Skip to main content
Skip to main content

Position Announcement: Swine Veterinarian

Smithfield is the world’s largest pork processor, the largest hog producer in the United States and a leader in numerous packaged meats categories. We are committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintaining robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental, and food safety and quality programs. Smithfield is looking for a Veterinarian in our Hog Production Division based out of Algona, Iowa.

Core Responsibilities:

Responsibilities and tasks are written as follows:

  • Provide real-time on-site veterinary support to the Midwest wean-to-finish and Midwest Sow Operations in all aspects of swine production
  • Provide input and oversight to system health related improvement programs and production practice quality assurance initiatives
  • Fully integrates efforts/activities within the framework and consistent with the direction of the production management team and veterinary team
  • Ensures communication and system’s efforts to ensure production team’s efforts are directed toward system-wide optimization
  • Leads and directs systems practices to ensure animal movement and testing requirements are being completed consistent with state and federal regulatory requirements
  • Ensure both the Pork Industry and Company objectives, standards, and initiatives are carried out at the regional level including administration of health plans, disease/pathogen monitoring, PQA measures, food safety, and animal welfare policy
  • Assists with coordination of health SOPs with regional production managers and other health specialists
  • Understands all certification requirements and is responsible for getting all production managers and specialists exposed to the required standards for assessment
  • Provides all appropriate staff with current health documentation and assures performance to defined standards
  • Provides timely, accurate reports, documentation, and data to internal/external customers
  • Monitors current and new system health and food safety regulations to ensure our compliance
  • Monitors Production capabilities that ensure optimum performance standards through biosecurity, system design, health improvement initiatives, and genetics
  • Conducts Pork Quality Assurance Training
  • Mentors, directs, and coaches designated Midwest production and veterinary support staff
  • Responsible for following all environmental laws and procedures to which the company subscribes
  • Report all environmental issues immediately to their supervisor
  • Read and understand the company’s emergency notification process and will be responsible for reviewing that policy at their work site
  • Performs all other duties as defined by manager

This position requires:

  • Stoop, stand, walk, and stretch while performing routine health checks, marking, and administering vaccinations on swine herds
  • Ability to move large animals weighing up to 300 lbs
  • Ability to distinguish colors when marking animals for movement and/or treatment
  • Perform minor surgeries i.e., lancing abscesses, ruptures, etc. using scalpels
  • Perform blood testing and vaccinations using syringes and needles
  • Utilize bolt gun to euthanasia animals when necessary
  • Utilize posting knife to perform necropsy
  • Utilize desktop computer to input data, compile reports and distribute information to internal and external customers
  • Utilize telephones including cellular phones to conduct business and communicate with internal and external customers
  • Utilize company vehicle to travel to contract grower sites
  • Utilize projector and presentation equipment and materials to conduct grower and company presentations

Qualifications:

  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
  • 1-3 years post graduate experience preferred in swine medicine
  • PQA certification
  • Current and valid driver’s license with acceptable MVR
  • Pre-employment physical and drug screen
  • Proven working knowledge of Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Access, Internet are preferred
  • Must be available for occasional travel
  • Must be available to work nights and weekends when necessary
  • Must understand that the Midwest Operations is a producer of high-quality pork for human consumption and must be supportive of the mission of raising swine for meat

Please direct questions or inquiries to:

Dr. Nicholas Lauterbach
Senior Veterinarian
nlauterbach@smithfield.com

or

Tina Ulfers
Human Resources Generalist
tulfers@smithfield.com

To Apply:

Go to https://www.smithfieldfoods.com/careers. Click the "Search available positions" button twice, then choose "IA" under the "All States" drop down and "Algona" under the "All Cities" drop down. Click on "Veterinarian" to access and apply for Job ID# 24785.