Meat Safety Inspector (3 positions)

State of Wisconsin; Sheboygan (WI); On-site; USD 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO 3.5 weeks

9 paid holidays

Retirement plan

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Job summary

State of Wisconsin in Wisconsin is seeking Meat Safety Inspectors (Entry or Objective) to perform field inspections of meat and poultry, verify HACCP and SSOP compliance, labeling, and weight requirements. Travel and overnight stays are common as we support multiple counties, including Sheboygan.

These roles offer on-site field work with extensive training and opportunities to collaborate with BMPB, ensuring safe, wholesome food for the public and maintaining strong industry relationships.

Qualifications

• Experience using computer software in educational or professional settings (Outlook, Excel, SharePoint, Word).
• Exposure to regulated industries and quality systems is beneficial.
• Training in related food science fields is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Conduct ante- and post-mortem inspections of meat and poultry in official establishments.
• Verify humane handling, sanitary dressing, zero tolerance, and SRM requirements.
• Verify SSOP and HACCP plans and ensure proper labeling and net weight compliance.
• Provide education, consultation, and regulate licensed meat establishments to ensure safe, properly labeled product.

Skills

Excel

Outlook

SharePoint

Word

Education

Animal Science / Meat Science / Biology or related field

Job description

Introduction

Who We Are:

The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) works hard to protect and promote Wisconsin’s agricultural industries and consumers. As an agency, we strive to serve the people of Wisconsin assuring: safe, wholesome food; consumer protection and fair business practices; animal and plant health; a clean environment; and strong agriculture and commerce. To successfully attain these goals, we recognize our success hinges on the diverse, well qualified, dedicated staff we employ and retain.

What We’re Seeking:

The DATCP’s Division of Food and Recreation Safety, Bureau of Meat and Poultry Businesses (BMPB), is recruiting for three Meat Safety Inspector (Meat Safety Inspector - Entry or Objective) positions. We will be filling the positions at the Entry or Objective level depending on the qualifications of the selected candidates.

These are field-based positions and will be assigned a headquarter location based on business needs. The selected applicants can select a headquarter in one of the following counties:

• Position 1: Pepin/Pierce Counties
• Position 2: Sheboygan County
• Position 3: Dane County

When applying please select all counties in which you are willing to be headquartered.

The qualifying candidate is not required to live in a county headquarter location. However, there is no expense reimbursement for drive time and gas mileage to commute to the assigned headquarter location. The specific headquarter city used for determining payment of drive time and expense reimbursement will be determined at the time of hire.

This position offers the State of Wisconsin’s excellent benefits package, which includes 3.5 weeks of paid time off to start, 9 paid holidays, accrued sick leave, multiple insurance options and an exceptional retirement plan! By working for Wisconsin State Government, you may also be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

This posting may be used to fill future similar permanent, project, and/or LTE vacancies.

Position Summary

These are field inspection positions whose duties include conducting ante and post-mortem inspection of food animals and poultry in official meat establishments, as well as verifying humane handling, sanitary dressing, zero tolerance and specified risk material (SRM) requirements. In addition, this role verifies the establishment’s sanitation standard operating procedures (SSOP), Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) plans and pathogen reduction programs comply with regulatory requirements. Duties also include verifying formulation, labeling, net weight requirements as well as collecting samples.

The work includes providing education, consultation, and regulation to licensed meat establishments, while maintaining professional relationships. The impact of the work is to assure safe and wholesome food, properly labeled, for human consumption; this includes ensuring establishments follow their SSOP and HACCP plan, and other prerequisite programs, in an effort to prevent the distribution of adulterated or misbranded product and reduce the risk of food borne disease.

Salary Information

The entry level Meat Safety Inspector - Entry is in schedule-range 05-64 with a starting pay of $26.57 - $27.54. The Meat Safety Inspector - Objective is in schedule-range 05-63 with a starting pay of $29.33- $33.45. These positions are not represented by a collective bargaining unit. A 12-month probationary period is required. Pay for current state employees will be set in accordance with the State Compensation Plan at the time of hire.

Job Details

At DATCP, we strive to deliver efficient and effective programs and services to Wisconsin agriculture, consumers, and businesses. The Department has numerous on-the-job training (OJT) opportunities, unique to each Bureau.

These OJT opportunities include direct experience and practice through collaboration with co-workers/supervisor, peer mentoring, and job-specific training modules.

OJT For Our Meat Safety Inspector’s Include

• Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Inspection Methods
• FSIS Further Processing and Labeling
• Slaughter School
• BMPB Regional Meetings
• Job shadowing for inspection and field work

Conditions Of Employment

DATCP does not sponsor work visas. Any appointment made will be contingent on the selected applicant being able to provide documentation of eligibility to work in the United States.

A criminal background check will be performed on the selected applicant prior to an offer of employment.

Possession of a valid driver's license, or the ability to provide one’s own transportation for work purposes, is required.

The employee will drive between inspection locations and may be required to spend time in overnight travel status (ability to stay overnight as needed 1 to 4 nights per week, on occasion). The ability to work nights, weekends, holidays, and overtime as needed, is required.

Travel is required for approximately 90% of this position’s duties.

Ability to stand, walk, bend, squat, and lift up to 50 lbs.

Through use of sight and hearing must be able to observe physical surroundings.

Travel and outdoor work are required 12 months of the year.

Nearly all the work of these positions will be in the field, which includes working in inclement weather and/or extreme temperature, as well as working in environments that have slippery or uneven floors; cold, humid, or dry conditions; and may require engaging in difficult conversations with plant personnel. Experience working in challenging environments, which may include slaughter establishments, meat processing establishments, or food production facilities, is preferred.

Qualifications

Minimally qualified candidates at the Entry level will have:

Experience using computer software, programs, and databases in an educational or professional setting, including but not limited to, Outlook, Excel, SharePoint, Word, etc.

And At Least One Of The Following

• Experience working in a regulated industry (retail food establishment, restaurant, product/facility inspections, meat/poultry processing, food processing plants, dairy plants/farms, etc.) which prepares food for human consumption;
• Experience demonstrating knowledge, judgment, interpretive ability, and technical skill associated with making a product which meets all prescribed standards of quality and confirms with approved production methods;
• Experience working in quality assurance or inspection verifying compliance with established standards, specifications, or regulations;
• Training or education in Animal Science, Meat Science, Biology, Microbiology, Food Science or another related field of study

Highly qualified candidates at the Entry level will have one or more of the following:

• Experience interpreting and enforcing state and/or federal regulations
• Training and/or experience with hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) plans

In addition to the Entry level requirements, the Objective level applicants will also have the following:

• Completed Food Safety Inspection Services Inspection Methods training or its equivalent and have successfully completed a state or federal training and assessment program
• Minimum of six months of prior experience independently performing ante and post-mortem inspection, as well as inspection tasks using PHIS covering processing tasks such as HACCP Verification, Pre-Op and Operational SSOP, General Labeling, Hazard Analysis Verification, etc.

DATCP is an Equal Opportunity and Affimative Action employer. We provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities.

The deadline to apply for this recruitment is 11:59 p.m. on Monday, August 17.