Consumer Safety Inspector

Food Safety and Inspection Service • Austin, TX

5d • Onsite

About The Position

The Consumer Safety Inspector helps ensure regulated establishments produce safe meat, poultry, and other covered products. The inspector verifies that establishments’ Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans meet regulatory requirements and are carried out effectively to prevent unsanitary conditions and product adulteration. The role includes reviewing records, observing operations, conducting hands-on verification, documenting noncompliance, assessing corrective actions, and determining whether regulatory control or enforcement action is warranted.

The inspector also conducts oversight related to consumer protections such as economic adulteration and misbranding; communicates regulatory requirements and findings to plant personnel; and works with industry and agency staff to resolve questions about food-safety requirements. Other duties include sampling and testing for potential hazards, including microbes, residues, and contaminants, and inspecting imported meat and poultry products. The inspector may authorize entry of compliant imports or refuse entry of products that do not meet federal requirements, coordinating with other federal agencies as needed.

The employee will primarily work in one plant but may be detailed to any shift at any plant in the Dallas District. Shifts and species vary by assignment. Training is required and must begin within 90 days of selection and be completed within 12 months. The work is performed in a hazardous environment and requires a pre-employment medical examination and the ability to meet specified physical and medical demands. A $5,000 sign-on bonus is available subject to a two-year service agreement and other conditions; the posting also describes creditable service for annual leave accrual, possible Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility, and referral bonus awards.

Requirements

• Be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service or exempt.
• Pass satisfactory background investigation and/or fingerprint adjudication.
• Successfully complete a one-year probationary period unless previously served.
• Successfully complete a pre-employment medical examination and be physically and medically able to perform the essential functions without posing a direct threat to self or others.
• Be at least 18 years of age.
• Successfully pass E-Verify employment verification.
• Read, speak, write, and effectively communicate in English.
• Complete required training, beginning within 90 days of the effective selection date and successfully finishing within 12 months.
• Meet the qualifications for the applicable grade level through specialized experience, qualifying education, or a combination of both.
• For GS-05, have at least 52 weeks of qualifying experience involving knowledge of regulated food commodities or other ingestible substances, or meet the stated education or combined education-and-experience criteria.
• For GS-07, have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-05, including independently carrying out routine, standard assignments, or meet the stated graduate-education or combined criteria.
• For GS-08, have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-07, including experience with the Federal Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products Inspection Acts; basic SSOP and HACCP principles; basic mathematics and elementary statistics for testing and sampling; and interpreting conclusions.
• For GS-09, have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-08 with greater independence, potentially including recommending refusal of exports and providing temporary coverage outside the official duty station, or meet the stated graduate-education or combined criteria.
• Meet the stated physical abilities, including full range of motion; standing and walking on slippery or uneven floors and catwalks; climbing stairs and ladders; lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling up to 30 pounds and occasionally up to 50 pounds; and upper-body manual dexterity with normal touch sensation in both hands.
• Have good near and distance vision, correctable to at least 20/40 in one eye, be free of chronic eye disease, and be able to distinguish shades of color; significant color blindness may be disqualifying.
• Hearing loss or use of hearing amplification will be assessed case by case.
• Federal employees must receive payments by direct deposit.
• A Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) may be required before appointment to determine suitability and authorize a background investigation.

Responsibilities

• Inspect regulated establishments to ensure production of safe products and compliance with applicable requirements.
• Verify that meat and poultry establishments’ SSOP and HACCP plans meet regulatory requirements and are effectively implemented.
• Review records, observe plant operations, and conduct hands-on verification of regulatory compliance.
• Document noncompliance in detailed Non-Compliance Records and determine whether regulatory control or enforcement action is warranted.
• Assess the acceptability and effectiveness of corrective or preventive actions and identify trends in noncompliance.
• Conduct oversight activities related to consumer protections, including economic adulteration and misbranding.
• Explain legal and regulatory requirements to plant managers, owners, and others; discuss SSOP, HACCP, and other food-safety programs.
• Communicate and defend noncompliance determinations and discuss plans for addressing noncompliance.
• Work with industry and agency personnel to resolve problems and clarify interpretations of HACCP, food-safety, and consumer-protection requirements.
• Advise other agency inspectors, supervisors, and officers on inspection and enforcement matters.
• Conduct sampling, surveys, and tests to collect data on potential problem areas, industry trends, and issues of agency interest.
• Perform health and safety verification sampling and tests for microbes, residues, or contaminants.
• Verify that meat and poultry products approved for import comply with federal regulations.
• Authorize entry of compliant meat or poultry products or refuse entry of products that do not meet admission requirements.
• Coordinate with other federal agencies on matters such as animal health restrictions and refused-entry lots.

Benefits

• $5,000 sign-on bonus, subject to a signed two-year service agreement, satisfactory performance and conduct, and other stated conditions.
• Creditable Service for Annual Leave Accrual may be available.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program may be available to eligible employees.
• A $1,000 referral bonus award is offered subject to criteria and restrictions.
• Federal employees have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific eligibility depends on position type.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed