Meat Hygiene Officer (MEAT INSPECTOR)

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Are you looking for a career where you will have a positive impact on safeguarding Ontario's food chain and ensuring animal welfare at meat plants?

If so, please consider a career with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' Meat Inspection Program.

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About the job

As a Meat Hygiene Officer, you will conduct food safety and regulatory compliance inspections at provincially licensed meat plants. You will receive comprehensive training on how to:

• conduct inspections of live animals for illness or injury
• oversee slaughter operations, ensuring animals are handled humanely, and conduct post-mortem inspections of carcasses
• monitor plant activities, verifying good manufacturing practices during the processing of the carcasses to ensure safe food handling
• review and assess compliance of operator's written programs and records
• collect various samples for laboratory analysis
• maintain an inspector's notebook and a variety of electronic records

Click the 'more information' tab for further information regarding the job duties, expected hours of work and career advancement opportunities within the Meat Inspection Program.

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What you bring to the team

Mandatory requirements:

• You are able to travel in all weather conditions to areas where public transportation is not available.
• You are able to perform physically demanding work duties in adverse conditions such as extreme heat, cold and/or humidity.

Problem solving skills and judgement:

• You have strong problem solving skills to identify underlying issues, link issues with regulatory requirements and recommend appropriate corrective measures to address challenging situations.
• You can identify and take necessary, appropriate and timely action in response to complex and/or critical issues.
• You have judgement to evaluate and consider situational factors to make independent, timely decisions that align with policies, procedures and legislation.

Communication and relationship management skills:

• You have oral communication and active listening skills to explain complex policies, procedures and techniques and to help ensure information is understood.
• You have written communication skills to accurately document information and prepare reports.
• You have experience developing and maintaining harmonious relationships with internal and external clients.
• You can influence and persuade others to adopt a specific course of action.
• You have the ability to identify potential conflicts, facilitate open and constructive dialogue, and proactively address and diffuse potential issues.

Enforcement and compliance expertise:

• You have experience identifying situations of non-compliance and assessing the associated level of risk to determine appropriate corrective measures to achieve desired outcomes.
• You can accurately interpret, apply and enforce policies, procedures and legislation, and relay compliance-related information to others.

Concern for quality and standards:

• You have integrity to ensure your actions are consistent with organizational values, policies and codes of conduct.
• You are able to monitor and evaluate work quality and processes against policies, standards and regulations.

Specialized knowledge and experience:

• You have knowledge of food safety principles, theories, and practices.
• You have knowledge of humane animal handling practices for livestock.
• You have time management and organizational skills to effectively manage multiple tasks in a fast paced environment.
• You are proficient with common office software applications (e.g. email, word processing, data entry).

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Additional information:

Note:

• Candidates who have not successfully completed the Ontario Meat Hygiene Officer Certification process will be considered on an underfill basis as an Agricultural Specialist 2.

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Language requirements and assessment:
All external Ontario Public Service (OPS) job ads are posted in English and French. Check the "position(s) language" section at the top of each job ad for the language requirements. For all roles, candidates are assessed in English, the business language of the OPS. If the position is bilingual (English/French), you'll also need to pass a French-language proficiency test.

Exigences en matière de langue et évaluation:
Toutes les offres d'emploi externes de la fonction publique de l'Ontario (FPO) sont affichées en français et en anglais. Consultez la section « Langue du ou des postes » en haut de chaque offre d'emploi pour connaître les exigences linguistiques. Pour tous les postes, les candidats sont évalués en anglais, la langue d'affaires de la FPO. Si le poste est bilingue (anglais/français), vous devrez également passer un test de compétences linguistiques en français.