Herdsperson Trainee

Smithfield Foods•Aulander, NC

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Smithfield is seeking a Herdsperson Trainee to assist other Herd Technicians in routine animal care and general farm tasks to ensure the welfare and well-being of the animals. This role involves farm sanitation, animal removal, and animal movement. The employee may operate various farm equipment and will be in training for an advanced Herd Technician designation. The position is responsible for the care of all animals at the designated work site, focusing on their health, growth, and breeding.

Requirements

High School diploma or GED preferred.
Previous livestock handling helpful.
Ability to do hard physical labor.
Strong commitment to teamwork.
Willingness to shower daily in and out of facility.
Ability to follow instructions and deal with standardized situations.
Must be able to work an average 48-hour work week, which can vary frequently.
Weekend, evening, and holiday work required as needed.
Must be on call for emergency situations to include but not limit to, power outages or personnel shortages.
Ability to work well with others in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Ability to be respectful, approachable, and team-oriented while building strong working relationships and a positive work environment.

Responsibilities

Feeds, waters, vaccinates, and performs general animal husbandry tasks including basic veterinary procedures.
Maintains flexibility with a willingness to change plans according to the direction of farm leadership.
Assists in moving animals and maintaining efficient animal flows.
Sanitizes and washes multiple areas on the farm using high-pressure equipment.
Processes piglets, which includes: injecting medications, castrating, docking tails, and ear notching.
Maintains accurate production information and updates all department records as required.
Treats sick animals with a variety of pharmaceuticals by injection, oral application, and/or other methods as required.
Follows the Standard Operation Procedures, Production Manuals, or Appropriate Training Guides as required.
Assists with facility and equipment maintenance.
Assists with maintaining barn and office cleanliness, and laundry duties.
Follows the Company’s animal welfare policies and procedures including: providing a physical environment that meets the animal’s needs, providing access to adequate water and high-quality feed, providing humane treatment of the animals, providing identification and appropriate treatment of animals in need of health care and following the guidelines for euthanasia.
Responsible for complying with all environmental, safety, and biosecurity laws and procedures.

Benefits

Robust, flexible, and affordable benefit plans and programs.
Out-of-pocket costs, on average, 20 percent less than plans offered by other employers.
Be Well programs offer tools and resources to enhance quality of life.
Support for elective surgeries, weight loss, mental health, cancer, kidney disease, diabetes, smoking cessation, asthma, maternity management.
Comprehensive training and professional development programs.
LinkedIn Learning access for on-demand courses, professional certificates, and skill-based training.
Tuition assistance covering English language learning, high school completion, and degree programs through Guild partnership.
Leadership development initiatives.
Smithfield Scholarship Program for employees’ children.
Education Reimbursement Program for GED/High School Equivalency (HSE) Diploma or academic degree at an accredited college or university.