Full Job Description
Are you looking for a career where you help keep Ontario’s food safe and ensure animal welfare through your knowledge of agriculture, food safety and regulatory compliance? Are you knowledgeable about food production practices and food safety hazards? Food Safety Inspection Delivery Branch is looking for Inspectors to keep food safe and ensure animal welfare by verifying regulatory compliance and providing professional advice and assistance on food safety practices.
The Food Safety Inspection Delivery Branch ensures the safety of a variety of foods that Ontarians enjoy: meat and livestock products, milk and dairy products, fish, fruits, vegetables, maple products and honey by providing inspection services to their production, processing, marketing and distribution. We collaborate with our counterpart branches and agencies to establish food safety standards and work with other ministries and agencies to ensure a strong and seamless food inspection environment from farm to fork in Ontario. As a Food Safety Inspector, you will be an integral part of a team that plays an important role in the daily lives of Ontarians by keeping their food safe.
Our newly hired Food Safety Inspectors are provided with comprehensive training, including 1:1 hands-on training with experienced inspectors. Training continues throughout your career and development and growth is supported and encouraged!
OPS’s Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Anti-Racism:
We are committed to building a workforce that reflects the communities we serve and fostering a diverse, anti-racist, inclusive, accessible, merit-based, respectful and equitable workplace.
We invite all interested individuals to apply and encourage applications from people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black and racialized individuals, as well as individuals from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions.
To learn more about OPS’s commitment to advancing racial equity, accessibility, diversity, and inclusion in public service, visit the OPS Anti-Racism Policy and OPS Diversity and Inclusion Plan pages.
We provide employment accommodation in accordance with the requirements of the Ontario Human Rights Code throughout the recruitment process and in all aspects of employment. If you need a disability-related accommodation, see “How to apply.”
What can I expect to do in this role?
- In this role, you will help keep food and Ontarians safe by:
Inspecting agricultural and food products for harvest and processing to promote food safety for Ontarians, including performing ante- and post-mortem assessments of livestock and carcasses - Evaluate recipes, formulations, production, processing, packaging, preservation and preservation methods of food products
- Evaluation of applications, programs and records for process control systems
- identification of unacceptable food safety hazards or non-compliance with applicable regulatory requirements
- Collect a variety of samples from agricultural or food products and processing environments to regularly test for biological, physical or chemical food safety hazards
- Preparing and maintaining reports regarding conformity verification activities
- Providing technical assistance to plant operators and other interested parties (e.g. industry organizations and associations, equipment suppliers)
- Conducting field sampling and related reporting activities during emergency response and participating in regular emergency preparedness drills and training
Once you join the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) as a Food Safety Auditor, you will work to obtain one or more of the required food safety audit certificates provided by the department. You may have the opportunity to explore other certifications based on the goods you are interested in.
How do I qualify?
Compulsory
- You must possess a valid Ontario class “G” driver’s license or equivalent recognized by the province of Ontario and have extensive travel skills.
- You must be able to work in hot and cold working conditions
Technical information:
- You are knowledgeable about food safety hazards and risks.
- You have knowledge of food production and processing practices, including raw materials, product formulations, food additives/ingredients, and quality control methods and practices.
- You can interpret and apply legislation, regulations and operational policies, protocols, guidelines and procedures related to food production.
Analytical and problem-solving skills:
You can:
- Applies knowledge of the principles and practices of quality assurance systems such as Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP).
- Monitor work quality against current audit and compliance standards and policies.
- Evaluate inspection and control corrective action plans.
- Use judgment to recognize and understand problems that arise during inspections.
- Evaluate stakeholder concerns/issues regarding deficiencies, methods, techniques, critical control points, and hazards.
- Apply an understanding of science-based risk assessment principles, develop emergency plans and identify control measures.
Educational experience:
- You have knowledge of adult learning principles to help provide training and coaching to new staff, monitor progress and prepare written evaluations.
Communication and interpersonal skills:
- You can develop and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external customers.
- You can reduce disputes and conflict situations when conflicts occur between customers’ perceived interests and control requirements.
- You can provide information on results, implementation of legislation/regulations and technical advice.
Computer and numeracy skills:
- You have expertise in computer software applications to locate, adapt, process and store data/information.
- You have numeracy skills to perform calculations to verify the accuracy of records and compliance measures.
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