meat specialist $80,000 jobs

Must be eligible to work in Canada.

Position Summary

The Lead Butcher, Product Development is a highly skilled meat professional responsible for advancing product quality and customer-specific cutting capabilities. This role combines expert-level pork butchery, practical product development, and hands-on production support.

• Working closely with operations, R&D, QA, sales, and leadership, the Lead Butcher, Product Development plays a key role in:
• Translating customer requirements into practical cutting standards and product expectations
• Creating specialty, artisanal, and customer-specific pork cuts that support product differentiation
• Supporting product trials, first production runs, and hands-on team training

This role requires deep expertise in pork anatomy, fabrication techniques, customer expectations, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Butchery Expertise & Product Development

• Perform advanced fabrication of pork with precision and consistency
• Demonstrate advanced skill in creating specialty, artisanal, and custom pork cuts based on customer needs, market trends, and product development goals.
• Convert approved product concepts into practical specifications that reflect customer requirements and operational capabilities
• Collaborate with leadership to explore new product opportunities and value-added offerings
• Support product trial runs and first production runs by preparing for the run, reviewing specifications, evaluating samples, checking yields, confirming product presentation, and providing post-run feedback
• Translate customer needs into cutting standards, yields, and presentation expectations

Customer & Stakeholder Engagement

• Participate in customer presentations, product demos, and “show & tell” sessions
• Provide expert guidance on product capabilities, cuts, and customization
• Represent the organization with professionalism, craftsmanship, and credibility

Specifications & Standardization

• Support the creation and continuous improvement of product specification documents
• Establish clear cutting standards, tolerances, and visual guides
• Ensure cutting standards, product presentation, and specification expectations are applied consistently across teams

Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement

• Investigate and respond to product quality concerns and customer complaints
• Identify root causes (cutting technique, yield loss, trim standards, etc.) and implement solutions
• Partner with QA to ensure alignment with food safety, traceability, and regulatory standards
• Support development and documentation of standard operating procedures (SOPs)

Training & Capability Building

• Deliver hands-on training in:
• Fabrication techniques
• Yield optimization
• Specialty and custom cutting techniques, including presentation, trim standards, and repeatable execution
• Act as a subject matter expert and mentor across the floor when new products, cutting standards, product trials, or first production runs are introduced

Qualifications & Experience

• Extensive hands-on experience in butchery (typically 8–10+ years or equivalent expertise)
• Deep knowledge of pork carcass anatomy and fabrication (other proteins an asset)
• Demonstrated experience in product development or specification creation
• Strong understanding of food safety standards (e.g., HACCP, CFIA requirements)
• Experience training or mentoring others in a production environment
• Experience creating non-standard, specialty, or customer-specific cuts in a pork, meat processing, retail butchery, or culinary environment
• Formal certification in meat cutting, butchery, culinary arts, or a related discipline is preferred

Core Competencies

• Craftsmanship & attention to detail
• Curiosity and innovation mindset
• Customer focus and presentation skills
• Problem-solving and root cause analysis
• Communication and teaching ability
• Collaboration across operations and QA

Salary: $75,000 to $90,000

This is a new position as a result of business growth.

Northern Farms does not use AI in any stage of the recruitment and selection process.

Pay: $75,000.00-$90,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental care
• Employee assistance program
• Life insurance
• Vision care

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Arthur, ON: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (preferred)

Work Location: In person