Food Safety & Quality Assurance NSIS Technologist

The Value You’ll Bring

The position summary states the general nature and purpose of the job. Overall accountabilities are defined in this section. 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 like Smithfield, Eckrich, and Nathan’s Famous, all the way to our customers and consumers.

What You’ll Do

• 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-Solving: Work with other departments to implement procedure changes, address non-compliance issues, and apply your 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.

What We’re Seeking

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 with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• A 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, which requires the ability to read and write in English.
• 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 like 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.

Other Skills That Make You Stand Out

• 2+ years’ experience (Harvest processing, USDA inspector, or FSQA) 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.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• The physical demands described here are representative of those an employee should possess to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee may encounter while performing the essential functions of this job.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Plant setting. The plant environment will include wet or humid conditions (non-weather related), extreme cold and heat (non-weather related), 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 period 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 – above 90 degrees, working in warm and cold area simultaneously.
• Continually stand and use hands to handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and talk or hear.
• Some Responsibilities will require work in livestock areas with and around live animals.
• Must process fine motor skills and hand eye coordination for handling inspection tools, knives and detailed examinations.

Pay Range

The expected pay range for this position is $19.23 - $28.85 per hour. Smithfield Foods provides pay ranges that reflect its good faith estimate of the salary or hourly wage the company reasonably expects to pay for a position at the time of hire. Individual compensation will be determined based on several factors, including but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the role, location of the position, the candidate’s qualifications and experience, internal equity, external market pay for comparable positions and budget considerations.

Relocation Package

Available

EEO Information

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 veterans status, status as a disabled individual or any other protected group status or non-job characteristic as directed by law.