Consumer Safety Inspector

Food Safety and Inspection Service • Postville, IA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Consumer Safety Inspector ensures that regulated establishments produce safe meat and poultry products by conducting inspections, determining 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 effectively implemented to prevent unsanitary conditions and product adulteration. Work includes reviewing records, observing plant operations, performing hands-on verification, assessing corrective and preventive actions, and identifying trends in noncompliance.

The position also involves regulatory oversight concerning consumer protections such as economic adulteration and misbranding; communicating requirements and inspection findings to plant managers, owners, and others; coordinating with agency personnel and other federal agencies; and conducting sampling, surveys, and tests, including tests for microbes, residues, and contaminants. Inspectors may review imported meat and poultry products, authorize entry of compliant products, or refuse entry of products that do not meet federal requirements.

Shifts and species vary by assignment. Employees may be detailed to any shift at any plant in the Des Moines District. The position requires training within 90 days of selection and successful completion within 12 months. It is performed in a hazardous environment and requires a pre-employment physical. A $5,000 sign-on bonus, subject to a two-year service agreement and other conditions, may be available; the posting also describes possible creditable service for annual leave accrual, eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, referral awards, and an accelerated promotion program.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.
• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• Must read, speak, write, and effectively communicate in English.
• Must successfully complete required training, beginning within 90 days of selection and finishing within 12 months.
• Must pass a pre-employment medical examination and be physically and medically able to perform the essential job functions.
• Must meet the specialized experience or education requirements for the applicable grade level (GS-05, GS-07, GS-08, or GS-09).
• For GS-05 by experience: at least 52 weeks of qualifying experience involving regulated food commodities or other ingestible substances, such as sampling or testing, reporting findings, maintaining contacts, or making determinations against standards.
• For GS-07 by experience: at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-05, including independently performing routine, standard assignments on a regular and recurring basis.
• For GS-08 by experience: at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-07, including knowledge of 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 by experience: at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-08, with more independent work that may include recommending refusal of exports and providing temporary coverage outside the official duty station.
• Education may substitute for experience at specified grades: GS-05 requires a qualifying bachelor's degree with 24 semester hours in listed related fields, or a qualifying combination of education and experience; GS-07 may be met with one year of directly related graduate education or a qualifying combination; GS-09 may be met with two years of directly related graduate education or a related master's degree, or a qualifying combination.
• Must have full range of motion for rapid repetitive twisting and working with arms above shoulder level.
• Must be able to stand and walk on slippery and uneven floors and catwalks and climb stairs and ladders.
• Must be able to lift, carry, push, and pull up to 30 pounds, with occasional lifting up to 50 pounds.
• Must have upper-body manual dexterity, including arms, hands, and fingers, and a normal sense of touch in both hands.
• Must have good near and distance vision, be free of chronic eye disease, and have correctable vision of at least 20/40 in one eye.
• Must be able to distinguish shades of color; significant color blindness may be disqualifying.
• Applicants with hearing loss or who require hearing amplification are assessed case by case.
• Must meet applicable background investigation and/or fingerprint adjudication requirements, complete the E-Verify employment verification check, and successfully complete a probationary period unless previously served.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service or exempt.
• Federal employees must receive payments by direct deposit.
• Must comply with the agency’s assignment restrictions concerning family and personal relationships with regulated industry.

Nice To Haves

• Specialized experience as a consumer safety inspector or inspection aide, food inspector, public health inspector, quality inspection specialist, or in a similar role involving food sampling, quality control, or sanitation.
• Experience with food safety standards in a production environment and communicating findings to internal or external contacts.

Responsibilities

• Inspect regulated establishments to ensure they produce safe products, using appropriate inspection methods.
• Determine noncompliance with regulatory requirements, document findings, and initiate enforcement action when warranted.
• Verify that establishment SSOPs and HACCP plans meet regulatory requirements and are effectively implemented.
• Review records, observe plant operations, and conduct hands-on verification of compliance.
• Assess whether corrective and preventive actions are acceptable and effective, identify trends in noncompliance, and determine whether regulatory control or enforcement action is warranted.
• Conduct regulatory oversight related to other consumer protections, including economic adulteration and misbranding.
• Explain legal and regulatory requirements to plant managers, owners, and others; discuss plant SSOPs, HACCP plans, and food safety programs.
• Communicate and defend noncompliance determinations and discuss plans for addressing noncompliance.
• Work with others to resolve problems and clarify differing interpretations of HACCP and other food safety or consumer protection requirements.
• Advise agency inspectors, supervisors, and officers on relevant inspection and enforcement matters.
• Conduct sampling, surveys, and tests to gather data on potential problem areas, industry trends, and other agency concerns.
• Perform health and safety verification sampling and tests for microbes, residues, and 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 violate 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 two-year service agreement and other conditions
• Creditable Service for Annual Leave Accrual may be available
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
• $1,000 referral bonus award, subject to eligibility and criteria
• Consumer Safety Inspector Accelerated Promotion Program may be available
• Comprehensive federal employee benefits package

What This Job Offers

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