EIAO Veterinarian

About the role

This Veterinarian III position is also tasked as an Enforcement, Investigations, & Analysis Officer (EIAO). The hiring manager may consider designating the headquarters for this position in any location statewide that is beneficial to the program. The operational area for this position is statewide, but the location of a candidate in an area that is beneficial to the program or the willingness of a candidate to relocate to an area that is beneficial to the program may be considered during the selection process.

Responsibilities

• Conducts Veterinary Dispositions of suspect animals, carcasses, and parts.
  • Antemortem (before slaughter) evaluation of the animal from all sides, in movement, and at rest.
  • Postmortem (after slaughter) examination of the animal including both the carcass and parts of the animal.
  • Obtaining tissue samples for laboratory analysis for further diagnosis when indicated.
  • Quarantine of animals deemed to be suspects for indicators of diseases warranting a veterinary disposition.
  • Preparation of documentation and reports associated with dispositions.
  • Serving as a liaison between animal disease control agencies, program staff, and regulated establishments when warranted during the disposition process.
• Provides department verification in official establishments focusing on the design of establishment's systems and obtains all information available regarding establishments including, but not limited to, computer-based inspection data as related to regulatory requirements of meat and poultry inspection before going onsite.
  • A complete assessment of the design and implementation of establishments' individual control systems before making overall, integrated food safety assessments of establishments and their products.
  • Includes HACCP (written plan and its monitoring, verification, recordkeeping, corrective actions, validation, and reassessment), SSOP (written plan and its implementation, maintenance, corrective actions, and recordkeeping requirements), plant microbiological verification sampling strategies (generic E. coli procedures, Listeria control measures, and Salmonella data), and Sanitation Performance Standards.
  • Identifying and evaluating conditions affecting the growth of organisms, assessing the statistical validity of establishment microbiological sampling plans and monitoring procedures.
  • Directing/conducting routine listeria sampling and Intensified Verification Testing as directed.
  • Reviewing establishments' methods of obtaining laboratory analytical results.
  • Explaining or discussing, from a food safety perspective, specific chemical and/or microbiological laboratory analyses, technological aspects of records, processes, control systems, test data, as well as related industry practices with establishment officials and DSHS Meat Safety Assurance (MSA) field staff.
• Works as a member of a team that discusses complex food safety topics. Provides feedback to inspection staff to guide inspection practices. Conducts training for inspection staff on advanced food safety concepts, animal anatomy, and other inspection tasks.
  • Researches advanced food safety concepts and animal disease topics to ensure the program director and other colleagues have accurate, up to date information to make food safety decisions.
  • Advises the director of the meat safety assurance program on various topics, assisting the director in making programmatic decisions and developing sound policy.

Requirements

Thorough knowledge of animal disease presentations and their potential zoonotic and other public health impacts to include possible foodborne illness or other potential impacts to the animal agriculture industry.

Thorough knowledge regarding sampling procedures for taking clinical samples to determine zoonotic and other public health impact.

Thorough knowledge of all phases of meat inspection to include slaughter operations, processing, and fabrication procedures.

Thorough knowledge of State and Federal laws, rules, processes, and procedures pertaining to meat and poultry operations and products, including the Texas Meat and Poultry Inspection Act, Federal Meat and Poultry Inspection Acts, State and Federal Regulations, and other State and Federal issuances.

Thorough knowledge of the basic operation principles of the regulated industry, including Sanitation Performance Standards (SPS), SSOP, HACCP, and Pathogen Reduction and Control, performing the Hazard Analysis Verification (HAV) Task, microbiological and economic sampling procedures of meat and poultry, and responsibilities of agencies with overlapping authority.

Knowledge of animal anatomy and ability to identify sanitation deficiencies and potential disease conditions/abnormalities in livestock.

Ability to move up to 30 pounds during FSAs and other duties.