West Virginia University Davis College of Agriculture Natural Resources and Design is currently accepting applications for a Temporary Agricultural Technician.

About the Opportunity
As a Temporary Agricultural Technician, you will be responsible for providing quality care and maintenance of animals, crops, equipment and physical facilities that are used in routine management of the REOC's for food and fiber production, teaching, research and outreach activities that are part of the mission of the WVU DCANRD and the WV Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (WVAFES). This position requires the incumbent be willing to work holidays, weekends, and after core business hours to provide care of animals.

PAY GRADE - 11

What you'll do:

• 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.
• Receives newly arrived animals and provides clean animal housing, handling facilities, food, and water.
• Handles, restrains, and identifies specific animals as required and assists in treatment under supervision or independently as directed from veterinarian staff or researchers (i.e. Soundness exam, weighing, cleaning housing facilities, relocating pastures, etc.).
• Tags, numbers, or otherwise marks animals for identification.
• Transfers animals to clean housing.
• Observes any irregularities in animal groups such as abnormal food and water consumption, deaths, abnormal stool, unusual behavior, injury, or distress and reports irregularities to supervisor, veterinarian, and/or Research Principal Investigator (PI).
• Performs other technical duties as required for animal care and husbandry to meet and exceed Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) Expectations and Guidelines.
• Cleans, sweeps, scrubs, and sanitizes animal housing and working facilities. Provides clean bedding, fresh food and fresh water daily or as needed to ensure proper animal care and compliance with Standard Operating Procedures.
• Following standardized procedures, disposes of animal carcasses and other waste.
• 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.
• Restocks supplies and maintains all animal inventories. Unloads, stores feed/bedding upon delivery or transfer.
• Reviews and updates Standard Operating Procedures in their area, as needed.
• Maintains established department policies, procedures, objectives, quality assurance. Attends required meetings, seminars and classes.
• Provides daily management and care for production and maintenance of food and fiber and horticultural crops for support of teaching and research initiatives of the programs of Davis College. Activities to be performed include:
  • Soil preparation
  • Application of fertilizers and lime
  • Seeding
  • Transplanting
  • Cultivation
  • Application of pesticides
  • Pruning
  • Harvesting and storage of crops
• Conducts visual inspection of all equipment to insure safe and efficient operation.
• Assists management and/or trade specialists in performing routine equipment maintenance such as oil, filter and fuel filter changes, monitoring and maintaining fluid levels, and lubricating tractors and other equipment.
• 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.
• 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.
• Performs a variety of labor activities involved in maintenance such as mopping floors, cleaning bathrooms, shoveling, snow, painting, lawn mowing, weed trimming and thawing frozen water lines.
• Assists management in performing general maintenance work. May be requested to work with or under the supervision of the REOC maintenance crew leader in the following areas: plumbing, carpentry, cement work and/or construction of facilities. Maintenance activities may include repairing faucets, running lines, replacing toilet and bathroom fixtures, freeing clogged drains, replacing tile, replacing windows, building forms, replacing siding on barns or houses, building pens, mixing cement, repairing cement steps, and laying block, brick and stone. May be required to operate equipment associated with plumbing (water heaters, pumps, drain snakes). Maintain fences, gates and lanes to ensure integrity of the plot areas and the REOC in general.
• Other duties as assigned

• High School diploma or GED with 1-year experience in an agricultural environment with horticulture, agronomy, organic and/or plant and animal sciences. Experience with farm work (animal handling, operation of equipment, etc.).
• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• A minimum of one (1) year of experience involving:
  • Experience in an agricultural environment with horticulture, agronomy, organic farm and/or plant and animal sciences.
  • Experience with farm work (animal handling, operation of equipment, etc.).
• Knowledge of basic agricultural practices (e.g. production practices of livestock and plants).
• Ability to operate and perform basic maintenance of equipment/machines, lawn mowers, and weed eaters.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, write coherently and concisely, and use appropriate grammar and spelling.
• 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. Ability to provide hands-on treatment of livestock.
• Proven ability to administer medications and vaccinations to animals.
• Ability to apply pesticides - will 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 prepare written reports.
• Ability to perform basic mathematical calculations.
• Ability to lift, carry, load and unload supplies and materials.
• Demonstrated ability to operate 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.).
• Proven ability to work in a field and/or orchard to harvest crops, both mechanically and by hand.
• Ability to 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.
• Ability to work on holidays, weekends, and after core business hours. Willingness to work on a rotating schedule to provide care of animals.

Daily:

• Walk distances and over uneven terrain in fields
• Hand/eye coordination and manual dexterity necessary and required to operating various machinery and equipment and in administering vaccinations.
• Lift, push, or pull 50 pounds or more
• Handle and restrain livestock, including beef cattle in excess of 1500 pounds
• Bend, stoop, walk, reach, sit and stand for extended periods of time
• Ability to work in barns, field plots, and sites with wide-ranging weather conditions, hay, manure, livestock, dust, mold, pollen, allergens, insects, etc.

At West Virginia University, we leverage our talents and resources to create a better future for our state and the world. As West Virginia's land-grant university, WVU has three campuses that touch each corner of the state. The WVU System includes 518 buildings on 15,880 acres, Extension Service offices in all 55 counties, ten experimental farms and four forests.

From the groundbreaking R1 research of our flagship campus in Morgantown to the career-oriented programs of WVU Potomac State in Keyser to the technology-intensive programs at WVU Tech in Beckley - the contributions of WVU employees directly impact the 1.8 million people of West Virginia every day, no matter their role or position.

Service, curiosity, respect, accountability, and appreciation are the core values that unite Mountaineers, inspiring one another to work tirelessly and support others as they seek to reach new heights. After all, when you're a Mountaineer, impossible is just another mountain to climb.

Creating an inclusive, engaged, and dynamic learning environment is core to WVU's academic mission. We welcome candidates who can contribute a range of ideas, approaches and experiences.

To learn more about West Virginia University, visit go.wvu.edu. View current career opportunities at careers.wvu.edu.

West Virginia University is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer and is the recipient of an NSF ADVANCE award for gender equity. The University values diversity among its faculty, staff, and students, and invites applications from all qualified applicants regardless of race, ethnicity, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, nationality, genetics, disability, or Veteran status.