To be considered for Department of Livestock positions, applicants must apply and submit any required application materials through the State of Montana Careers Website at Statecareers.mt.gov.

This recruitment is posted as 'open until filled' with a first review of applicants on April 4, 2025.  

Materials Required of Applicants: 

• • Cover Letter: 

    In your cover letter please briefly explain your interest in this position and how your background has prepared you to be successful as a supervisor in a relative field of employment. 

  • Resume
  • References: Please provide contact information for 3 professional references. 

Reasons to work for the Montana Department of Livestock: Our work matters!  We are proud of the work we do and the contribution we make to the Montana way of life. Our work supports and protects the livestock industry.  to find out more about the Department of Livestock visit our website HERE.

Benefits of working for the Department of Livestock: The ability to work and play in the beautiful state of Montana is one of the benefits you will love about this opportunity!  Other fantastic benefits include:

• Health Coverage
• Retirement plans
• Paid vacation, sick leave and Holidays
• Flexible schedules
• Opportunities and room for professional growth
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness- Employment with the State of Montana may qualify you to receive loan forgiveness- click HERE to learn more!

About this Opportunity!

Note: Due to the demands of the position, the supervisor must live within the Northwest District (which currently includes Lincoln, Flathead, Glacier, Sanders, Lake, and Mineral Counties).   At this time, applicants living in or within 15 Miles of Kalispel, MT, is preferred and other acceptable locations will be considered on a case-by-case basis.  Additionally: Districts are subject to change due to demands of the industry, the Department and Managment discretion in order to fulfill work needs. 

The primary duty of this position is the supervision of Meat Inspectors in the Northwest MT district.  The supervisor is responsible for leading by example, assessing employee performance, managing employee work schedules, and responding to employee questions and concerns. The supervisor conducts in-plant reviews of facilities to assess both employee function and establishment compliance with pertinent state and federal regulations. This position is responsible for responding to establishment appeals of regulatory actions when those appeals are moved up the agency chain of command. The supervisor also provides relief inspection service as needed. The supervisor works closely with the Bureau Chief regarding implementation of Meat Inspection policies and procedures to maintain the meat inspection program standard of "at least equal to" the USDA FSIS federal inspection program.

Working Conditions: This is a field position and performs remote field work and contains daily travel (up to 40k miles per year), and overnight travel situations. The majority of work is routinely performed at a location other than a facility owned or operated by the Department. 

The position involves exposure to potential hazardous pathogens when conducting inspections of carcasses.

Safety: Our department expects a safety culture and  makes every effort to provide a safe and healthy work environment.

Qualifications- Minimum Requirements-

The necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities are typically acquired through a combination of education and experience equivalent to:

• High School diploma or equivalent. 
• Prior experience in the meat industry, food manufacturing or other related professional experience. 
• And at least 1 year of experience directly supervising others which includes duties such as providing training, guidance leadership etc. is required for this position.

Preferred Qualifications-

• Prior experience providing food safety inspection services in a regulatory environment is preferred.  
• An associate degree in food science or a related field. 

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

Success in this position requires completion of a federal course titled “Inspection Methods.” This course must be completed within 1 year of hire.

Background Check: Employment is conditional upon a successful completion of a fingerprint background investigation, a determination that rests solely with the Department.

Employees performing work for FSIS who have access to government systems, i.e., FSIS systems and email accounts, must be credentialed through the USDA. Therefore, state employees who access systems related to this position, must be credentialed through specific processes, which includes passing a fingerprint background check.  Montana Meat & Poultry Inspection Bureau employees must meet requirements to access the Public Health Information System which is a basic duty of the position.

Required to live within described district and Kalispell is currently preferred.