Meat & Poultry Inspector Trainee - Circuit 5-2 (Clinton Co)

State of Illinois•Springfield, WA

13h•Hybrid

About The Position

This position serves in a regional capacity and requires the selected candidate to assume residency in Clinton, St. Clair, or Washington County. The trainee will work from their home location as a base for daily operations to service designated worksites. This is a union position, and the terms of the collective bargaining agreement apply. The role involves receiving formal training for 6-12 months in meat and poultry inspection methods, performing antemortem inspections under supervision, and completing required training courses to understand food inspection laws and regulations. The position also requires travel to and participation in workshops and meetings for professional development. The Illinois Department of Agriculture is committed to diversity and offers a robust benefits package.

Requirements

Requires knowledge, skill, and mental development equivalent to the completion of high school (preferably with courses in algebra, biology, or chemistry).
Requires completion of a name-based background screening and self-disclosure of criminal history.
Requires the ability to successfully pass a preemployment physical.
Requires ability to travel in the performance of duties.
Requires appropriate, valid driver’s license.
Requires residency in one of the following counties: Clinton, Washington, or St. Clair County.
Requires ability to tolerate exposure to unpleasant odors in slaughterhouses and in meat preparation areas, to extreme cold in meat lockers and heat in processing areas.
Requires ability to use safety practices around dangerous meat cutting and processing machinery.

Nice To Haves

Prefers completion of education beyond high school in the following order: Associate degree, Bachelor’s degree, Advanced degree.
Prefers completion of education beyond high school with a bachelor’s or advanced degree in the fields of science or agriculture.
Prefers experience in the butchering, slaughtering, and/or processing of animals for food.
Prefers experience observing the postmortem exam of animals.
Prefers working knowledge of the principles of Hazard Analysis – Critical Control Point Plans (HACCP).
Prefers experience filling out HACCP records.
Prefers working knowledge of Sanitation and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP).
Prefers elementary knowledge of disease or abnormal conditions of animals, poultry, carcasses, or meat and poultry products.
Prefers elementary knowledge of how to identify adulterated product.

Responsibilities

Receives formal training for a period of 6 – 12 months in the objectives, methods and techniques of meat and poultry inspection.
Under close supervision, performs antemortem inspection of live animals and/or poultry prior to slaughter for the presence of conditions indicative of abnormalities or diseases.
Successfully completes the Employee Development Guide for basic meat inspection and State of Illinois Department of Agriculture’s slaughter and processing training courses to become familiar with provisions of food inspection laws, regulations, manuals and inspection procedures.
Travels to, attends, and participates in workshops, meetings, institutes, and other activities which will provide meaningful learning experiences for use in meat and poultry inspection.
Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.