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.

Position Summary
The Lead Butcher, Product Development is a highly skilled meat skilled 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

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

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

We do not use AI in any stages of the recruitment and selection process.

This posting is for a new position.

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📌 Lead Butcher – Product Development (Manitoba)
🏢 Northern Farms
📍 Manitoba