Consumer Safety Inspector

Food Safety and Inspection Service • Alamogordo, NM

5d • Onsite

About The Position

The Consumer Safety Inspector helps ensure that regulated establishments produce safe meat and poultry products by conducting inspections, identifying and documenting noncompliance, and initiating enforcement action when warranted. The inspector verifies that establishments’ Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans meet regulatory requirements and are implemented effectively to prevent unsanitary conditions and product adulteration. The role includes reviewing records, observing operations, conducting hands-on verification, preparing detailed Non-Compliance Records, and assessing whether corrective or preventive actions are adequate and whether noncompliance trends or enforcement action are present.

The inspector conducts oversight related to consumer protections such as economic adulteration and misbranding, communicates regulatory requirements to plant personnel, and works with others to resolve differences in interpretation of food-safety requirements. Duties may include advising agency personnel on inspection and enforcement matters; conducting sampling, surveys, and tests for microbes, residues, contaminants, or other issues; and verifying that meat and poultry products approved for import comply with federal regulations. The inspector may authorize entry of compliant products or refuse entry of products that do not meet requirements, coordinating with other federal agencies as needed.

The employee primarily works in one plant but may be detailed to any shift at any plant in the Dallas District. Shifts and species vary by assignment. The position requires successful completion of required training within the stated timeframes and a pre-employment medical examination. The work takes place in a hazardous environment and involves physical requirements including standing and walking on slippery or uneven surfaces, climbing, repetitive movements, and lifting or carrying loads.

Requirements

• Be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.
• Meet the specialized-experience or education qualifications for the applicable grade level (GS-05, GS-07, GS-08, or GS-09).
• For GS-05 based on experience: at least 52 weeks of qualifying experience involving regulated food commodities or other ingestible substances, with relevant sampling, testing, reporting, communication, or conformity-assessment work.
• For GS-07 based on experience: at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-05, including independently carrying out routine, standard assignments on a regular and recurring basis.
• For GS-08 based on experience: at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-07, including work with federal meat, poultry, and egg inspection laws; basic SSOP and HACCP principles; basic mathematics and elementary statistics for testing and sampling; and interpreting conclusions.
• For GS-09 based on experience: at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-08, with work at a more independent level that may include recommending refusal of exports and providing temporary coverage outside the official duty station.
• Education may qualify in lieu of experience at specified grades: a relevant bachelor’s degree or education/experience combination for GS-05; one full year of directly related graduate education or a combination for GS-07; and two full years of directly related graduate education, a related master’s degree, or a combination for GS-09.
• Complete required training within 12 months of the effective selection date, beginning within 90 days.
• Pass a satisfactory background investigation and/or fingerprint check, a pre-employment medical examination, and E-Verify employment verification.
• Successfully complete a one-year probationary period unless previously served.
• Be at least 18 years old; males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with Selective Service or exempt.
• Read, speak, write, and effectively communicate in English.
• Be physically and medically able to perform the essential job functions without posing a direct threat to self or others.
• Have full range of motion for rapid repetitive twisting and working with arms above shoulder level; be able to stand and walk on slippery or uneven floors and catwalks and climb stairs and ladders.
• Be able to lift, carry, push, and pull up to 30 pounds, with occasional lifting of up to 50 pounds.
• Have upper-body manual dexterity and 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; be able to distinguish shades of color.
• Hearing loss or use of hearing amplification is assessed on a case-by-case basis.
• Federal employees must receive payments by direct deposit; a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) may be required before appointment.

Responsibilities

• Inspect regulated establishments to help ensure they produce safe products, identify noncompliance, document findings, and initiate enforcement action when warranted.
• Verify that meat and poultry establishments’ SSOPs and HACCP plans meet regulatory requirements and are effectively implemented.
• Review records, observe operations, and conduct hands-on verification of regulatory compliance.
• Prepare detailed Non-Compliance Records and assess corrective or preventive actions, noncompliance trends, and the need for enforcement action.
• Conduct regulatory oversight concerning consumer protections, including economic adulteration and misbranding.
• Explain legal and regulatory requirements to plant managers, owners, and others; communicate and defend determinations and discuss plans for addressing noncompliance.
• Work with others to resolve problems and clarify differing interpretations of HACCP, food-safety, and consumer-protection requirements.
• Advise agency inspectors, supervisors, and officers on inspection and enforcement matters related to the inspector’s work.
• Conduct sampling, surveys, and tests to gather data on potential problem areas, industry trends, and other issues of agency interest.
• Perform health and safety verification sampling and tests to detect microbes, residues, or contaminants.
• Verify imported meat and poultry products comply with applicable federal regulations; authorize entry of compliant products or refuse entry of noncompliant products.
• 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 and satisfactory performance and conduct.
• Creditable Service for Annual Leave Accrual may be available.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
• A $1,000 referral bonus award may be available subject to eligibility and award criteria.
• Federal employee benefits package for eligible employees and their families.
• Potential career development plan and possible noncompetitive promotion upon successful completion of requirements and management recommendation; promotion is not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level