Research Assistant III *Miles City-Fort Keogh*

For questions regarding this position, please contact Hope Huft at hope.huft@montana.edu or 406-874-8201.

About the Role

This position is located in Miles City, MT. As an employee of MSU-Ag Experiment Station-Fort Keogh, you will work alongside other MSU employees and USDA employees conducting research in livestock and range management.

Responsibilities

• Field preparation (plowing and disking), planting crops, cultivating, haying, harvesting using farm equipment including balers, swathers, disks, plows, harvesters, trucks, and tractors.
• Feed mill and feed truck operation: daily operation and maintenance of the feed mill and various equipment, including using the overhead batching system, grinding various grains and hay, and formulating and mixing grains and supplements.
• Animal care: observation of feeding animals, recognizing health concerns, and treating animals. Work with livestock to brand, dehorn, weigh, and haul cattle. Assist scientists on routine weigh days and normal vaccinations.
• Care for cattle: check for health, identify and treat sick animals, check water, feed cattle in winter months, move cattle from pasture to working facilities, brand cattle, vaccinate cattle, haul cattle, handle cattle in working facilities, horse care, ear tag and tattoo calves, pull calves, weigh calves, slope horns on bulls, dehorn cattle, and castrate cattle.
• Additional field work: snow removal, fencing, cleaning ditches, irrigating, running haying machinery, hauling irrigation pipe, changing water, weed control, and putting out supplements.
• Research tasks: neck bleeding cattle, tail bleeding cattle, semen test evaluations, implants for research projects, aid in embryo transfer and pregnancy checking, EID work with computers and wand, individually feed animals on trials, reading special research gages and meters, recording data, batching special supplements for research projects by hand, working with GrowSafe systems and technology, and running milking machines for research.
• Feeding and care of cattle, especially during winter months, and determining the amount of hay or feed a particular group of cattle should receive.
• Recognize and administer obstetrical assistance in difficult births and other problems associated with calving, including knowing when to call for veterinary assistance.
• Assist with artificial insemination by providing heat detection, keeping accurate records, riding breeding herds, checking bulls, ensuring cattle are in proper pastures, and following proper breeding techniques.
• Weighing, tagging, tattooing, branding, dehorning, handling calving difficulties, and recording information.
• Diagnosing and treating most cattle diseases and illnesses, keeping accurate records of situations, processes, and treatments, and determining when veterinary care is required.
• Other duties: assigned tasks and crews involving irregular hours, participation in committees such as animal care or horse trailer to facilitate management decisions.

Requirements

• Experience and knowledge in working with cattle in a quiet and easy manner to minimize stress.
• Ability to ride horses proficiently for cattle handling.
• Basic experience in the operation, repair, and maintenance of various tractors and equipment including balers, swathers, disks, plows, harvesters, and trucks.
• Knowledge of workplace safety procedures.
• Knowledge of livestock care.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license, an acceptable driving record, and meet all State of Montana requirements to operate State/University vehicles. If successful candidate possesses a valid out-of-state driver’s license, must obtain a valid Montana driver’s license within 60 days of hire.

Preferred Qualifications

• Working knowledge of pesticides, their application, and safe uses.
• Experience accurately recording, filing, and monitoring detailed records.
• Knowledge of overhead batching systems, grinding various grains and hay, and formulating and mixing a variety of grains and supplements.
• Knowledgeable in assessing and treating livestock ailments.
• Knowledge and ability to perform condition scoring and record keeping.
• Experience with accurate record keeping (computerized and manual).
• Demonstrated ability in weighing cattle, tagging, tattooing, branding, dehorning, and castrating bulls.
• Knowledge of cattle diseases and illness, including when to treat and when to defer to a veterinarian.

Skills

• Great communication skills and ability to work as part of a team.
• Exercise initiative and independent judgment in day-to-day activities.
• Ability to prioritize duties and possess time management skills.

Physical Demands

• Working in all types of weather.
• Maneuvering up to 100 pounds.
• Working in dust and pollen.
• Working with farm chemicals.
• Dexterity with hands, working with equipment.

Pay

$19.468 - $24.335 per hour.

Benefits

This position is benefits eligible.