Meat Manager jobs in Rhode Island

About Pat’s Pastured:  Founded in 2002, Pat’s Pastured provides the highest quality pasture-raised and grass-fed meats. Our goal is to provide our livestock with a life that allows them to express their natural instincts fully in a pasture environment. That means that our pigs get to root, run and play; our chickens get to peck, scratch and crow; our turkeys gobble and strut; and our cows eat grass outside, NOT corn in confinement.

Farm Description:  100 acres of pasture and woodlots spread over several pieces of land in Rhode Island. All land is managed in an intensive rotational management system with multiple species of livestock. The main farm is located in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. All meat and eggs are sold through farmers’ markets (4 summer, 2 winter), home delivery, shipping, Meat/Poultry CSAs, wholesale and restaurant sales, and on-farm sales.

Processing Facility Description:  USDA meat processing facility is located on-farm in a 45’ x 30’ building with multiple outdoor walk-in freezer spaces. The facility has updated poultry processing equipment (plucker & scalder) and a conveyor style poultry parting line. Meat cutting space is equipped with a roll-stock machine, dual chamber vacuum sealer, vacuum sausage stuffer, and a large capacity meat grinder. Offsite there is a RI Department of Health Inspected commercial kitchen with commercial smoker, ovens and 40-gallon steam kettle. Value added products are made at this site by our part-time chef. Pat’s Pastured is inspected by the USDA for processing beef, pork, lamb, and poultry on-farm.

General Description:  Our farm is looking for motivated and out-going individuals with a passion for agriculture and food.

The Meat Processing Manager is a full-time hands-on management position tasked with creating high quality poultry/beef/pork cuts and sausages.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Managing 6-12 staff and working in our USDA inspected processing facility - processing 600 - 800 chickens per week (May-November); 600 turkeys (October)
• Cutting & fabrication of pastured pigs (150 annually) retail cuts, smoking & sausage making
• Cutting & fabrication of beef – 6 per month
• Record keeping logs for USDA inspection
• Communicating with USDA site inspectors and addressing issues related to meat processing
• Follow HACCP plan, SSOP for USDA inspection
• Continued development and management of inventory systems of on-farm products and USDA processed meat
• Assisting with maintenance & servicing of meat processing equipment
• Working collaboratively with Livestock Manager & Farm Manager/Owner
• Implementing "lean" manufacturing methods in all aspects of processing
• Prepared foods development in our licensed offsite commercial kitchen - sausage varieties, broth, soup, meat pies, etc.
• Documenting & control of processing/food costs
• Work closely with farm accountant & office manager
• Utilizing produce grown in our on-farm garden for product production
• Other tasks as required

EXPERIENCE AND REQUIREMENTS:

• 3 years butchery/meat cutting and/or commercial kitchen environment
• Good knife skills
• Ability to maintain food processing equipment
• A passion for farming and farm-to-table cooking
• Experience managing staff
• Knowledge of cooking and farming practices
• Valid driver’s license and clean driving record
• Interest in continued development of prepared food product line with farm products
• HACCP & ServeSafe certified a plus, or be willing and able to obtain
• USDA experience a strong plus
• Able to regularly lift and move up to 50 lbs
• Willing and able to work in a cold environment (refrigerator and freezer)
• Organized and able to multitask
• A positive, go get ‘em attitude
• Flexibility, creativity and passion for problem solving
• Supervise preventative maintenance plan
• Experience with Microsoft Office, Google Docs and Quickbooks a plus

COMPENSATION:

• Annual salary $65,000-$70,000 DOE
• Two weeks paid vacation annually
• Health insurance NOT provided
• $300 farm store credit (resets monthly)
• $700 professional development fund (annually)