MightyRecruiterMuch of the work that goes into getting fresh meat to market is done by trained meat packers. These professionals use their understanding of butchery to prepare various cuts of meat for packaging. They’ll often utilize industrial kitchen equipment, cutting and weighing items to client specifications. In some cases, they may be involved in the slaughter of livestock prior to their preparation work.
As you review the meat packer job description template provided here in advance of creating your own listing, keep in mind the skills that you want your candidates to possess. A working knowledge of butchery and/or food handling is important, along with a familiarity with commercial kitchen equipment.
As food packaging and preparation guidelines can be quite complex, you’ll also want to ensure that applicants fully understand them. The meat packer job description will show you how to best list this as a job qualification.
Meat Packer Job Summary
Who wouldn’t like to have a hand in helping to feed the people in their community? Meat packers help ensure that all of the products available in your local grocery store’s meat and deli departments are prepared to safety standards. Our commercial production facility will allow you to work with a manner of materials, including traditional meats such as beef, chicken and pork, as well as more exotic products, like venison and seasonal fish. You’ll report directly to our packaging supervisor, helping to manage inventory and prepare daily work items. Your skills in preparing various cuts of meat will come in handy, as will your knowledge of food safety standards. With your help, we can ensure that local restaurants and residents have fresh and safe meat products on their plates.
Job Responsibilities
- Receive products for butchering, removing bones, sinews and fatty tissues and preparing various cuts of meat in preparation for packaging
- Utilize both industrial-grade cutters and slicers as well as knives and other manual devices in preparing meats of different cuts and textures, all while observing safety requirements
- Review daily work orders for select criteria such as cut, weight and fat content, and develop workflow based off of those requirements
- Prepare specialty items, such as links or ground meats, per customer specifications
- Thoroughly inspect and clean all cuts of meat according to federal regulations and local health department standards prior to packaging
- Convey all prepped items to packaging area and utilize wrapping and packaging equipment to prepare items for pickup and/or delivery
- Coordinate with packaging supervisor at the end of each shift to ensure that all designated orders have been completed and items designated for shipment have either been stored or received
- Work with facility mechanical staff to ensure that all storage areas are functioning according to regulations and maintaining safe internal temperatures
Job Skills and Qualifications
Reqiured:
- Must be 18 years of age
- Current Food Handler’s Permit (or willingness to earn one within six weeks of hire)
- Able to endure potentially strenuous working conditions
Preferred:
- Previous food production or commercial kitchen experience
- Working knowledge of safety issues such as food-borne illnesses, cross contamination risks and workplace safety standards
- Mechanical skills and experience with industrial-grade food preparation equipment
Meat Packer Job Responsibilities
If you struggle to find the right team for your meat packing plant, you may have fallen foul of a poorly written meat packer job description. Clearly listing responsibilities as the most substantial part of your description can prevent an avalanche of unqualified candidates or candidates who just don’t fit your team culture. In screening so many applications, you run the risk of bypassing the perfect hire as fatigue sets in over hours of wasted time. Avoid these pitfalls by tuning up your job description and improving how you approach writing an effective job responsibilities section.
Before you start writing, think about how you’re writing. Your writing style makes a massive difference in how candidates see your meat packer job description. Boring verbiage can make it sound like an equally boring job. Instead use vivid, action-driven language that begins each point with powerful verbs. Infuse your language with momentum, and you’ll infuse the job with energy. With effective language you don’t need to write an overly lengthy job description; you can cut it down to 6-8 bullets.
Try our meat packer job responsibilities on for size:
- Evaluate beef product for quality and edible properties
- Sort meat by type and size; dispose of inedible, soiled, spoiled or otherwise poor-quality product
- Slice and/or grind meat into appropriate cuts using standard charts for size and shape
- Package beef in sanitary, attractive packaging
- Label each package with necessary details, including FDA required information and expiration dates
Meat Packer Job Specifications
Although you’ve written a tight, optimized meat packer job description, you’re not quite finished. You need a list of job qualifications and skills to round out your job description and ensure that, once you set it loose on the employment market, your advertisement works effectively for you. Your job description is more than a tool to attract viable candidates. It also filters unqualified candidates, clearing up your inbox. It’s a simple correlation; a better job description means better quality talent.
So how does the job qualifications and skills section work? It gives candidates a clear list of non-negotiable requirements they must fulfill to be eligible. These requirements can range from years of experience to education, industry background or particular job specific skills. Include these skills as 5-6 bullets at the foot of your meat packer job description, and candidates can quickly determine if they meet your needs before going through the application process.
Here’s a sample of how to write meat packer job specifications that provide effective screening criteria:
- Minimum education high school GED
- FDA safety training preferred
- Skilled at handling sharp implements in a safe manner
- Able to take direction and training on highly complex requirements
- Committed to quality and product excellence
