Agriculture Research Specialist - Animal Science Farm

About the role

This position contributes to the integrity of research, demonstration, and teaching initiatives conducted by faculty of WVU DCANRD and the WVU Experiment Station Center. This position will provide support to faculty who are conducting classes and demonstrations at research and teaching locations. This position requires the incumbent be willing to work holidays, weekends, and after core business hours.

Responsibilities

• Animal Care and Husbandry:
  • Feeds food stuffs and commercial feed types to specific animals such as sheep, goats, beef cattle, llamas, and chickens daily and as needed.
  • Follows protocols, policies, Standard Operating Procedures, and requirements as directed, under light supervision.
  • Handles, restrains, and identifies specific animals as required and assists in treatment under supervision or independently as directed from veterinarian staff or researchers.
  • Cleans, sweeps, scrubs, and sanitizes animal housing and working facilities.
  • Operates standard transmission and automatic University trucks, tractors, and equipment needed to complete tasks.
  • Plants and harvests products for animal consumption to meet optimal growth and capacity.
  • Maintains an inventory of all supplies and restocks and expands, as needed.
• Research and Education:
  • Assists REOC management in the oversight of research activities to include production, maintenance, collection, and collating of resources.
  • Collects research data and/or samples for the farm manager.
  • Organizes and collates data for statistical analyses and interpretation.
  • Coordinates pest scouting in research plots and indoor growing facilities at the REOC’s.
  • Assists faculty who are conducting class demonstrations and techniques in seedbed preparation, plot layout, planting, cultivation, management and plot harvesting.
  • Demonstrates techniques for students such as shearing, feeding, mixing feed, animal handling, vaccination techniques, egg grading, etc.
  • Assists faculty and PI with laboratory experiments in Davis College programs.
  • Instructs student workers in laboratories on the operation of lab equipment.
• Heavy Equipment Operation:
  • Operates a wide range of large agricultural and construction equipment such as tractors, sprayers, front loaders, scrapers, silo fillers, balers, haybines, combines, brush cutters, etc. to complete varied tasks associated with the maintenance and operation of the REOC’s, including operations in support of research projects.
  • Operates a truck weighing 26,000 lbs. GVW or less to haul logs, posts, fertilizer, lime, produce, livestock, equipment, hay and other REOC products and supplies.

Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree in an agricultural related field or a high school diploma/GED with at least 2 years of relevant work experience in the required fields (animal or plant research facility including working with layout).
• A minimum of six (6) months of experience in the following: Experience handling/feeding livestock.
• Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Data collection and management.
• Experience in instructing/educating students preferred.

Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of agricultural and plant science and practices (e.g. production practices of livestock and plants).
• Proven ability to gather or assist in collecting research data, handling and preparation of labs.
• Ability to learn, understand, and follow WVU, Davis College and Division lab policies and procedures.
• Ability to utilize Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) to maintain data for research, samples, safety, etc.
• Ability to operate tillage, feeding, and other REOC equipment with a high degree of accuracy for small plot and animal research needs.
• Understanding of basic experimental design, including replication, plots and sub-plots, consistency of data collection.
• Understanding of both precision and accuracy in record collection and the need for research protocol adherence.
• Ability to effectively utilize data sheets and spreadsheets to collect and organize data.
• Ability to use and comprehend record keeping software such as Cattlemax, HerdManager, and FarmWorks.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to interact with students, faculty, and the general public.
• Effective organizational, task management, and computational skills.
• Ability to understand simple to complex instructions, both written and oral.
• Demonstrated ability to walk/run in rough field conditions and terrain when herding animals.
• Demonstrated ability to physically restrain and handle animals and provide hands-on treatment of livestock.
• Proven ability to administer medications and vaccinations to animals.
• Ability to apply pesticides - may require obtaining license and wearing protective clothing and apparatus.
• Ability to lift, bend, stoop, walk, reach, sit and stand for extended periods of time.
• Ability to perform basic mathematical calculations.
• Ability to lift, carry, load and unload supplies and materials.
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing, write coherently and concisely, and use appropriate grammar and spelling.
• Demonstrated ability to operate normal REOC equipment such as tractors, posthole diggers, spray equipment, balers, mixers, shearing equipment, brooder stoves, heaters, milking machines, etc.
• Demonstrated ability to work in barns spreading hay, shoveling manure, feeding animals and providing daily care.
• Ability to follow safety precautions and guidelines (e.g. wearing required clothing, masks, equipment, etc.).
• Understand and carry out Organic Pasture Management and Forage Production Practices.
• Ability to learn and understand the IACUC protocols and Standard Operating Procedures for animal care, health, and comfort.

Benefits

• A 37.5-hour work week.
• 13 paid holidays (staff holiday calendar).
• 15 annual leave (vacation) days per year (employee leave).
• 18 sick days per year (for when you’re ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family’s, regularly scheduled medical appointments. Who is family for the purpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life including immediate relatives and in-laws as well as others considered to be members of your household living under the same roof).
• WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits.
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks.
• Wellness programs.