Animal Welfare Superintendent

Foster Farms has been serving families since 1939. Since the founding days, Foster Farms has always been committed to providing consumers with the highest-quality, best-tasting poultry products available. Our commitment to excellence, honesty, quality, service, and our valued TEAM Members will shine through in everything we do.

Foster Farms is always looking for talented individuals to join the Foster Farms TEAM. We offer the experience of a large organization, however, we operate like a family business. More than half of our job openings are filled by internal promotion, and we encourage TEAM Members to gain a variety of experiences across different functional groups.

Position Summary:

• The primary responsibility of this position will be to support animal welfare (AW) and biosecurity programs that ensure that Foster Farms poultry are raised, handled, and transported in a safe, humane, and appropriate manner throughout our supply chain in accordance with company and national standards for animal care and handling. Animal Welfare Superintendent positions will report directly to the Complex Manager with secondary reporting into assigned Chief Animal Welfare Officer.
• Specifically, this role will include:
  • Performing animal welfare and handling audits.
  • Performing biosecurity audits
  • Assisting with the development and management of best practice training programs.
  • Reviewing AW trends for the assigned production area(s).
  • Ensuring effective interdepartmental communication.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Promote animal welfare culture throughout Foster Farms live and processing operations through education and engagement.
• Assist with the development and refinement of animal welfare and biosecurity training materials that will be used by Foster Farms and contractual staff at live animal facilities.
• Facilitate annual training at production facilities, when possible, for personnel that have contact with live animals.
• Assist with training material and deliver training to ensure that team members understand best practices and animal welfare expectations.
• Verify compliance to ensure training is completed during regular live production visits and verify understanding during communication with team members during audits.
• Conduct unannounced and planned audits at Foster Farms production facilities, hatcheries, and farms to verify animal welfare and biosecurity program compliance with company and industry standards.
• Conduct process audits to verify animal handling procedures and humane transportation of live poultry.
• Provide constructive feedback and communicate with production managers at company locations during audits.
• Ensure compliance with all company, customer, and governmental standards.
• Review and record audit results within the company database. Including flock closing reports and data as related to American Humane requirements.
• Assist with the refinement of current Foster Farms AW audits based on observations of bird care, bird handling, and transportation at live production facilities to ensure program implementation.
• Assist with execution of 3rd party welfare audits (AHC, Silliker/Merieux NutriSciences, PVP, Chick Fil-A, etc.) within assigned production area(s), including scheduling audits, facilitating and attending audits, and communication as related to auditors, contacts, follow-up deficiency reports, and audit fee payments.
• Collaborate with business leaders in assigned area(s) (e.g., complex managers, hatchery crew, farm managers) and communicate directly with production departments after all animal welfare visits/audits.
• Provide technical support and assistance with the Foster Farms AW and biosecurity program and ensure implementation of corrective actions and audit recommendations.
• Create and distribute written audit reports after each visit.
• Analyze trends for animal welfare data for assigned complex(es) and participate in regular meetings with the Foster Farms AW Team, Sr. Manager, and Director of Animal Welfare.
• Assist the Foster Farms AW QA Team with internal special projects, research trials, training projects, and evaluation of innovative technology to meet business needs for animal welfare and biosecurity.
• Travel: 3 to 6 trips per year. Must be able to travel daily to various locations in the poultry complex (farms, hatcheries, offices, and plants) and work on all production shifts.

Requirements:

• Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• Experience: Minimum of 2 years of previous relevant Foster Farms experience in live animal production and/or processing in poultry, highly preferred; previous experience in meat or poultry plant operations or working for a third-party animal welfare auditing company, preferred.
• Skills:
  • Exceptional attention to detail and follow through.
  • Strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills.
  • Ability to produce quality work under pressure meet deadlines.
  • Independently manage multiple work-streams.
  • Work collaboratively with businesses and support functions throughout the company.
  • Maintain confidentiality.
  • Ability to work effectively in multiple-location operations with diverse team members.
  • Operate with strong professional values and ethics and a team mindset.
  • Ability to work through difficult situations and maintain composure.
  • Demonstrate leadership and the courage to withstand resistance to change and challenge status quo.
• Computer Skills: Experience with Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, required.
• Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Additional Requirements: Thorough knowledge of live production, biosecurity, food safety, animal welfare and handling standards. Ability to perform data analysis and reporting.
• Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO) certification or eligibility and commitment to obtain certification within 12 months, required.

We offer our TEAM Members the following benefits:

• Medical, dental, and vision health insurance for themselves and their eligible dependents.
• Voluntary benefits such as Group Hospital Indemnity Insurance, Group Accident Coverage, Group Critical Illness Coverage, Individual Short-Term Disability Insurance, and Whole Life Insurance.
• Flexible Spending Accounts (Health Care FSA and Dependent Daycare FSA).
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• College tuition reimbursement (70% tuition, 70% books, and 70% parking).
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with a Company-contribution of up to 4%.
• Vacation, sick, holiday, funeral, and jury duty pay.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Foster Farms is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Minorities, Females, Veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Foster Farms participates in E-Verify during the hire process at all locations for all new TEAM Members.