Animal Caretaker - Plant Stockyards (B&C)

JOB PURPOSE

Animal caretakers are responsible for the movement, unloading care, and behavioral assessments to determine if animals qualify for processing for human consumption. This position requires certification in humane handling of animals and adherence to all Company, USDA and FSIS regulations associated with animal handling. The position, also, contributes to the overall efficient operational success of the Company by ensuring all activities and workflow processes in the stockyards are performed in a manner to protect the safety of other team members as well as the safety of the animals.

RESPONSIBILITIES & TASKS

• Perform all daily tasks and job functions, including unloading animals, tattooing animals for traceability purposes, movement of animals throughout the stockyards, movement of stressed animals to isolate for observation and prevent further injury, feeding and watering animals when required
• Ability to operate a captive bolt device used for the euthanasia process
• Certified to operate a powered industrial truck (skid steer loader) to move animals within the stockyards area
• Strict adherence to workplace guidelines and Company animal welfare policies and standards
• Ability to identify visual symptoms of stress, illness, physical defects and other factors disqualifying the animal for processing
• Other duties as assigned

RESPONSIBILITIES & TASKS

CORE COMPETENCIES FOR SUCCESS IN ALL ROLES: instills trust, communicates effectively, action oriented, accepts accountability, and collaborates with others.

REQUIREMENTS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty/function satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the work environment, knowledge, skills, and/or ability required or preferred.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions as listed below.

• Experience working with livestock and/or a degree in animal science or an agricultural related field preferred but not required
• Basic math and computer skills
• Ability to count and apply mathematical applications to practical situations
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions
• Must be able to work shifts
• Must be able to read/write or speak either English or Spanish required

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:  The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds, occasionally lift up to 100 pounds and sometimes push/and or move up to 300 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: While performing the duties of this job, the employee occasionally works near moving mechanical parts and is commonly exposed to airborne particles and gases at low concentrations.  The employee is frequently exposed to waste material, feed and hog dust.

NORMAL WORK SCHEDULE: The hours and days of work are established by operational needs and at the discretion of management.