Protein Fabrication Specialist (Beef Focus)

A Day in This Role

Your shift begins in a chilled production room where precision meets pace. You review the day’s orders, select the right knives and blades, and set up saws and grinders. Throughout the day, you transform whole and sub-primal cuts into exact portions—deboning, trimming, and shaping beef and other proteins to match customer specs. You weigh and label portions, minimize waste, and package products for storage or shipment. Between batches, you sanitize tools and work surfaces, monitor product quality, and communicate with supervisors to keep production moving smoothly.

Core Responsibilities

• Fabricate beef and other meats: cut, trim, debone, and portion to precise specifications and production orders.
• Operate knives, saws, grinders, and related meat-processing equipment with strict safety and efficiency.
• Produce consistent cuts that meet target size, weight, and appearance standards.
• Follow established cutting procedures and customer requirements for each item.
• Inspect meat for freshness, quality, defects, and presentation prior to and after cutting.
• Remove excess fat, bones, and unwanted portions while controlling and reducing waste.
• Weigh and portion accurately in alignment with customer and production needs.
• Package products for further processing, storage, or shipment.
• Adhere to USDA, HACCP, food-safety, sanitation, and company quality protocols at all times.
• Maintain a sanitary workstation; clean and sanitize knives, equipment, surfaces, and processing areas.
• Use proper knife and equipment handling techniques to uphold workplace safety.
• Meet daily throughput and quality goals while working efficiently.
• Communicate with supervisors and teammates about product quality, order priorities, and equipment issues.
• Support additional production and processing duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Background as a Meat Cutter, Butcher, Meat Trimmer, or Meat Processing Worker preferred.
• Hands-on experience with beef or other protein fabrication is a plus.
• Advanced knife skills and confident meat-cutting technique.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced food-processing environment.
• Stamina to stand for long periods and perform repetitive cutting tasks.
• Ability to lift, carry, and move meat products and supplies as needed.
• Keen attention to detail and a commitment to product quality.
• Strict adherence to food-safety, sanitation, and workplace safety procedures.
• Reliable attendance, strong work ethic, and the ability to work both independently and on a team.

Preferred Capabilities

• Beef cutting and trimming
• Meat fabrication
• Deboning
• Portion control
• Knife handling
• Meat inspection and quality control
• Food safety and sanitation
• Experience in a USDA processing environment
• Production and packaging
• Accurate weighing and measuring
• Waste reduction
• Operation of meat-processing equipment

Physical Demands

• Standing and working for extended periods in refrigerated areas.
• Frequent, repetitive use of hands, wrists, and arms for cutting and trimming.
• Safe use of knives and powered processing equipment.
• Lifting and moving meat products and materials as required.

Work Setting

This role is based in a professional meat-processing and production environment with high expectations for food safety, sanitation, product quality, and safety performance. San Lorenzo Foods identifies itself as a USDA-approved meat processor and provides meat products and custom-processing/prepped-ingredient services.

Proficiencies

• Food and Beverage Manufacturing
• Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)
• Butcher
• Deboning
• Knife Skills
• Meat Cutter
• Meat Fabrication
• Beef Cutting and Trimming