Inspection Specialist

Role Responsibilities

Provincially licensed meat and dairy facilities play an important role in providing access to high quality locally produced meat products across Alberta, particularly in rural areas. In order to be licensed and maintain the licence, operators are required to meet specific regulatory requirements. Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation (AGI) is responsible for licensing provincial abattoirs (approximately 120), on-farm slaughter operations (approximately 240), mobile butcher facilities (approximately 50) as well as mobile butchers (approximately 200).

Reporting to the Licensing and Compliance Specialist, the Inspection Specialist – Licensing is part of a team which supports the licensing functions of the Meat and Dairy Inspection Section (MDIS). The focus of this position is conducting licensing activities and ensuring clear communication to support licence administration and regulatory compliance. The incumbent of this position will guide applicants through the licensing process, assess the applicant to ensure that they meet all requirements for licensing, and conduct assessments and compliance / enforcement action where required. Liaising with other staff and teams in MDIS and AGI is an important component of this role.

A solid understanding of slaughter, meat processing and dairy processing facility design, equipment and food safety program requirements and the varying regulatory standards applicable is fundamental to the success of this position. Travel to rural locations throughout the year and periodic work outdoors is required.

As Licensing Specialist your main responsibility will be to work with the applicants through the licensing process, including licence application, renewal and licence administration, such as changes to licence status related to compliance with legislation and policies. This includes, but may not be limited to, the following activities :

• Conducting assessments of provincially licensed meat facilities and dairy processor operations to assess compliance to the legislation.
• Assessing and prioritizing non-conformances using a risk and science-based approach that prioritizes the most critical risks.
• Communicating with other MDIS staff regarding matters related to applicant / operator compliance and licence status.
• Collect and submit samples as required to support inspection, enforcement and surveillance activities.
• Providing technical advice for review of construction and renovation plans of meat and dairy facilities.
• Liaising and coordination with internal and external stakeholders to ensure that applicants and licensees are knowledgeable of compliant with relevant legislation.
• Participating in projects and initiatives that support the goals of the section, branch and division.
• Providing Incident and Emergency Response support.