Assistant Agricultural Research Technician – Animal Sciences – 1026502-6689

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information, please see:
https://illinoisjoblink.illinois.gov/jobs/12200189 Assistant
Agricultural Research Technician – Animal Sciences

College Of ACES, Department of Animal Sciences, Swine Research
Center

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Job Summary

Work in a team-based environment to perform a wide variety of basic
duties in service and support for agricultural animal research,
teaching, demonstration, and production.

Duties & Responsibilities

– Perform all tasks relating to diet preparation and feeding of
animals. This includes receiving, processing, mixing, storing and
delivering food.
– Perform all duties related to research protocols and data collection
procedures as they pertain to on-going research at assigned unit.
This includes the careful maintenance of records for experimental
animals as well as for herd animals. This may also include
collection of data or specimens for diagnostic or environmental
control procedures.
– Conduct cleaning, bedding, and repair of animal pens and other
facilities as needed.
– Conduct routine and periodic maintenance of mechanized equipment,
tools, and facilities involved with the units operations.
– Remove waste, and animals from pens and facilities as required.
– Observe animals regularly, recognizing and reporting changes in
eating or drinking habits and general behaviors and outward signs of
disease or abnormal appearance/behaviors.
– Perform duties as they relate to general handling, moving,
restraining, providing of approved health care and general husbandry
of the animals. This may include administration of medications and
treatments.
– Observe animals for estrus, breed and/or assist in breeding as
required. Maintain breeding records as required.
– Record and/or maintain animal health records, breeding data, or
other necessary production or operational and husbandry records.
– Prepare livestock for teaching, research, and demonstration
purposes. This includes the movement of animals from one location to
another, either by walking them or through other means of approved
mechanized transport.
– Perform duties as they relate to providing a clean, safe, and
professional environment for the animals, fellow employees, the
department, and the university.
– Perform duties in safe manner, to include but not limited to,
handling of livestock and safely utilize various farm equipment
potentially in confined spaces or areas with overhead electrical
lines. Equipment utilized in this position includes; but not limited
to, tractors, loaders, power take-off vehicle operation, post
drivers, and chainsaw operation.
– Perform other related duties as required or assigned. As needed,
perform other related duties within the Agricultural Research
Technician series that involve or serve the needs of other
departmental units. These may include performing agricultural
tillage, crop production, harvesting, and forage/feed processing.
Interact in a professional and polite manner with faculty, students,
other university personnel, and the general public.

Additional Physical Demands

This position involves constantly traversing about the facility,
remaining in stationary positions for long periods, pushing, and
pulling. Work schedules may vary according to production requirements
with some overtime, weekend and holiday work required. This position
frequently involves safely lifting animals or equipment upwards of 50
pounds. Exposure to work around grain dust, animal dander, or other
normal operating conditions of an animal unit. This position may require
donning of personal protective equipment as appropriate. This position
involves ascending ladders and working at heights. This position
requires an ability to remain calm in stressful situation and to respond
quickly when working with animals. This position involves constantly
varying research necessities, regulations, and operational requirements.
Research and production requirements impose strict deadlines and must be
met. Contact with animal manure and other substances can occur on a
daily basis, which may also be disagreeable to some persons. Odor in
clothing and on personnel or equipment can potentially be transferred to
personal vehicles which may be disagreeable to some persons. Unexpected
movements by animals, especially when in close proximities, can result
in rapidly changing conditions that require the employee to be acutely
aware, to respond appropriately and quickly and to operate with care to
avoid personal injuries. Follow laws, regulations, policies and
guidelines established by the Department, University, State, and Federal
Levels.

Minimum Qualifications

1. High school diploma or equivale