Consumer Safety Inspector

Food Safety and Inspection Service • Cheektowaga, NY

2d • Onsite

About The Position

This role involves ensuring regulated establishments produce safe products by executing inspection methods, identifying non-compliance with regulatory requirements, documenting such non-compliance, and initiating enforcement actions when necessary. The inspector will verify that meat and poultry slaughter and/or processing establishments' Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plans meet regulatory requirements and are effectively implemented to prevent unsanitary conditions and product adulteration. Duties include reviewing records, observing plant operations, conducting hands-on verification, and preparing detailed documentation of non-compliance. The inspector will assess the acceptability and effectiveness of plant corrective or preventative actions, identify trends in non-compliance, and determine if enforcement action is warranted. Additionally, the role involves conducting regulatory oversight for other consumer protections, such as economic adulteration and misbranding. Communication with plant managers, owners, and others to explain requirements, discuss food safety programs, and defend determinations on non-compliance issues is essential. The inspector will also collaborate with various individuals to resolve problems and clarify interpretations of HACCP and other food safety requirements. Advising other Agency inspectors, supervisors, and officers on inspection and enforcement matters, and conducting various samplings, surveys, and tests for data collection on potential problem areas, industry trends, or other issues of interest to the Agency are also key responsibilities. This includes performing health and safety verification sampling and tests for specific microbes, residues, or contaminants. The inspector will assure that imported products comply with Federal regulations and authorize or refuse entry of meat or poultry products. Coordination with other Federal agencies like APHIS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection on matters such as animal health restrictions and refused entry lots is also part of the role.

Requirements

• Must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
• Successful completion of a pre-employment medical examination.
• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check.
• Must be able to read, speak, write, and effectively communicate in the English language.
• Specialized experience: experience that provided knowledge of the properties and characteristics of regulated food commodities or other products for human consumption.
• For GS-05 Level: At least 52 weeks of qualifying experience that provided knowledge of the properties and characteristics of regulated food commodities and substances; such as: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, or other food or beverages for human consumption, or other ingestible substances, such as pharmaceuticals.
• For GS-07 Level: At least one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 level), and incumbents are expected to have performed standard and recurrent duties on an independent basis.
• For GS-08 Level: At least one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-07 level), including working with the Federal Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products Inspection Acts, basic SSOP and HACCP principles and practices, performing basic mathematics and elementary statistical concepts and methods, and experience in reaching and interpreting conclusions.
• For GS-09 Level: At least one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-08 level), including experience working at a more independent level, recommending refusal of exports and providing temporary coverage at locations outside of the official duty station.
• Be physically and medically able to efficiently perform the essential job functions, without being a direct threat to themselves and others.
• Have full range of motion to perform rapid repetitive twisting and working with arms above shoulder level.
• Be able to stand and walk on slippery and uneven floors and catwalks, and climbing stairs and ladders.
• Be able to lift, carry, push and pull up to 30 pounds, with occasional lifting of up to 50 pounds.
• Have manual dexterity of the upper body, including arms, hands, and fingers with a normal sense of touch in both hands.
• Have good near and distance vision, be free of chronic eye disease and have correctable vision of at least 20/40 in one eye.
• Have the ability to distinguish shades of color.
• Any significant degree of color blindness (more than 25 percent error rate on approved color plate test) may be disqualifying.
• Individuals with some hearing loss and/or requiring hearing amplification will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Nice To Haves

• Training as a condition of employment (TCOE) is required. You must begin the training within 90 days of the effective date of your selection, and you must successfully complete it within 12 months of the effective date of your selection.
• If you are selected, you may need to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) prior to being appointed to determine suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation.
• Refer to the Next Steps section for more information.
• Current FSIS employees may be eligible for this award if they refer an applicant who later enters on duty and works at least 90 days with successful performance and conduct.
• Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Responsibilities

• Ensure that regulated establishments produce a safe product by executing appropriate inspection methods.
• Determine non-compliance with regulatory requirements, documenting noncompliance and initiating enforcement action, where warranted.
• Verify that meat and poultry slaughter and/or processing establishment's Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plans meet regulatory requirements.
• Verify effective execution of Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plans to prevent unsanitary conditions and adulteration of product.
• Review records, observe plant operations and conduct hands-on verification to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Prepare detailed documentation (Non-Compliance Records) of non-compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Determine when regulatory control action is necessary.
• Assess whether the plant's corrective or preventative actions are acceptable and effective, if there are trends in non-compliance, or if enforcement action is warranted.
• Conduct regulatory oversight activities inside plants in matters relating to other consumer protections (e.g., economic adulteration and misbranding).
• Have contact with plant managers, owners and others to explain legal and regulatory requirements, discuss operation of the plant's SSOP, HACCP plan and other food safety programs.
• Communicate and defend determinations on non-compliance issues and discuss plans for addressing non-compliance.
• Work with a variety of individuals to resolve problems, clarify differences of interpretation concerning HACCP and other food safety or consumer protection requirements.
• Advise other Agency inspectors, supervisors and officers on inspection and enforcement matters for which you are involved.
• Conduct various samplings, surveys and tests to obtain pertinent data on potential problem areas, industry trends, or other issues of current interest to the Agency.
• Perform health and safety verification sampling and tests for detection of specific microbes (e.g., salmonella, listeria, etc.), residues or contaminants.
• Assure that products approved for import are in full compliance with all applicable Federal regulations governing the importation of meat and poultry products.
• Authorize entry of all meat or poultry products considered to comply with Federal regulations or refuse entry of any products which violate any of the requirements for admission into this country.
• Coordinate with other Federal agencies (e.g., the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service or U.S. Customs and Border Protection) on such matters as animal health restrictions and refused entry lots.

Benefits

• $5,000 Sign on Bonus
• Creditable Service for Annual Leave Accrual
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
• Referral Bonus Awards
• A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.
• As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree