Meat Production Specialist - Department of Animal Sciences

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Job Summary:

Support meat science research, teaching, and outreach. Work closely with faculty and other staff to manage operations and uphold regulatory compliance at the Meat Science Lab in Urbana, IL.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Sales Operations

 • Assist in leading the sales room operations of the Meat Science Laboratory

    ◦ Develop and implement Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) for retail and wholesale operations

    ◦ Coordinate with other staff to determine and maintain needed inventory of products for wholesale and retail sales

    ◦ Oversee the retail sales room operations including pricing, customer service, hours of operation, staffing, and advertising

 • Order and procure supplies as needed for retail and wholesale operations

 • Create and distribute sales information including weekly communication with customers on products, sales, and hours of operation

 • Perform all duties related to the online sales platform, including keeping inventory up to date, organization of products as needed

 • Oversee pricing of products, ensure alignment between online and in-person sales, and track and analyze sales information to guide operational decisions

 • Provide day-to-day supervision of personnel working in the facility

    ◦ Recruit and retain staff to ensure efficient operations and a well-trained workforce

    ◦ Develop and implement employee on-boarding and ongoing training programs

Slaughter and Fabrication Operations

 • Assist in coordinating slaughter and production schedule for the Meat Science Laboratory including

    ◦ Arrange and interface with USDA inspection service to ensure coverage and maintain compliance

    ◦ Procurement of animals, ingredients, supplies, and resources as needed

    ◦ Interaction with other farm units to obtain animals and plan for future needs

 • Assist in leading operations including the slaughter of animals, fabrication of carcasses, production, and further processed products

    ◦ Set up and inspect the facility for various operations

    ◦ Develop and implement Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs)

    ◦ Assist with maintaining inventory of supplies, packaging, and ingredients needed for slaughter, fabrication, and further processing

 • Assist with further processing of meat products, carcass fabrication, and slaughter

Teaching, Outreach, and Research

 •Conduct informal teaching and training programs in meat production and marketing

    ◦Provide informal training for student employees in meat production, retail operations, and marketing

    ◦Guide and mentor students completing internships with the Meat Science Lab in meat production and marketing

 •Establish and reinforce consistent practices to support high-quality research results

    ◦Develop and train personnel on Standard Operating Procedures to enforce consistent methodology associated with the unit

    ◦Provide ongoing training of research personnel in meat production techniques and retail meat merchandising

 •Coordinate facility usage and availability for educational needs of faculty, graduate students, and others at the Meat Science Lab

    ◦Coordinate teaching laboratory sections at the unit

    ◦Interact with meats and other evaluation coaches to schedule practices, contests, and other activities to support evaluation teams

 •When appropriate, engage in classroom demonstrations to enhance the teaching program of the department and college

Regulatory and Facility Oversight

 •Assist in maintaining fiscal responsibility at the facility including management of facility expenses, development of budgets and reports, recovery of teaching