Consumer Safety Inspector

About the role

Inspect regulated establishments to ensure they produce safe products by executing appropriate inspection methods, determining non-compliance with regulatory requirements, documenting non-compliance, and initiating enforcement action where warranted.

Responsibilities

• Verify that meat and poultry slaughter and/or processing establishments' Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans meet regulatory requirements.
• Verify that an establishment’s Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans effectively prevent unsanitary conditions and adulteration of products.
• Review records, observe plant operations, conduct hands-on verification to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and prepare detailed records of non-compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Determine when regulatory control action is necessary. Assess whether the plant's corrective or preventative actions are acceptable and effective, identify trends in non-compliance, or if enforcement action is warranted.
• Conduct regulatory oversight activities inside plants in matters relating to other consumer protections (e.g., economic adulteration and misbranding).
• Have contact with plant managers, owners, and others to explain legal and regulatory requirements, discuss operation of the plant's SSOP, HACCP plan, and other food safety programs.
• Communicate and defend determinations on non-compliance issues and discuss plans for addressing non-compliance.
• Work with a variety of individuals to resolve problems, clarify differences of interpretation concerning HACCP and other food safety or consumer protection requirements.
• Advise other Agency inspectors, supervisors, and officers on inspection and enforcement matters for which you are involved.
• Perform sampling, complete surveys, and conduct tests to obtain pertinent data on potential problem areas, industry trends, or other issues of current interest to the Agency.
• Perform health and safety verification sampling and tests for detection of specific microbes (e.g., salmonella, listeria, etc.), residues, or contaminants.
• Assure that products approved for import are in full compliance with all applicable Federal regulations governing the importation of meat and poultry products.
• Authorize entry of all meat or poultry products that must comply with Federal regulations or refuse entry of any products which violate the requirements for admission into this country.
• Cook with other Federal agencies (e.g., the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service or U.S. Customs and Border Protection) on such matters as animal health restrictions and refused entry lots.

Requirements

Training as a condition of employment (TCOE) is required. You must begin the training within 90 days of the effective date of your selection, and you must successfully complete it within 12 months of the effective date of your selection.

You must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.

Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with the Selective Service System or exempt from registration.

Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.

Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served. Refer to the Next Steps section for more information.

Successful completion of a pre-employment medical examination.

Must be at least 18 years of age.

Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.

Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.

If you are selected, you may need to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) prior to being appointed to determine suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation.

False statements or responses on a resume or application can jeopardize employment and may be grounds for disciplinary action, including removal from Federal service.

Should be able to read, speak, write, and effectively communicate in the English language.

Qualifications

Specialized experience is experience that provided you with knowledge of the properties and characteristics of regulated food commodities or other products for human consumption. Your experience should be acquired working in positions such as consumer safety inspector or inspection aid, food inspector, public health inspector, quality inspection specialist, or other related positions.

• GS-5: You must have at least 52 weeks of qualifying experience that provided knowledge of the properties and characteristics of regulated food commodities and substances, such as: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, or other food or beverages for human consumption, or other ingestible substances, such as pharmaceuticals.
• Your resume must show examples such as applying proper techniques for collecting samples and/or performing field tests and examinations (e.g. identifying abnormalities in the product or production environment and recommending corrective actions), developing written reports and/or reporting findings of results orally (e.g. documenting abnormalities in the product or production environment and communicating those findings to others), and/or skill in maintaining effective personal contacts with a variety of individuals (e.g. discussing findings with internal or external contacts regarding the food safety standards established in the production environment), or other similar work making determinations on products for human consumption or the production environment (e.g. ensuring conformance with established standards).
• Your experience should have been acquired working positions such as consumer safety inspector or inspection aid, food inspector, public health inspector, quality inspection specialist, or other related position.

• GS-7: In addition to the qualifications above, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level, and you must have performed standard and recurrent duties on an independent basis. Your resume should demonstrate at least 52 weeks of experience in independently carrying out routine, standard assignments on a regular and recurring basis that provided you with knowledge of the properties and characteristics of regulated food commodities and substances, such as: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, or other food for human consumption, and other ingestible substances, such as pharmaceuticals.
• GS-8: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level. In addition to the qualifications above, your experience must include working with the Federal Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products Inspection Acts in order to inspect meat, poultry and egg products; working with basic SSOP and HACCP principles and practices in order to verify plant HACCP and SSOP responsibilities; performing basic mathematics and elementary statistical concepts and methods to perform testing and sampling procedures; and experience in reaching and interpreting conclusions.
• GS-9: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-8 level. In addition to the qualifications above, you must have experience working at a more independent level than lower graded CSIs, which may include duties such as recommending refusal of exports and providing temporary coverage at locations outside of the official duty station.