Consumer Safety Inspector

Food Safety and Inspection Service • Center Hill, FL

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Consumer Safety Inspector ensures that regulated establishments produce safe products by conducting inspections, identifying and documenting noncompliance, and initiating enforcement action when warranted. The inspector verifies that meat and poultry 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, assessing corrective and preventive actions, and determining whether regulatory control or enforcement is necessary. The inspector also conducts oversight concerning consumer protections such as economic adulteration and misbranding; communicates regulatory requirements and findings to plant personnel; works with agency staff and industry contacts to resolve compliance issues; and conducts sampling, surveys, and tests for microbes, residues, contaminants, and other issues.

The inspector may also oversee imported meat and poultry products, authorize entry of compliant products, refuse entry of noncompliant products, and coordinate with other federal agencies on matters such as animal health restrictions and refused shipments. The employee primarily works in one plant but may be detailed to any shift at any plant in the Atlanta District. Shifts and species vary according to assignment. Training is required: it 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.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship or national status.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service or exempt.
• Satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Successful completion of a one-year probationary period unless previously served.
• Successful completion of a pre-employment medical examination.
• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• Ability to read, speak, write, and communicate effectively in English.
• Must begin required training within 90 days of the effective date of selection and complete it within 12 months.
• Meet the applicable GS-level specialized experience or education requirements by the announcement closing date. Qualifying experience involves knowledge of regulated food commodities or other products for human consumption, such as sampling, quality control, sanitation, inspection, or food production.
• For GS-05, at least 52 weeks of qualifying specialized experience, or qualifying education or a combination of education and experience. Experience examples include collecting samples or conducting field tests, reporting findings, maintaining effective work contacts, and making determinations about products or production environments.
• For GS-07, at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-05, including independently carrying out routine, standard assignments, or qualifying graduate education or a combination of education and experience.
• For GS-08, at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-07, including experience with Federal Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products Inspection Acts; basic SSOP and HACCP principles and practices; basic mathematics and elementary statistics for testing and sampling; and interpreting conclusions.
• For GS-09, at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-08, including more independent work that may involve recommending refusal of exports or temporary coverage outside the official duty station, or qualifying graduate education or a combination of education and experience.
• Be physically and medically able to perform 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 and 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, including in the arms, hands, and fingers, 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; significant color blindness may be disqualifying.
• Hearing loss or need for hearing amplification is assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Responsibilities

• Inspect regulated establishments to ensure production of safe products and compliance with applicable requirements.
• Verify that establishment SSOPs and HACCP plans meet regulatory requirements and are effectively implemented.
• Review records, observe plant operations, and conduct hands-on verification.
• Document regulatory noncompliance in detailed Non-Compliance Records and initiate enforcement action when warranted.
• Assess corrective and preventive actions, identify trends in noncompliance, and determine whether regulatory control or enforcement is necessary.
• Conduct oversight relating to other consumer protections, including economic adulteration and misbranding.
• Explain legal and regulatory requirements to plant managers, owners, and others; communicate and defend noncompliance determinations and discuss corrective plans.
• Work with industry contacts 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 gather data on potential problem areas, industry trends, or other agency interests.
• Perform health and safety verification sampling and testing for microbes, residues, or contaminants.
• Verify that imported products comply with federal regulations governing meat and poultry imports.
• Authorize entry of compliant meat or poultry products or refuse entry of products that do not meet admission requirements.
• Coordinate with other federal agencies regarding 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 agency staffing needs and budget availability.
• Referral bonus award of $1,000, subject to eligibility and award criteria.
• Creditable service for annual leave accrual.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
• Comprehensive federal employee benefits package; specific benefits depend on position type and eligibility.

What This Job Offers

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