Breeding Head of Department

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A great job-and a great future-awaits you at Smithfield Foods. We are an American food company with a leading position in packaged meats and fresh pork products. We’re looking for motivated people who want to join our team and grow lasting and meaningful careers with us. Apply Now!

Your Opportunity

The Production Manager Trainee (HOD) 2 directs the daily operation of the farm breeding or farrowing department. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, scheduling and assigning tasks to meet production goals, staff development/training, animal and human health and welfare. The Production Manager Trainee (HOD) 2 knows and performs all department functions/tasks personally and through subordinates. The Production Manager Trainee (HOD) 2 is responsible for learning, demonstrating knowledge and skills, and becoming certified in all aspects of company systems and the pork industry standards. This position functions under the supervision of the appropriate department leader while performing all duties and responsibilities as a learning/development process.

Core Responsibilities

The Production Manager Trainee (HOD) 2 abides by all company policies, procedures and guidelines as directed by farm leadership.

• Ensures the day-to-day activities and processes are scheduled/performed according to standard procedures/policies in company technical manuals and relevant company documentation.

• Trains and monitors subordinate performance and provides appropriate coaching.

• Maintains equipment and environment in all section barns, at all times. Identifies all inconsistencies and immediately rectifies them.

• Manages, monitors and controls feed inventory at all times to satisfy animal requirements and to minimize waste. Manages day-to-day inventory procedures for the section and practices standard inventory control initiatives.

• Maintains accurate production information and update all department records as required.

• Treats sick animals with a variety of pharmaceuticals by injection, oral application, and/or other methods as required.

• Follows the Standard Operating Procedures, Production Manuals, or Appropriate Training Guides as required.

• Follows the Company’s animal welfare policies and procedures including: providing a physical environment that meets the animal’s needs, providing access to adequate water and high quality feed, providing humane treatment of the animals, providing identification and appropriate treatment of animals in need of health care and following the guidelines for euthanasia to include proper disposal of animals.

• Responsible for complying with all environmental laws and procedures and report any issues immediately to the supervisor.

• Responsible for understanding all safety requirements of the job and ensuring their employee’s compliance with the safety requirements. 

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. May perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

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 to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university in Animal Science or related Agricultural field.

• 2 years’ direct experience in handling livestock and managing animal welfare required. 

• Certification in department, required.

• Ability to do hard physical labor.

• Strong commitment to teamwork.

• Willingness to shower daily in and out of facility.

• Ability to follow instructions and deal with standardized situations.

• Must be able to work an average 48 hour week, which can vary frequently.

• Weekend, evening, and holiday work required as needed.

• Must be on call to work in emergency situations to include but not limited to, power outages or personnel shortages.

• Must be able to tolerate and willing to learn and perform the following tasks: euthanasia, castration, vaccinations, piglet processing, ear tagging for identification, taking blood samples and other procedures normal to animal husbandry.

• Ability to wo