Food Inspector

This announcement will remain open until 03/05/2021. It will be used to collect applications and fill vacant positions as they become available in the Jackson, Mississippi District. Cut-off dates for referral to hiring managers will be established as needed by the agency. When a request is received to fill a vacant Food Inspector in a specific geographic location, a list of the qualified applicants interested in that location will be sent to the hiring manager for further consideration.

Qualifications:

The duties of a Food Inspector are performed in a hazardous working environment. To experience what it's like to work in a slaughter plant as a Food Inspector, please click here. For additional information about training, please click here. The below requirements are not an all-inclusive list. Failure to fully meet a functional requirement is not automatically disqualifying.

Applicants must:

• Be physically and medically able to efficiently perform the essential job functions, without being a direct threat to themselves and others.
• Have full range of motion to perform rapid repetitive twisting and working with arms above shoulder level
• Be able to stand and walk on slippery and uneven floors and catwalks, and climbing stairs and ladders.
• Be able to lift, carry, push and pull up to 30 pounds, with occasional lifting of up to 50 pounds.
• Have manual dexterity of the upper body, including arms, hands, and fingers with a normal sense of touch in both hands.
• Have good near and distance vision, be free of chronic eye disease and have correctable vision of at least 20/40 in one eye.
• Have the ability to distinguish shades of color. Any significant degree of color blindness (more than 25 percent error rate on approved color plate test) may be disqualifying.
• Individuals with some hearing loss and/or requiring hearing amplification will be assessed on a case by case basis.

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including the following specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. Your application or resume must clearly show that you possess the appropriate experience requirements.

For the GS-5 level: Applicants must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience that was obtained after your 16th birthday. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the applicant's knowledge, judgment, interpretive ability, and technical skill associated with the production of a finished product which meets all prescribed standards of quality and conforms with approved production methods. Such experience may have been gained in the following:

• Experience in a slaughter or processing plant, or a comparable manufacturing or production activity which prepares food for human consumption. This experience must demonstrate skills in sorting good from bad; applying, interpreting, and explaining standards, making decisions, and communicating with others.
• Experience as a meat cutter/butcher in a wholesale or retail meat/poultry business, provided a full range of responsible duties are performed such as cutting or butchering, sanitation, dealing with customers, meeting customer standards, use of judgment, interpretation or various requirements, and sorting acceptable from unacceptable.
• Quality control or laboratory analytical experience in the food industry or other similar production environments. An example of qualifying experience may be a Veterinary Technician conducting lab tests, assessing animals and/or partial examination of animals, performing necropsies, monitoring animals under anesthesia and administering medications.
• Supervisory responsibilities in the food or livestock industry, which demonstrates the applicant applied and has effective skills in communicating job requirements, evaluating results of work methods or processes, applying instructions, and interpreting standards or regulations. Responsibility for management or supervision of a full scale commercial or industrial livestock or poultry enterprise.
• Commercial restaurant or kitchen chef or cook responsible for proper food preparation, safe food handling and sanitation practices and judgment recognizing abnormalities in food.

For the GS-7 level: For positions above GS-5, applicants must have demonstrated one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression in the organization in which the position is being filled.

Specialized experience is regulatory food inspection work which involved either ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection of red meat animals, poultry, fish, or seafood; or inspection of production of processed products involving red meat, poultry, fish, seafood, or egg products.This experience must have demonstrated:

• Knowledge of general sanitation practices, laws, and regulations governing the food industry
• Knowledge of Federal laws and regulations pertaining to fitness of red meat animals, poultry, fish, or seafood for human consumption; or knowledge of Federal laws and regulations applicable to the processing of red meat, poultry, fish, seafood, or egg products; and
• Ability to communicate effectively with supervisors and workers in the food industry.

The resume you provide must demonstrate the required experience as referenced in the announcement or you will be rated as ineligible for GS-7.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here.