Agricultural Assistant

Job title: Agricultural Assistant

Job description: Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation District 35- Technician/Administrative/Research/Agricultural

Agricultural Assistant

Precision Feed Centre, Research Stations Operations, Office of Research

2 Positions
Hiring #: 2022-0072

Please read the before applying

Reporting to the Technical Foreperson of the Ontario Beef Research Centre the Agricultural Assistant is responsible to have current working knowledge and advanced skills regarding all aspects of preparing specialized research and production rations for the Ontario Dairy and Ontario Beef Research Centres. Other core duties include data collection and other activities in support of research projects; cleaning, upkeep and maintenance of facilities and equipment; and other general duties such as: monitoring operations to ensure health and safety; accurate production standards are consistently achieved; contributing to efficient work routines and a clean and orderly workplace; assisting in training of seasonal and temporary staff; assisting on occasion in conducting tours; and remaining knowledgeable of current best practices and industry standards for the livestock species and associated feed preparation routines and ingredients.

Incumbents are also responsible for all aspects of bunk management and some aspects of feed storage included but not limited to: sweeping and cleaning bunks before filling, assisting RSO with covering, sealing and maintaining the 27 covered bunkers storing 1st, 2nd, 3rd cut haylage, corn silage and high moisture corn amounting to over 10,500 tonnes of feed; inventory tracking of bunks, storage and inventory tracking of specialized ration ingredients and maintaining minimum volume requirements through order tracking and re-ordering.

General duties include:

• Operation and maintenance of all feed preparation equipment and software
• Proper bunk management and ration mixing procedures
• CFIA requirements for inventory management, tracking and traceability
• Maintaining a high standard of cleanliness in barns, bunks, labs, offices, and shared facilities and working in accordance with all Health and Safety precautions and procedures
• Following research procedures and animal utilization protocols
• Collecting and processing samples for dry matter; electronic tracking of dry matter and ration updates
• Providing quality research data collection, sample collection and recordkeeping
• Understanding the principles of feeding ruminants (maintain optimum feed mix and supplements, and amount for all ages of animals, including monitoring/weighing accurate individualized rations; monitoring feed intake and removal of spoilage

The successful candidate will have strong communication and interpersonal skills, be adaptable, dependable, a quick learner, and highly organized. Additionally, the incumbent will have demonstrated ability to take initiative to learn, understand and complete all elements of the Agricultural Assistant role, and will work well independently and with other staff in a team setting. The successful candidate must be safety conscious and attentive to detail; computer literate with demonstrated intermediate level computer skills in MS applications (Teams, Email, Word and Excel) and feed management software. Incumbents must be prepared to work as required in all weather and typical barn environments.

Requirements for the position include:

• Associate Diploma in Agriculture and a minimum of one (1) year of current working experience encompassing the full range of responsibilities encountered in feed preparation at a modern, commercial dairy or beef operation, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• First Aid and CPR certification preferred
• A valid Class G driver’s license or ability to obtain is required

The incumbent is expected to work in all areas of responsibility at the Precision Feed Centre as assigned. Normal work week is 40 hours; individual shifts are 8 hours and work on weekends and holidays is required. The incumbent is also expected to be flexible to cover workloads during peak periods, weekends, vacation schedules or emergency staff shortages. All positions require physical strength and stamina.

Position Numbers 447-109, 447-110
Classification OSSTF/TARA, District 35 Salary Band 5*
Salary Range $25.94 Minimum
$28.96 Normal Hiring Limit
$35.10 Job Rate

*Tentative evaluation; subject to committee review.

At the University of Guelph, fostering a is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.

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