MEAT & POULTRY INSPECTOR TRAINEE - CIRCUIT 2-1 (WHITESIDE CO.)

State of Illinois • Springfield, IL

3d • $4,373 - $5,703 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Department of Agriculture is seeking to hire a Meat and Poultry Inspector Trainee in Whiteside County. Meat and Poultry Inspectors are essential employees on the front lines of protecting our food production system. We invite qualified applicants to apply for this position to help the Department of Agriculture ensure the production of safe and wholesome meat and poultry products.

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: Whiteside, Carrol, Ogle, Lee, Bureau, Henry, or Rock Island 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 knowledge, skill and mental development equivalent to 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.

Benefits

• Health, life, vision, and dental insurance
• 12 Weeks paid maternity/paternity leave
• Pension Plan
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness
• Deferred Compensation, and other pre-tax benefit programs
• Employees earn twelve (12) paid sick days annually
• Ten to twenty-five (10-25) paid vacation days based on years of service
• Employees earn three (3) paid personal days pro-rated based on start date
• Thirteen - Fourteen (13-14) paid state holidays annually

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED