Job Description
Join the Northern Farms Team
Northern Farms is a well‑established, family‑owned pork processing company with more than 30 years of industry leadership. Our commitment to quality, innovation, and responsible growth has helped us deliver some of the freshest, highest‑quality products in the market.
Department: R&D/Quality Assurance
Position Summary
The Animal Welfare Coordinator is responsible for ensuring humane handling, care, and slaughter of pigs in compliance with CFIA regulatory requirements, the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR), and applicable animal welfare standards. This role provides on‑floor oversight of live receiving, lairage, stunning, and slaughter activities, ensuring that animal welfare risks are identified, corrected, and prevented.
The position serves as the primary animal welfare subject‑matter expert within the plant and works closely with CFIA veterinary inspectors, operations, and QA personnel.
Key Responsibilities:
Animal Welfare & Humane Handling
Monitor animal handling practices from live receiving through stunning and bleeding
Verify effectiveness of stunning methods (electrical / CO₂ / captive bolt, as applicable)
Ensure pigs are handled calmly and without unnecessary stress or suffering
Confirm animals showing signs of distress, injury, or illness are managed appropriately
Ensure compliance with humane slaughter regulatory requirements
Monitoring & Verification
Conduct routine and documented animal welfare monitoring checks and audits
Verify critical animal welfare control points, including:
Stocking density in lairage
Water access and environmental conditions
Stunning effectiveness and insensibility
Immediately stop the process when humane handling is compromised
Initiate and document corrective actions for deviations
Documentation & Records
Maintain accurate animal welfare records required under the Preventive Control Plan (PCP)
Complete daily logs, deviation reports, and corrective action records
Ensure records are complete, legible, and available for CFIA inspection
Support traceability documentation related to live animal handling
Training & Competency
Train plant employees on animal welfare procedures and expectations
Support onboarding and refresher training for live‑animal handlers and slaughter staff
Verify employee competency in humane handling and stunning activities
Reinforce a culture of animal welfare awareness and accountability
Regulatory & CFIA Liaison
Act as the primary contact for CFIA animal welfare–related verification activities
Participate in CFIA inspections, audits, and investigations
Respond to CFIA non‑compliance findings and support corrective actions
Assist with regulatory updates and implementation of new requirements
Continuous Improvement
Identify trends in animal welfare data and recommend improvements
Participate in root cause analysis for animal welfare incidents
Support internal audits and management review processes
Collaborate with operations and maintenance to improve equipment and procedures
Qualifications & Experience
Post-secondary education in: Animal Science, Agriculture, Veterinary Technology, or related field
Hands-on experience in a slaughter or meat processing facility
Strong knowledge of: Humane handling practices and Animal behaviour and welfare indicators (particularly swine)
Experience working with OMAFA and/or CFIA regulations
Familiarity with animal welfare certification programs (e.g., industry audits/standards)
Understanding of food safety principles (HACCP environment)
Core Competencies
Attention to detail and observation skills
Sound judgment and confidence in decision-making
Calm, respectful approach to animal handling
Strong communication and training ability
Accountability and integrity
Ability to work cross-functionally with operations and QA
What Success Looks Like
Animals are consistently handled in a calm, humane, and compliant manner
No major non-conformances in audits or inspections
Reduced incidents of animal distress or injury
Clear, up-to-date animal welfare procedures and documentation
Team demonstrates understanding and accountability for animal welfare practices
This is a new position.
We do not use AI in our recruitment and selection process.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $55,000.00-$65,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Dental care
Extended health care
Life insurance
Paid time off
Ability to commute/relocate:
Arthur, ON: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (preferred)
Work Location: In person
Northern Farms is a well‑established, family‑owned pork processing company with more than 30 years of industry leadership. Our commitment to quality, innovation, and responsible growth has helped us deliver some of the freshest, highest‑quality products in the market.
Department: R&D/Quality Assurance
Position Summary
The Animal Welfare Coordinator is responsible for ensuring humane handling, care, and slaughter of pigs in compliance with CFIA regulatory requirements, the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR), and applicable animal welfare standards. This role provides on‑floor oversight of live receiving, lairage, stunning, and slaughter activities, ensuring that animal welfare risks are identified, corrected, and prevented.
The position serves as the primary animal welfare subject‑matter expert within the plant and works closely with CFIA veterinary inspectors, operations, and QA personnel.
Key Responsibilities:
Animal Welfare & Humane Handling
Monitor animal handling practices from live receiving through stunning and bleeding
Verify effectiveness of stunning methods (electrical / CO₂ / captive bolt, as applicable)
Ensure pigs are handled calmly and without unnecessary stress or suffering
Confirm animals showing signs of distress, injury, or illness are managed appropriately
Ensure compliance with humane slaughter regulatory requirements
Monitoring & Verification
Conduct routine and documented animal welfare monitoring checks and audits
Verify critical animal welfare control points, including:
Stocking density in lairage
Water access and environmental conditions
Stunning effectiveness and insensibility
Immediately stop the process when humane handling is compromised
Initiate and document corrective actions for deviations
Documentation & Records
Maintain accurate animal welfare records required under the Preventive Control Plan (PCP)
Complete daily logs, deviation reports, and corrective action records
Ensure records are complete, legible, and available for CFIA inspection
Support traceability documentation related to live animal handling
Training & Competency
Train plant employees on animal welfare procedures and expectations
Support onboarding and refresher training for live‑animal handlers and slaughter staff
Verify employee competency in humane handling and stunning activities
Reinforce a culture of animal welfare awareness and accountability
Regulatory & CFIA Liaison
Act as the primary contact for CFIA animal welfare–related verification activities
Participate in CFIA inspections, audits, and investigations
Respond to CFIA non‑compliance findings and support corrective actions
Assist with regulatory updates and implementation of new requirements
Continuous Improvement
Identify trends in animal welfare data and recommend improvements
Participate in root cause analysis for animal welfare incidents
Support internal audits and management review processes
Collaborate with operations and maintenance to improve equipment and procedures
Qualifications & Experience
Post-secondary education in: Animal Science, Agriculture, Veterinary Technology, or related field
Hands-on experience in a slaughter or meat processing facility
Strong knowledge of: Humane handling practices and Animal behaviour and welfare indicators (particularly swine)
Experience working with OMAFA and/or CFIA regulations
Familiarity with animal welfare certification programs (e.g., industry audits/standards)
Understanding of food safety principles (HACCP environment)
Core Competencies
Attention to detail and observation skills
Sound judgment and confidence in decision-making
Calm, respectful approach to animal handling
Strong communication and training ability
Accountability and integrity
Ability to work cross-functionally with operations and QA
What Success Looks Like
Animals are consistently handled in a calm, humane, and compliant manner
No major non-conformances in audits or inspections
Reduced incidents of animal distress or injury
Clear, up-to-date animal welfare procedures and documentation
Team demonstrates understanding and accountability for animal welfare practices
This is a new position.
We do not use AI in our recruitment and selection process.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $55,000.00-$65,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Dental care
Extended health care
Life insurance
Paid time off
Ability to commute/relocate:
Arthur, ON: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (preferred)
Work Location: In person
💡 Quick Summary
Seeking a career-building opportunity? The Animal Welfare Coordinator position is now open for candidates interested in the Helper Jobs sector. This role in Arthur offers a professional environment and growth potential.
Requirement Snapshot: Candidates should possess basic communication skills, a proactive attitude, and the ability to work in a team. Experience in Helper Jobs is a plus.
