IFMA Foodverse

Your Opportunity

As a Career Foundation Program (CFP) Associate, you are sponsored and supported by our Organization’s Senior Leaders along with an assigned mentor and program manager to partner with as you launch your career. This 18 – 24-month training program will develop you into the future leaders of our company. The program is designed for top talent who seek a performance-based culture that is built on Responsibility, Operational Excellence and Innovation (ROI). 

During your 18 – 24-months you will learn from Smithfield Foods leaders, hear from industry experts, and roll up your sleeves to experience the many functional areas of the company. You will engage in challenging and dynamic experiences throughout various Smithfield Foods business areas, locations, and functional groups broken down by Track including:

• Operations & Continous Improvement

You will be expected to provide business support and thought-leadership to the company throughout the program and beyond. As a CFP Associate you will add value as a full-time employee from day one, doing real work, and delivering real results.

At the conclusion of 24 months, you will be placed into a role where you can add immediate value based on your track assignment and Smithfield Foods business needs.  Your career journey from that point forward is completely in your hands. You are not limited to a set path. 

The Career Foundation Program is divided into function-specific tracks from which you can launch your career journey at Smithfield Foods. These tracks are designed to guide placement following the program.

• Operations Track – including rotations through Continuous Improvement, Food Safety & Quality Assurance, Environmental & Safety, Logistics, and Manufacturing

The CFP Associate contributes to the department’s achievement of goals by problem-solving, leading projects, executing short-term and long-term responsibilities, and delivering results that exceed expectations.  The Career Foundation Program is designed for high-potential college/university graduates who can quickly adapt to new environments and deliver contributions to the departments for which they are assigned.  In a fast-paced, results-oriented environment, the successful incumbent will complete the program and be ready for assignments commensurate with their Smithfield CFP work experience (18-24 months of relevant work experience).

Core Responsibilities

As an Operations CFP Associate you will experience the key fundamentals that make a plant run efficiently and successfully. Areas of exposure include but are not limited to manufacturing, food safety and quality assurance, continuous improvement, environmental safety and much more. Operations CFP Associates gain a deep understanding of our operations through hands-on experience working with and managing teams on the production line, shadowing industry leaders through all functional areas of a facility, experiencing the full hog harvesting process and how we prepare and distribute our products to consumers and customers. CFP Associates work with our partners in key customers to gain the knowledge and expertise needed for a smooth transition into a permanent role.

• Train employees in company policies, rules, and procedures. Counsel and/ or take corrective action with employees as necessary.
• Develop and maintain a program of continuous improvement
• Maintain required safety/ ergonomic programs to ensure a safe working environment and attain company goal of an injury-free workplace. Identify and correct safety hazards and ergonomic issues. Attend all safety and ergonomic meetings. Attain goals to reduce injuries.
• Maintain product quality and customer service standards. Ensure that sanitation standards are met daily as well as product specifications and quality index are met.
• Ensure department manning and product scheduling is adequate to meet customer needs.  
• Ensure that company and USDA standards are met.
• Conduct line meetings as necessary to inform violations and required actions to ensure compliance. 
• Assist in maintaining acceptable plant profitability.
• Monitor yields and efficiencies daily. 

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. May perform other duties as assigned.

About Smithfield Foods

Headquartered in Smithfield, Va. since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. Our 43,000 U.S. team members and 16,000 European employees are dedicated to producing “Good food. Responsibly.®” and have made us one of the world’s leading vertically integrated protein companies. We have pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including our industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30 percent across our entire U.S. value chain by 2030. We believe in the power of protein to end food insecurity and have donated hundreds of millions of food servings to our neighbors in need. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield®, Eckrich® and Nathan’s Famous®, among many others. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

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