Compliance Specialist ( Meat Inspector

Initial Posting Date: 01/05/2026

Final date to receive applications: 01/19/2026

Agency: Department of Agriculture

Salary Range: $4,409 - $6,123

Position Type: Employee

Position Title: Compliance Specialist 1 (Meat Inspector)

Are you interested in working for an agency that protects Oregon's agriculture, natural resources, working lands, economies, and communities? At the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA), our mission is to safeguard, promote, and sustain Oregon's agricultural and natural heritage for future generations. We seek individuals who share this commitment and are eager to contribute to this important mission. If this interests you, we invite you to join our State Meat Inspection (SMI) program team as a Meat Inspector (Compliance Specialist
1).

What you’ll be doing

In this role, you will examine food animals in privately-owned meat plants. This position works under remote supervision and will learn and perform inspection duties before, during, and after slaughter/processing to assure all products are wholesome, unadulterated, and properly labeled. Inspectors must demonstrate experience and proficiency enforcing inspection requirements to ensure regulated establishments produce safe meat products.

Innovative Mission
:
At ODA, we are committed to protecting and promoting Oregon's agricultural communities and economies. Joining us means being part of something truly impactful.

Diverse Programs
: ODA offers 38 programs, with staff and constituents working in the fields and in clean, high-tech labs. This diversity provides a rich and varied environment for you to grow and excel in your role.

Collaborative Agency
:
The staff is united in our mission to support farmers, ranchers, fishers, and food producers across the state. As a Meat Inspector, you will collaborate with other agency programs to promote ODA’s mission, vision, and core values to both staff and the public.

As a Meat Inspector (Compliance Specialist
1), you will monitor and evaluate slaughter procedures across multiple species.

• Ensure each step—stunning, bleeding, evisceration—is performed properly and safely.
• Identify and report deviations from approved methods or humane handling protocols.
• Review interpretation of lab results for compliance with state and federal standards.
• Verify compliance with the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act.
• Document non-compliance and assist in corrective actions to maintain animal welfare.
• Oversee postmortem carcass cutting, trimming, and fabrication.
• Ensure sanitary practices are followed during meat processing to prevent contamination.
• Confirm that equipment and facilities meet cleanliness and safety standards.
• Inspect carcasses to identify visible fecal, ingesta, and milk contamination and verify that corrective measures are taken.
• Maintain thorough documentation during verification and enforcement processes.
• Proactively identify sanitation or process control failures.
• Work with plant personnel to initiate immediate corrective actions.
• Record incidents and ensure preventive measures are implemented to avoid recurrence.
• Review and verify that the facility’s SSOPs and HACCP plans are correctly followed.
• Assess critical control points and ensure hazard analyses are current and effective.
• Provide guidance or require changes if sanitation or hazard control documentation is insufficient or out of compliance.

• The Meat Inspector (Compliance Specialist
  1), is a part-time, limited duration expected to end June 30, 2027 position based in Salem, Oregon, represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

Note:

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What we’re looking for

Strong understanding of regulatory science, animal welfare, food safety, and sanitation systems—along with the ability to communicate findings, document compliance, and contribute to the overall integrity of the meat production process.

• At least two years of experience in meat processing, food safety inspection, or a related role in a regulated food production environment.

OR

• Bachelor's Degree in Animal Health or Animal Science
• Note:
  
  college-level course work in Animal Health may substitute for the…