Head Butcher

Happy Day Restaurants; Lewiston (ID); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off

401(k) matching

Dental insurance

Job summary

Happy Day Restaurants is seeking an experienced meat department supervisor to lead whole-carcass processing, debone and portion beef, and ensure high-quality, safe products. You will oversee trimming, fabrication, and specialty cuts while maintaining strict sanitation and temperature controls in a refrigerated environment.

You will manage inventory, forecast demand, monitor costs, and lead a team to meet daily processing schedules and restaurant orders.

Qualifications

• Proven professional experience as a butcher, meat cutter, or meat-processing supervisor.
• Strong experience processing whole beef carcasses and breaking down whole muscles.
• Extensive knowledge of beef anatomy, primal and sub primal cuts, and meat fabrication.
• Proficiency in knife skills, boning, trimming, and portion control.
• Previous management or team leadership experience.
• Understanding of meat yields, costing, inventory systems, and production forecasting.
• Knowledge of food safety regulations and sanitation requirements.

Responsibilities

• Whole-Carcass Processing: break down whole beef carcasses into primal, sub primal, and retail cuts.
• Professional Butchery: fabricate, debone, trim, portion, and create specialty cuts of beef, pork, and other proteins.
• Slaughter Experience: humane livestock slaughter and carcass dressing experience desired.
• Yield Management: maximize usable product, minimize waste, and maintain cutting yields.
• Inventory & Forecasting: manage meat inventories, production planning, purchasing, and forecasting.
• Cost Controls: monitor food costs, product yields, labor efficiency, and profitability.
• Quality & Food Safety: maintain USDA, HACCP, sanitation, temperature-control standards.
• Team Leadership: train, supervise, and develop staff in meat-cutting techniques and equipment operation.
• Production Management: coordinate daily processing schedules, restaurant orders, and product distribution.
• Equipment Maintenance: ensure proper operation and cleaning of processing equipment.

Skills

Butchery expertise

Knife skills

Team leadership

Food safety awareness

Tools

Inventory management systems

Job description

Benefits:

• Health insurance


• Paid time off


• 401(k) matching


• Dental insurance

Key Responsibilities

• Whole-Carcass Processing: Demonstrated ability to break down whole beef carcasses, including sides and quarters, into primal, sub primal, and retail cuts.


• Professional Butchery: Expert knowledge of beef, pork, and other proteins, including fabrication, deboning, trimming, portioning, and specialty cuts.


• Slaughter Experience: Previous experience with humane livestock slaughter, carcass dressing, and processing is highly desirable.


• Yield Management: Maximize usable product, minimize waste, and maintain accurate cutting yields.


• Inventory & Forecasting: Manage meat inventories, production planning, purchasing, and forecasting using inventory management systems.


• Cost Controls: Monitor food costs, product yields, labor efficiency, and profitability.


• Quality & Food Safety: Maintain strict USDA, HACCP, sanitation, temperature-control, and food-handling standards applicable to the operation.


• Team Leadership: Train, coach, supervise, and develop team members in professional meat-cutting techniques and safe equipment operation.


• Production Management: Coordinate daily processing schedules, restaurant orders, and product distribution.


• Equipment Maintenance: Ensure proper operation, cleaning, and maintenance of saws, grinders, slicers, vacuum sealers, and other processing equipment.

Required Qualifications

• Proven professional experience as a butcher, meat cutter, or meat-processing supervisor.


• Strong experience processing whole beef carcasses and breaking down whole muscles.


• Extensive knowledge of beef anatomy, primal and sub primal cuts, and meat fabrication.


• Proficiency in knife skills, boning, trimming, and portion control.


• Previous management or team leadership experience.


• Understanding of meat yields, costing, inventory systems, and production forecasting.


• Knowledge of food safety regulations and sanitation requirements.


• Ability to work in a physically demanding, refrigerated processing environment.


• Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.