training in the mornings to insure proper on-track safety protocols, checking to make sure the outriders, human ambulance with a para-medic, and the horse ambulance are in place. Prepare daily/weekly/monthly reports of incidents that occur on the backside. This includes horses/jockey's/licensees/staff that are injured or involved in an accident or incident that may require action. On a monthly basis prepare an oral/written report to present to the Director and the Commission members at the commission meeting.

• The Racing Division Horse Racing Steward is responsible for the interpretation and enforcement of the Racing Commission Rules and Regulations (Arizona Administrative Code, Title 19, Horse Racing, Chapter 2, Article 1, Horse Racing and applicable statutes for the racing industry, the health, safety and welfare of animal participants, code and conduct of permittee's and licensee's, and the wagering public.
• Safety steward conducts pre-meet racetrack safety inspections/Prepares written report. Report conditions of track (track surface, rails, turf etc.), backside (building, roads, restrooms, kitchen, barns, barn stalls etc..), and facilities (main building, parking, trailer parking, quarantine barns etc.)
  Provides a presence in the shed row of all barns to monitor compliance with fire and safety standards, equine environmental safety, proper licensing, presence of injectables and syringes, and any other unusual activities or practices.
• Coordination of licensing officer's assignments, helps coordinate and direct racing activities at racetrack, confers with track management, observes workers performing duties to ensure compliance with commission rules and track policy, may approve or disapprove requests of handlers to change equipment on horses, and confers with veterinary personnel regarding horses unfit to race.
• Safety steward may immediately investigate and may disqualify a horse and/or suspend the trainer or other person or persons involved in cases where laboratory reports or other evidence show the administration of a foreign substances to an animal, may refer the matter to the Director, and impose a fine.

Knowledge of:

• Arizona State Racing Commission rules and regulations.
• Statutes governing horse racing.
• Track operations.
• Open meetings laws.
• A,R.S. 41-1092, Uniform Administrative Hearing Procedures.
• State Veterinarian and Pari-Mutuel Supervisor duties.
• Investigations and licensing functions of the section.
• Certification of ROAP.
• Fingerprinting duties and processes requirements.
• Horse anatomy and behavior.
• Equipment used in horse racing.
• Adobe Acrobat, G-Suite/Workspace, and Microsoft Office software.
• Computer hardware and software.
• Horsemanship.

Skills in:

• Impartially judge race results
• Exercising mature judgments in making accurate and logical decisions promptly. Evaluating on-going races.
• Observe and detect violations of rules and regulations during racing meets.
• Presenting a pleasant impression to the general public and at all times conduct self in a courteous and temperate manner.
• Assisting the supervision of licensing officers in such a way as to maintain a harmonious operation.
• Excellent verbal and written communication.
• Fostering and maintaining working relationship within the Arizona racing industry.
• Works with track management to establish and maintain emergency medical care, human and horse ambulance policies, procedures and protocols for training and racing.
• Working independently with a minimum amount of supervision with the ability to make effective judgments on the basis of partial or incomplete evidence or information.
• Diffusion of volatile situations.
• Report writing.
• Gathering important data and developing comprehensive statistical reports.

Ability to:

• Formulate appropriate courses of action and communicate those courses of action to other staff/management.
• Make decisions.
• Maintain related certifications.
• Perform work of considerate difficulty. Investigate work of a sensitive and occasionally hazardous nature.
• Training racing employees, independent contractors and department employees.
• Watch training in the mornings to insure proper on-track safety protocols, checking to make sure the outriders, human ambulance with a para-medic, and the horse ambulance are in place.
• Prepare daily/weekly/monthly reports of incidents that occur on the backside. This includes horses/jockey's/licensees/staff that are injured or involved in an accident or incident that may require action. On a monthly basis prepare an oral/written report to present to the Director and the Commission members at the commission meeting.
• Travel, which may include overnight stays.
• Work in a smoke and high dust environment and must be able to stand for extended periods of time.
• Work at all racetrack locations within the State.
• Travel, which may include overnight stays.

• Previous (animal) racing regulatory experience.
• Possess at minimum, a basic level Racing Officials Accreditation Program certificate.

Candidates for this position will be required to submit to a criminal history investigation. Requires possession of and ability to retain a current, valid state-issued driver's license appropriate to the assignment. Employees who drive on state business are subject to driver's license record checks, must maintain acceptable driving records and must complete any required driver training (see Arizona Administrative Code R2-10-207.12.)

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver's License Requirements.

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

The State of Arizona offers a comprehensive benefits package to include:
Sick leave
Vacation with 10 paid holidays per year
Paid Parental Leave-Up to 12 weeks per year paid leave for newborn or newly-placed foster/adopted child (pilot program).
Health and dental insurance
Retirement plan
Life insurance and long-term disability insurance
Optional employee benefits include short-term disability insurance, deferred compensation plans, and supplemental life insurance

By providing the option of a full-time or part-time remote work schedule, employees enjoy improved work/life balance, report higher job satisfaction, and are more productive. Remote work is a management option and not an employee entitlement or right. An agency may terminate a remote work agreement at its discretion.

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave pilot program here. For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page

Positions in this classification participate in the Arizona State Retirement System.
Please note, enrollment eligibility will become effective after 27 weeks of employment.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Gaming Recruitment at HumanResources@azgaming.gov or at (602) 771-4263 for assistance. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation such as a sign language interpreter or an alternative format by contacting Elvis Reyes Ereyes@azgaming.gov or at (602) 639-1468. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodation. Arizona State Government is an AA/EOE/ADA Reasonable Accommodation Employer.