Lead Butcher – Training & Development

Northern Farms; Canada; On-site; CAD 75,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Northern Farms is seeking a Lead Butcher, Training & Development in Canada. You will deliver hands-on training to improve knife skills, fabrication techniques, yield optimization, and floor-level capability while coaching production staff and standardizing cutting practices.

Work closely with operations and QA to ensure product quality, safety, and continuous improvement. This role requires extensive butchery experience and formal certification.

Qualifications

• 8-10+ years hands-on butchery experience.
• Deep knowledge of pork carcass anatomy and fabrication.
• Strong understanding of food safety standards (HACCP, CFIA).
• Experience training or mentoring others in production.

Responsibilities

• Deliver hands-on training in knife skills, safety, fabrication techniques, and yield optimization.
• Support onboarding and upskilling of staff on the floor.
• Create practical training materials and reference guides for consistent instruction.
• Act as a subject matter expert and mentor across the floor.
• Investigate product quality concerns and align with QA on standards.

Skills

Butchery expertise

Food safety

Training & mentoring

Job description

Position Overview:

The Lead Butcher, Training & Development strengthens shop-floor capability by delivering hands-on butchery training, coaching production staff, and standardizing cutting practices. This role combines expert pork fabrication skills with strong technical knowledge of pork carcass anatomy, fabrication techniques, and customer expectations to support product quality, yield, consistency, and practical, repeatable training on the floor.

Working closely with operations, QA, sales, and leadership, the Lead Butcher, Training & Development helps build team skill, confidence, and consistency while supporting clear product standards and continuous improvement.

• Training product specifications
• Troubleshooting quality and yield issues
• Elevating butchery standards through hands-on training

Key Responsibilities

Training & Capability Building

• Deliver hands-on training in:
  • Knife skills and safety
  • Fabrication techniques
  • Yield optimization
• Support onboarding and upskilling of butchers and production staff
• Create practical training materials, job aids, and reference guides to support consistent instruction on the floor
• Act as a subject matter expert and mentor across the floor

Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement

• Investigate and respond to product quality concerns and customer complaints
• Identify root causes (cutting technique, yield loss, trim standards, etc.) and implement solutions
• Partner with QA to ensure alignment with food safety, traceability, and regulatory standards
• Support development and documentation of standard operating procedures (SOPs)

Specifications & Standardization

• Support the creation and continuously improve product specification documents
• Create visual guides, clear cutting standards, and establish tolerances
• Ensure consistency across teams

Qualifications & Experience

• Extensive hands-on experience in butchery (typically 8-10+ years or equivalent expertise)
• Deep knowledge of pork carcass anatomy and fabrication
• Strong understanding of food safety standards (e.g., HACCP, CFIA requirements)
• Experience training or mentoring others in a production environment
• Formal certification

Core Competencies

• Problem-solving and root cause analysis
• Communication and teaching ability
• Collaboration across operations and QA

Salary: $75,000 to $90,000

We do not use AI in any stages of the recruitment and selection process.

This posting is for a new position.