Position Type: Exempt, Full-Time
Location: In person, Staples, MN
Expected Hours of work: Day shift, Monday to Friday (Occasional evening and weekend work may be required as schedule demands).
Compensation: Salary $50,000-$60,000/year with a competitive benefits package.
Summary/Objective:
The Butcher Supervisor oversees daily slaughter and meat cutting operations, ensuring production goals, quality standards, food safety, sanitation, and employee safety requirements are consistently met. This role supervises butchers and processing staff, coordinates workflow from harvest through fabrication, and helps maintain compliance with all applicable company, regulatory, and inspection requirements. The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader with strong slaughter and meat cutting experience in a USDA-inspected facility or a state inspection program that is equal to USDA standards.
Essential Functions:
The essential duties and responsibilities include the following:
Key Responsibilities:
- Supervise daily slaughter, carcass handling, fabrication, trimming, deboning, portioning, and packaging activities.
- Lead and direct production employees to meet daily throughput, yield, and quality targets.
- Train, coach, and monitor staff on proper knife handling, cutting techniques, humane handling practices, product specifications, and safe equipment use.
- Verify that slaughter and processing activities are performed in compliance with HACCP plans, SSOPs, sanitation requirements, and all applicable food safety programs.
- Ensure all finished products meet company and regulatory standards.
- Work with FSQA Manager on pre-operational and operational sanitation activities to ensure the work area, tools, and equipment remain clean and inspection ready.
- Inspect equipment and work areas for safety hazards, maintenance needs, and operational readiness; escalate issues promptly.
- Assist in maintaining accurate production, yield, sanitation, and training records as required.
- Work closely with FSQA Manager and Plant Manager to resolve production or compliance issues.
- Support inventory control, raw material usage, waste reduction, and efficient use of labor and supplies.
- Enforce company policies, attendance expectations, personal protective equipment requirements, and safe work practices.
- Assist with scheduling, shift start-up meetings, staffing assignments, and continuous improvement efforts.
Personnel Management
- Communicate policies and updates to staff, fostering a culture of accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement.
- Ensure compliance with health/safety regulations and promote a strong safety culture to reduce injuries.
- Conduct evaluations and encourage leadership development among employees.
Competencies:
- Leadership
- Decision-Making
- Teamwork
- Problem Solving
- Credibility
- Communication
- Time Management
- Adaptability
Knowledge & Skills:
- Knowledge: Meat industry experience is required. A strong understanding of food safety practices (including GMPs and HACCP) and slaughter/cutting processes as they relate to meat production.
- Technical Skills: Basic computer proficiency (MS Office), data analysis, and record keeping.
- Soft Skills: Excellent communication, organizational and time-management skills, attention to detail, problem-solving, leadership, and ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
- Physical Ability: Ability to lift, push, or carry weights (e.g., 60 lbs.) and work in cool, wet environments.
- Experience: Understanding of food manufacturing or related experience is preferred.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience supervising harvest and fabrication teams in either a Equal to or USDA facility.
- Additional training or certification in HACCP, ford safety, sanitation, or humane handling.
- Experience with yield reporting, production scheduling, and employee training documentation.
Decision Making:
The FSQA Manager/Production Supervisor role requires independent decision-making, with guidance and structure provided by the Meat Harvest & Processing Facility Manager.
Work Environment & Physical Demands:
This job operates in a professional casual meat production and office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment, knives, various meat processing & packaging equipment, computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
- Must be able to access, navigate and perform duties within the production facility (includes cold and wet manufacturing environment).
- Must be able to frequently lift up to 60 pounds.
- Must be able to utilize office equipment such as desktop/notebook computers, copiers, printers, scanners, telephones, and calculators.
- Travel is primarily local during the business day, although occasional travel to attend training may be requested.
NOTICE: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature of the environment and the level of work being performed by this job. This job description in no way states or implies that the duties and responsibilities listed are the only tasks to be performed by the employee in this job. The employee will be required to follow any other instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by his or her supervisor.
EEO Statement:
An Equal Opportunity Employer - All qualified employees will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Organization Structure:
- Job Title this position reports to: Meat Harvest & Processing Plant Manager.
- Job Titles directly reporting to this position: Production Employees
To Apply:
Submit a PDF cover letter, resume and three references to Robb Kasal, Farmers Union Processing & Meats Plant Manager at [email protected]. Please, no phone calls or visits. Application will be considered on a rolling basis.
Pay: $50,000.00 - $60,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
Work Location: In person
