STOCKPERSON

Job Purpose

To be an integral part of our dynamic group of academic, farm and clinical staff at the Scottish Centre of Production Animal Health and Food Safety (SCPAHFS) either based at the Galloway Building on Garscube Estate or at Cochno Farm & Research Centre to provide a range of animal management and general farm work duties in production animal husbandry. You will provide operational and administrative support tasks that form the basis of veterinary teaching and training, commercial farming operations, animal research, routine herd health management and herd health problem solving investigations.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. Day to day husbandry and care of animals using best practice for techniques and standards of care. This includes bedding, feeding and mucking out, prioritising the tasks that need done each day, organising themselves and problem-solving issues as and when they arise. In addition, monitoring stock levels and having foresight to plan for what might be needed for items such as feeding, bedding, medicines, equipment and actioning ordering supplies as needed.
2. Maintaining herd and flock health by carrying out routine treatments and procedures as laid out in the flock and herd health plans or as directed by a vet. This would include weighing, vaccinations, administering boluses and dis-budding. Best and innovative practice should be used with stock workers using up to date and evidence-based knowledge, techniques and skills. This also includes analysis of cow/sheep side data to make treatment or husbandry decisions.
3. Identification and care of sick animals, animals unfit for transport and animals needing emergency care e.g. lambing, calving or injured animal. Stock workers should have initiative to administer basic first aid treatments detailed in the flock/herd health plan or as directed by a vet but know when to call for help when more specific veterinary intervention is needed.
4. Record keeping of day-to-day events, medicine and movement records and identifying and recording animals with missing tags. Stock workers should be up to date with current legislation and agriculture policy, making sure the work they carry out is always compliant.
5. Engagement, implementation and communication (to visitors and students) of health and safety policies and Standard Operating Procedures e.g. wearing appropriate PPE and accident reporting.
6. Keep up to date and participate in training (i.e. first aid and fire safety, risk assessment), implementation of any training and ability to come up with practical solutions for health and safety issues that arise.
7. Keep up to date and participate in training (i.e. first aid and fire safety, risk assessment), implementation of any training and ability to come up with practical solutions for health and safety issues that arise.
8. Detailed knowledge of and the ability to confidently and safety operate a variety of farm machinery such as tractor, trailer, quad bike, skid steer, fertiliser spreader and wrapper. Ability to carry out basic servicing and maintenance of farm machinery. Identification and ability to carry out minor repairs of machinery knowing when more specific mechanical input is needed and instructing these repairs. Transport of animals, knowledge of the legislation, ability to assess and animal for ‘fitness to transport’ and demonstrating best practice when transporting animals.
9. Facilitating a wide variety of research activity, communicating effectively with researchers giving appropriate technical and instructional advice if needed. Adhering to research materials and methods, home office rules, record keeping requirements and monitoring basic animal side data.

Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Knowledge/Qualifications
Essential:

A1 Ability to demonstrate the competencies required to undertake the duties associated with this level of post having acquired the necessary knowledge and skills in a similar role. Or: Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 5 or 6 (National 5 or 6, Scottish Vocational Qualification level 2 or 3) or equivalent, and experience of personal development in a similar role
A2 Good knowledge of farming systems, in particular animal husbandry/management systems

Desirable:

B1 Home Office Personal Licence (ASPeL)
B2 Farm Animal Transport certification

Skills

Essential:

C1 Good animal husbandry, machinery and field operation skills, all within a farming environment
C2 Full, valid UK driving licence
C3 Competent interpersonal and communication skills, orally and written
C4 Competent IT and record keeping skills ( e.g. email, electronic diary, ability to enter data onto computer/tablet)
C5 Good organisational, time and people management skills, with effective ability to plan and prioritise own work load which involves forward planning. Self-motivated with the ability to work independently and as part of a team
C6 Use of initiative and judgement to resolve routine work problems independently, referring complex problems as appropriate

Desirable:

D1 Collecting and processing research samples (e.g. blood)
D2 Training certification for farm vehicles (tractor, skidsteer, telehandler, quadbike).

Experience

Essential:

E1 Relevant work experience in a similar role

Desirable:

F1 Experience consistent with the post in a commercial farm situation, research or teaching sector
F2 Experience in research activities.

Dimensions

The university farm (Cochno Farm) comprises approximately 60 dairy cows, 35 beef cows and 400 sheep. The university farm animal hospital (Galloway Building) has approximately 12 cow/calves, 14 sheep, 5 chickens and 3 pigs at any one time and admits on average 150 new cases a year. There are five academic years of veterinary students, and each year has approximately 140 veterinary students.

Job Features

Planning and Organising

Many of the stock worker duties are part of a daily husbandry routine but stock workers need to plan their day and adapt the plan depending on events that might arise during the working day. During various times of year there will be non-routine jobs such as silage, lambing, student examinations and although specific instructions will be given by the farm manager, head stockperson, farm technician or Vets, stock workers still need to plan their day accordingly to make sure the daily husbandry routine is still achieved.

Decision Making

Stock workers need to decision make daily depending on the health and welfare of animals, weather, and crop conditions etc. This requires planning for the day itself and integrating this daily plan into the weekly and monthly schedule of work. They need to be able to adapt plans and decide when to escalate more complication problems.

Internal/External Relationships

Internal – On a daily/weekly basis there will be liaison with other stock workers, farm manager, farm director, farm technician, vets, researchers, undergraduate and postgraduate students and farm administrator

Problem Solving

Stock workers will be working in challenging farm environment with live animals, so they need to use their expertise to be able to immediately problem solve some issues alone. They will need to use their own judgement to evaluate these situations and recognise when to call for additional support for more complex problems from other stock workers, farm manager, technician, or vets. External – On a daily/weekly/monthly basis there will be liaison with auction markets, abattoirs, other farmers, animal breeders, suppliers of agricultural goods, technologies and services and contractors.

Terms and Conditions

Salary: UoG Grade 4 £22,681 to £25,138 per annum plus flexible working supplement of £5,311*

*Working hours:

Normal working hours will be 35 per week, plus an additional 1 hour per day (making this 40 hours per week) and 8 hours every third weekend (normally 4 hours on a Saturday and 4 hours on a Sunday), to be worked flexibly to meet the needs of the University. You will receive a flexible working supplement for the additional 1 hour per day and the 8 hours of weekend work every third weekend.

This post is full time and open ended.

As part of Team UofG you will be a member of a world changing, inclusive community, which values ambition, excellence, integrity and curiosity.

As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

1 A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.
2 An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension - pensions handbook https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/payandpensions/pensions/, benefits and discount packages.
3 A flexible approach to working.
4 A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6-month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/healthwellbeing/.

We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/.

We endorse the principles of Athena Swan https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/athenaswan/ and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.

We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/jobs/ for more information.

Tel: Not specified | E-mail: Not specified
Web: https://my.corehr.com/pls/uogrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.display_form | Closing Date: Friday 19th July 2024

(Uploaded 05/7/24)

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