General Laborer / Support Staff

Pearl River is seeking reliable, safety-minded individuals to join our production team as Cutters/Sizers at our plant in Carthage, Mississippi. This is an hourly position, and you will be paid weekly for time worked.

In this role, you will use a knife or similar sharp cutting tool to cut raw chicken into precise shapes and sizes according to customer and production specifications. This is a fast-paced, repetitive assembly-line position that requires attention to detail, strong hand-eye coordination, and a commitment to quality, safety, and production standards.

Job Responsibilities

As a Cutter/Sizer, 

• Handle raw chicken kept on a cutting table at 35°F or lower.
• Place chicken pieces on the cutting table and cut them to required lengths, widths, and thicknesses.
• Use a knife or similar extremely sharp cutting tool safely and accurately.
• Perform rapid, repetitive cutting in an assembly-line environment.
• Meet quality-control expectations and maintain high product yields.
• Follow all supervisor instructions, food-safety procedures, and workplace safety rules.
• Maintain a minimum production standard of 70 pounds per hour.
• Work in a cold, damp production room while wearing required personal protective equipment.

Pay and Training

This position offers performance-based pay opportunities. To help employees succeed, Pearl River Foods provides a 6-week training program with guaranteed pay of $16 per hour during the training period. This is designed to support skill development, improve cutting technique, increase speed, strengthen quality control, and help employees maximize their pay opportunities. After successful completion of the training program, pay is determined by the production of the individual.

Work Environment and Job Functions

This job is performed in a cold, damp room while standing for an 8-hour shift. The work involves limited lower-body movement, with most physical activity performed by the upper body, including the hands, wrists, arms, and shoulders. Additional requirements include:

• Standing for up to 8 hours per shift.
• Working with raw poultry in a refrigerated production environment.
• Using sharp cutting tools safely and continuously.
• Wearing required PPE, such as boots, smocks, and other protective equipment.
• Performing repetitive hand, wrist, arm, and shoulder movements.

Schedule

• 1st and 2nd shift roles are available Monday through Friday.
• 8-hour shifts are available, and some overtime may be required during the workweek.
• Occasional Saturday work may be required.
• Meal and rest breaks are provided in accordance with company policy and applicable law.

Required Qualifications

• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Pearl River Foods is unable to provide employment sponsorship for this position.
• Ability to understand and follow safety, food-safety, production, and supervisor instructions in English and/or Spanish.
• Ability to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience in butchery, meat cutting, poultry-processing, and/or knife use.

Benefits:

• Weekly Paychecks
• Six (6) Paid Holidays
• Earned Vacation 
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance with a portion of the premiums paid by Pearl River Foods

Join Our Team

Pearl River Foods offers steady work, skill-building training, and performance-based pay opportunities for motivated team members who are committed to safety, quality, and productivity.

Application Process

Interested parties are invited to submit a resume using this online portal. Applications will be reviewed on a regular basis until the job opening is filled.

IMPORTANT: By submitting this application online, you hereby authorize Pearl River Foods to contact, obtain, and verify the accuracy of the information contained in your application from all current and/or previous employers, references, and educational institutions. You also hereby release from liability Pearl River Foods and its representatives for seeking, gathering, and using such information to make employment decisions, and all other persons or organizations for providing such information.

You understand that any misrepresentation or material omission made by you on this application will be sufficient cause for cancellation of your application or immediate termination of employment if you are employed by Pearl River Foods whenever the misrepresentation or material omission is discovered.

Pearl River Foods is an equal opportunity employer. We consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.