Meat Cutter

Intercity Packers Ltd.; Kalamazoo (MI); On-site; USD 21,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Halperns' Steak & Seafood in Kalamazoo, MI is seeking an experienced Meat Cutter who can professionally cut beef and pork, trim portions, and prepare raw materials to exact specs while maintaining cleanliness and safety standards.

You will work with supervisors to schedule production, perform quality checks, read customer instructions, and ensure adherence to QA, HACCP, and SQF requirements in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Must have working knowledge of production equipment.
• Demonstrated ability to portion all boneless cuts of meat in an accurate and timely manner.
• Ability to problem solve in terms of trimming and product substitutions.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-pressure, challenging environment.
• Must be a team player and possess a positive attitude.
• Ability to effectively communicate, both written and verbally, in English.
• Must demonstrate the ability to understand the Meat Buyer's Guide specifications related to the company's internal product specifications.
• Follows company's Quality Control procedures.

Responsibilities

• Schedules production with supervisors and production managers.
• Cuts beef and pork into primal cuts per customer specifications.
• Inspects meat products for defects and removes them.
• Separates meats and byproducts into specified containers and seals containers.
• Uses knives, cleavers, or other equipment to trim.
• Reduces processing costs but accurately cuts and sizes portions to meet customer specs.
• Reads and comprehends all customer-specific special instructions.
• Performs Quality Control checks and reports defects.
• Follows QA, HACCP, SQF and OH&S regulations and ensures department compliance.
• Weighs cuts on a scale and conducts cutting tests to monitor quality and trimming skills.
• Performs other duties as required on request.

Skills

Production equipment knowledge

Boneless meat portioning

Problem solving in trimming

Fast-paced work ability

Team player with good attitude

English communication

Meat Buyer's Guide familiarity

Quality Control following procedures

Tools

Knife

Cleaver

Glove

Portion Scale

Tenderizer

Flattener

Vacuum Packaging Machine

Meat hook

Sharpening Machine

Job description

Position Summary

Meat cutters use an array of sharp knives and tools that they must keep sharp, clean, and strict about cleanliness as mandated by the company. Cutters prepare raw materials and trim them to the desired specifications/yield targets.

Essential Functions

• Works with supervisors and production managers to schedule production.


• Cut beef and pork into primal cuts for further cutting, processing, or packaging as per the customer's specifications.


• Inspects meat products for defects, bruises, or blemishes and remove.


• Separates meats and byproducts into specified containers and seal containers.


• Uses knives, cleavers, or other equipment to perform trimming.


• Reduces processing costs but accurately cuts and sizes portions with good yields and meets customer specs.


• Accurately read and comprehend all customer-specific special instructions.


• Perform Quality Control checks and communicate with supervisors and managers any defects.


• A meat cutter must follow and maintain all Quality Assurance, HACCP, SQF requirements, and Occupational Health & Safety regulations and ensure all employees under their department follow them.


• Weigh cuts of meat or known quantity of meat on a scale to determine if the scale is giving accurate readings; Perform a “cutting test” to monitor the meat quality and the workers' trimming skills.


• (Depending on request from Cost Coordinator/Operations Manager) Perform any other duties as required.

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

• Must have working knowledge of production equipment.


• Demonstrated ability to portion all boneless cuts of meat in an accurate and timely manner.


• Ability to problem solve in terms of trimming and product substitutions.


• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-pressure, challenging environment.


• Must be a team player and possess a positive attitude.


• Ability to effectively communicate, both written and verbally, in English.


• Must demonstrate the ability to understand the Meat Buyer's Guide specifications related to the company's internal product specifications.


• Follows company's Quality Control procedures.

Equipment / Tools / Technology

• Knife


• Cut


• Glove


• Portion Scale


• Tenderizer


• Flattener


• Vacuum Packaging Machine


• Meat hook


• Sharpening Machine

Educational & Experience Requirements

• A minimum of one year of experience as a professional cutter is required.


• High-end protein processing experience is strongly preferred.

BE PART OF AN AMAZING CULTURE WHERE WHAT MATTERS TO YOU, MATTERS TO US!

Halperns' Steak & Seafood values our customers and understands that their success is largely dependent upon our workforce.

To demonstrate our commitment to our partnership, we will require any candidate who works for a Halperns' Steak & Seafood customer to provide a letter of support from their management if they are selected for the interview process.

Equal Employment Opportunity is a matter of policy at Halperns' Steak & Seafood and we are committed to a work environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with disability. If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process due to a disability, please submit your request to [e-mail] and use the words “Accommodation Request” in your subject line.

Halperns’ currently operates seven production and distribution facilities, which are located in Atlanta, Baltimore, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Dallas, Walton (KY), and Kalamazoo (MI). With a strong and established presence in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic areas of the United States, the company serves a variety of independent and national chain customers across much of the East Coast and beyond, and currently employs over 1,000 people.