Meat Inspector Trainee - District

Meat Inspector Trainee - District 3 (260004XV)

Organization:
Agriculture

Agency Contact Name and Information:
Linda.

Robertso.gov

Unposting Date:
Aug 3, 2026, 3:59:00 AM

Primary

Location:

United States of America-OHIO-Fulton County

Other Locations:
United States of America-OHIO-Defiance County, United States of America-OHIO-Williams County, United States of America-OHIO-Henry County, United States of America-OHIO-Paulding County

Compensation: $23.65

Schedule:

Full-time

Work Hours:

Varies; 5AM-1PM; 7AM-3PM

Classified Indicator:
Classified

Union: OCSEA

Primary Job Skill:
Food Safety Inspection

Technical

Skills:

Agriculture, Communications, Public Health, Food Safety Inspection, Animal Health

Professional

Skills:

Active Learning, Attention to Detail, Building Trust, Flexibility, Written Communication

Agency Overview

Competitive Salary: $49,192 - $59,821 annually

Who We Are:

Agriculture is the heart of it all in Ohio! The Ohio Department of Agriculture protects all Ohioans by safeguarding plants and animals, conserving our natural resources and supporting farmers. ODA is cabinet-level agency reporting to Governor DeWine. Food and agriculture are Ohio's number one industry, contributing $124 billion to the economy and employing one in eight people. Ohio is home to more than 75,000 farms, with agriculture touching every part of the state.

Not only does Ohio rank number one in Swiss cheese production, but we are top three in the nation's egg production and fifth in soybean production. Ohio's farmers impact those well beyond state lines, feeding families across the nation. ODA's beautiful campus is located in Reynoldsburg on 158-acres. Not only is parking free, but food trucks frequent the campus for coffee and lunch.

You'll find great coworkers here, who are experts in their field and care about the work they do.

What We Do:

Working for the Ohio Department of Agriculture means strengthening our state with the help of our 19 divisions programs. Our staff ensures the products you consume every day are safe to eat and drink. We protect Ohio's farmland, improve soil health and water quality, all while keeping our plants, crops, and animals free of pests and disease. We are home to the state's top food safety laboratory and serve as the hub for a statewide lab safety system.

Our folks protect consumers by ensuring you get what you pay for through weights and measures accuracy standards. ODA oversees Ohio's 94 county and independent fairs, the showcases of our towns and cities, and protects fair goers by inspecting the amusement rides you love to enjoy! As a member of team ODA, you will be working with people of the highest caliber, doing great work, and making a difference for all Ohioans.

Job Description

No ag background, no problem! You'll learn all about agriculture from our top-notch experts who dedicate their lives to a cleaner, safer, better Ohio. The Division of Meat Inspection is seeking motivated candidates for a Meat Inspector Trainee, headquartered in Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Paulding or Williams County. This position is responsible for:

Receives training and mentoring from higher level meat inspector to learn procedures and assists in conducting inspections of registered meat plants, private, commercial slaughtering plants and custom-exempt red meat and/or poultry processing facilities

Learns to perform ante mortem and postmortem inspections of carcasses and enforces state and federal sanitation, humane slaughter, meat processing and food safety policies, procedures and guidelines

Conducts visual examination of live animal and/or poultry prior to slaughter while looking for abnormalities in appearance and behavior such as sick, hurt and/or non-ambulatory

Contacts veterinarian for final disposition of unhealthy animals and records results

Makes determination of age of beef through dentition of cattle 30 months or older for removal of backbone due to concerns of BSE

Performs visual, tactile and/or incisory inspection of head, lymph nodes, viscera, carcass and offal to include liver, heart, brain and tripe to determine whether or not pathological conditions are present, and carcass is in clean and wholesome condition

Inspects all equipment, facilities and personnel to ensure acceptable sanitation levels and prohibiting use of unsanitary, unsafe and/or unapproved equipment and facilities until cleaned and/or corrected to include pest and rodent control, use of pesticides and chemicals, condition and use of potable water supply and waste and sewage systems

Halts production for poor sanitation and/or non-compliance

Assures proper disposition of unfit and condemned products, enforces sanitary dressing procedures and controls carcass branding

Learns labeling requirements and assists in reviewing labeling materials

Reviews proposed labels, product formulations, production procedures, quality control programs, quality control records and laboratory reports for state inspected meat and/or poultry establishments

Checks formulations of all types of meat food…