Food Safety & Quality Assurance NSIS Technologist

Overview

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

• 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 correct tags/markings, and verify inspection documentation with USDA officials and Plant Management.
• Collaboration & Problem‑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 process attention and ongoing improvements.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions.

• High school diploma or general education degree (GED), required.
• For internal candidates with 4+ years of experience, the Company may waive educational requirements.
• Ability to complete required applicable forms in English; must read and write in English.
• Technical skills and documentation:
  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 and collaboration:
  Strong written and verbal communication skills for reporting and addressing inquiries from customers or regulatory agencies, make decisions, problem‑solve, and work collaboratively in a fast‑paced environment.

• 2+ years’ experience in Harvest processing, USDA inspection, or FSQA in a related field.
• Bilingual skills.
• 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.

• Plant setting: wet or humid conditions, extreme cold and heat, working near moving mechanical parts, exposure to fumes, airborne particles, and chemicals.
• Noise level: usually moderate but can be loud in the production area.
• Ability to lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to perform repetitive tasks and stand for prolonged periods.
• Specific vision: close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust focus; identify color properly to detect abnormalities.
• Exposure to temperatures ranging from below 40 to above 90 degrees.
• Requires standing, using hands to handle or feel, reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, and use verbal communication.
• Some responsibilities require work in livestock areas with and around live animals.
• Requires fine motor skills and hand‑eye coordination for handling inspection tools, knives, and detailed examinations.

Smithfield is an equal opportunity employer committed to workplace diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, gender identity, protected veteran status, status as a disabled individual, or any other protected group status as directed by law. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment selection process, please call us at 757‑357‑1595.