Meat & Poultry Inspector Trainee - Circuit 3-3 - Iroquois Co.

State of Illinois•Springfield, MO

20h•$4,373 - $5,703•Hybrid

About The Position

The Department of Agriculture is seeking to hire a Meat and Poultry Inspector Trainee for Iroquois County. Meat and Poultry Inspectors are essential employees on the front lines of protecting our food production system. Candidates for this trainee position will complete a training program of up to 12 months. 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 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.
Overtime is a condition of employment, and you may be requested or required/mandated to work overtime including scheduled, unscheduled, or last-minute overtime. This requires the ability to work evenings and weekends.
This position is considered light work as defined by the U.S. Department of Labor (20 CFR 404.1567(b)). Light work involves lifting no more than 20 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing up to 10 pounds.
This job may require a good deal of walking or standing or involves sitting most of the time with some pushing and pulling of arm or leg controls.
This position requires residency in one of the following counties: Iroquois, Ford, Kankakee, Livingston, Vermillion or Champaign 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

Participates in an agency sponsored training program for a period of six to twelve months.
Receives orientation, classroom instruction and on-the-job training in slaughter of animals and poultry and processing of meat and poultry products.
Acquires knowledge of techniques and procedures utilized in meat and poultry inspection to maintain state and federal standards.
Receives controlled assignments under the close supervision of veterinary and supervisory personnel.
Travels to sites to perform inspections.
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.