Consumer Safety Inspector

Food Safety and Inspection Service • Tierra Amarilla, NM

6h • Onsite

About The Position

The Consumer Safety Inspector ensures that regulated establishments produce safe products by conducting inspections, identifying and documenting noncompliance with regulatory requirements, and initiating enforcement action when warranted. The inspector verifies that meat and poultry slaughter and processing establishments have compliant Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans, and that these plans are implemented effectively to prevent unsanitary conditions and product adulteration. Work includes reviewing records, observing operations, conducting hands-on verification, preparing Non-Compliance Records, assessing corrective and preventive actions, and identifying trends or circumstances that warrant regulatory control or enforcement action.

The position also involves oversight of other consumer protections, including economic adulteration and misbranding; communicating regulatory requirements and inspection determinations to plant personnel; resolving differences of interpretation; advising other agency inspectors, supervisors, and officers; and conducting sampling, surveys, and tests for potential problem areas, industry trends, microbes, residues, and contaminants. Import-related duties include verifying that meat and poultry products comply with federal requirements, authorizing entry of compliant products, refusing noncompliant products, and coordinating with other federal agencies.

Employees 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. The position is performed in a hazardous working environment and requires a pre-employment physical. Training is a condition of employment: it must begin within 90 days of selection and be successfully completed within 12 months.

Requirements

• U.S. citizen or U.S. national.
• Must be at least 18 years old.
• Must be able to read, speak, write, and effectively communicate in English.
• Must meet the specialized-experience or qualifying-education requirements for the applicable grade level (GS-05, GS-07, GS-08, or GS-09).
• GS-05 specialized experience: At least 52 weeks of qualifying experience involving regulated food commodities or other ingestible substances, such as sampling or field testing, reporting findings, maintaining effective contacts, or making determinations about products or production environments.
• GS-07 specialized experience: At least one year equivalent to GS-05, including 52 weeks independently carrying out routine, standard assignments on a regular and recurring basis.
• GS-08 specialized experience: At least one year 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 statistical concepts for testing and sampling; and interpreting conclusions.
• GS-09 specialized experience: At least one year equivalent to GS-08, with work at a more independent level, potentially including recommending refusal of exports or providing temporary coverage outside the official duty station.
• Must begin required training within 90 days of the effective date of selection and complete it within 12 months.
• Must meet applicable Selective Service registration requirements for males born after December 31, 1959, unless exempt.
• Must satisfactorily complete a background investigation and/or fingerprint check, a one-year probationary period unless previously served, and a pre-employment medical examination.
• Must successfully pass E-Verify employment verification.
• Must use direct deposit for federal payments.
• Must be physically and medically able to perform the essential functions without posing a direct threat to self or others.
• Must have full range of motion for rapid repetitive twisting and working with arms above shoulder level; be able to stand and walk on slippery, uneven floors and catwalks and climb stairs and ladders; and lift, carry, push, and pull up to 30 pounds, with occasional lifting up to 50 pounds.
• Must have upper-body manual dexterity and a normal sense of touch in both hands; good near and distance vision, with correctable vision of at least 20/40 in one eye; and the ability to distinguish shades of color. Significant color blindness may be disqualifying. Hearing loss or use of hearing amplification is assessed case by case.
• Must comply with agency assignment restrictions relating to family and personal relationships with regulated industry.

Responsibilities

• Inspect regulated establishments and determine whether products and operations comply with regulatory requirements.
• Verify that meat and poultry establishments’ SSOP and HACCP plans meet regulatory requirements and are implemented effectively.
• Review records, observe plant operations, conduct hands-on verification, and document noncompliance in Non-Compliance Records.
• Determine when regulatory control or enforcement action is warranted and assess the acceptability and effectiveness of corrective or preventive actions.
• Conduct regulatory oversight relating to consumer protections such as economic adulteration and misbranding.
• Explain legal and regulatory requirements to plant managers, owners, and others; communicate and defend inspection determinations; and discuss plans to address noncompliance.
• Work with plant personnel and others to resolve problems and clarify differences in interpretation of HACCP, food safety, and consumer protection requirements.
• Advise other agency inspectors, supervisors, and officers on relevant inspection and enforcement matters.
• Conduct sampling, surveys, and tests to obtain data on potential problem areas, industry trends, and other agency concerns.
• Perform health and safety verification sampling and tests for microbes, residues, or contaminants.
• Verify that meat and poultry products approved for import 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 applicable conditions.
• Creditable Service for Annual Leave Accrual may be available.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program information is provided.
• $1,000 referral bonus award may be available, subject to eligibility and award criteria.
• Comprehensive federal employee 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