Dairy Maintenance and Research Technician

Harper Adams University has a dynamic and on-going research programme into reducing the environmental impact of dairy cows to help the UK reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Dairy Maintenance and Research Technician will be part of and support a research team investigating dietary means to reduce the output of methane, nitrogen and minerals such as phosphorus, and improve nutrient use efficiency in dairy cows. Some of the main duties and responsibilities will include: • Maintain and repair equipment associated with dairy cow research projects, including individual feeding equipment, methane measurement equipment, mixer wagon and load all. • Support academic staff, post-doctoral researchers, post-graduate students and technicians in setting up and operating methane monitoring equipment on commercial dairy farms and assist with data & sample collection. • Support academic staff, researchers and technicians in data collection on projects undertaken on the Harper Adams University dairy research unit and metabolism unit and assist with sample preparation. • Assist in the daily husbandry requirements of the dairy cow research units, in particular the feeding of animals, assistance with recording and sample collection, and occasional weekend work. • Support academic staff and technicians in the delivery of technology transfer events and teaching The successful candidate will have the following; • Preferably qualified to degree level or have experience of the maintenance and operation of farm equipment. • Working knowledge of animal hygiene requirements/Health and Safety regulations. • A full, clean driving license is essential. • Computer literate with experience of using Microsoft Office suite applications. • Ability to work on own initiative to plan and manage own workload and also to work as part of a team. • Experience of working with farm animals and laboratory analysis is desirable

Harper Adams University