Food Safety & Quality Assurance NSIS Technologist

Position Overview

As a valued member of our Food Safety and Quality Assurance (FS/QA) team, you’ll play a key role in maintaining the highest standards of food safety. You’ll conduct routine sanitation checks, ensuring that HACCP and USDA regulations are consistently followed. Your work will directly impact the safe delivery of our top‑quality products from renowned brands such as Smithfield, Eckrich, and Nathan’s Famous.

In this role, you’ll be responsible for performing NSIS procedures. The New Swine Inspection System (NSIS) is developed by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and is designed to create a more flexible, efficient, and fully integrated meat inspection system. Unlike traditional methods, NSIS shifts more control to the establishment, with agency personnel focusing on carcass and verification activities. As an NSIS Technologist, you’ll conduct critical inspections of live hogs, heads, carcasses, and viscera, identifying and controlling potential food safety hazards related to pathological conditions and contamination during processing.

• Disease, Contamination & Compliance: Recognize and identify diseases, consumer concerns, and contamination in pork/swine, ensuring compliance with federal regulations, directives, and guidelines.

• Product Monitoring & Documentation: Ensure products meet RTC pork definitions, communicate with helpers to use the correct tags/markings, and verify inspection documentation with USDA officials and plant management.

• Collaboration & Problem‑S solving: Work with other departments to implement procedure changes, address non‑compliance issues, and apply technical knowledge to prevent and resolve product/process failures.

• Quality Control & Continuous Improvement: Interpret customer specifications, apply subjective quality decisions (appearance, texture, etc.), and continuously improve product quality through attention to processes and ongoing improvements.

• High school diploma or general education degree (GED), required.

• For internal candidates with 4+ years of experience with the company, the company has the discretion to waive educational requirements.

• Must have the ability to complete required applicable forms in English, including reading and writing.

• Technical Skills & Documentation:
  Ability to follow written and verbal directions, create and interpret technical documents (quality specs, safety rules, manuals), use monitoring equipment, and work with software such as spreadsheets, presentations, and word processing.

• Communication &
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Strong written and verbal communication skills for reporting and addressing inquiries from customers or regulatory agencies. Ability to make decisions, problem‑solve, and work collaboratively in a fast‑paced environment, fostering positive relationships and a team‑oriented atmosphere.

• 2+ years’ experience (harvest processing, USDA inspector, or FS/QA) in a related field, preferred.

• Bilingual skills are a valuable asset, allowing you to communicate effectively in diverse, multicultural environments and enhance team collaboration.

• Quality Assurance & Regulatory Knowledge:
  Strong understanding of quality assurance principles, food science, meat processing, and USDA regulations. Ability to uphold regulatory and company standards while interpreting and applying corrective actions and regulatory expectations.

• Plant setting. The plant environment will include wet or humid conditions, extreme cold and heat, working near moving mechanical parts, exposure to fumes or airborne particles, and chemicals.

• Noise level in the work environment is usually moderate but can be loud when in the production area.

• Ability to lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

• Ability to perform repetitive tasks and stand for prolonged periods of time.

• Specific vision includes close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust focus. Must be able to identify color properly to detect abnormalities.

• Exposed to temperatures ranging from below 40 to above 90 degrees, working in warm and cold areas simultaneously.

• Continually stand and use hands to handle or feel;…