Animal Care Technician II

University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 23,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is seeking an Animal Care Technician II for the Dairy Cattle Center on campus. You will participate in milking, feeding, cleaning, handling, and health observations, collecting milk samples, and processing according to SOPs.

Work is performed with limited supervision, on a schedule from 3:30AM to 12:00PM, four days weekly, with rotating weekends. The starting pay is $20.00/hr, with benefits and retirement options described by UW. HS diploma preferred.

Qualifications

• All necessary skills and knowledge will be taught during the first year on the job.
• A positive attitude and commitment to learning about the care of dairy cattle.
• Willingness to work hard and contribute positively to the work team.
• Skills in communicating with fellow co-workers, the management team, faculty, and visitors in a professional manner.
• Cattle handling and restraining techniques.
• Basic techniques and principles involved in milking dairy cows.
• Familiarity with recognizing normal vs. abnormal appearances and behavior in dairy cattle.
• Ability to operate farm equipment or willingness to learn them.
• Ability to interpret and follow written and oral research management protocols.
• Ability to interact professionally with students, faculty, and the public.

Responsibilities

• Prepares food and formulas and feeds animals according to schedules and specifications.
• Collects samples from animals and administers medications, injections, and treatments for diagnostics and research.
• Observes animal behavior, performs basic care, and reports concerns to support animal health and research.
• Maintains organization of and updates records related to research procedures.
• Inventories, cleans, and maintains organization of animal holding spaces and supplies.
• Inspects and reports equipment problems to ensure safe operation.

Job description

Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.

Job Category

University Staff

Employment Type

Regular

Job Profile

Animal Care Technician II

Job Summary

The Dairy Cattle Center is part of the Integrated Dairy Facilities for the Animal Research Stations at UW-Madison. This industry leading facility is located in the heart of the UW-Madison campus and is home to 84 lactating cows. This facility plays a critical role in supporting the teaching, research, and outreach missions of the university. The capacity for unique, individualized nutrition based research, as well as research on mammary and reproductive physiology, and transition cow management. In addition, the ability for intensive hands-on learning opportunities makes this facility one of a kind.

This position is involved in all aspects of research dairy operations, including but not limited to, milking, feeding, cleaning, handling, and animal health observations at the facility. This position must function with close, progressing to limited supervision. The incumbent in this position must work with limited supervision to collect, process, and composite milk samples according to established standard operating procedures.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Prepares food and formulas and feeds animals according to established schedules and specifications
• Collects samples from animals and administers medications, injections, and treatments according to established protocols and procedures to be used for diagnostic tests and research
• Observes animal behavior, performs basic animal care, and reports concerns to the appropriate entities to contribute to the health and well-being of animals and promote research
• Maintains organization of and updates records related to research procedures
• Inventories, cleans, and maintains organization of animal holding spaces and supplies
• Inspects and reports equipment problems to ensure optimal and safe operation

Department

Dairy Cattle Center with the Agricultural Research Stations

Compensation

The starting salary for the position is $20.00/hr.; Final pay rate will depend on experience and qualifications. Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and paid time off; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. Additional benefits information can be found at: https://www.wisconsin.edu/ohrwd/benefits/download/univstaff.pdf

Schedule

Schedule will vary based on operational need with normal shift hours from 3:30AM - 12:00PM four days a week, with a rotating every other weekend requirement.

Required Qualifications

• All necessary skills and knowledge will be taught during the first year on the job
• A positive attitude and commitment to learning about the care of dairy cattle
• Willingness to work hard and contribute positively to the work team
• Skills in communicating with fellow co-workers, the management team, faculty, and visitors in a professional manner

Preferred Qualifications

• Cattle handling and restraining techniques
• Basic techniques and principles involved in milking dairy cows
• Familiarity and ability to recognize the difference between normal and abnormal appearances and behavior in dairy cattle or other livestock
• Skills in operating equipment related to farm work, or a willingness to learn them
• Ability to interpret, understand, and follow both written and oral instructions pertaining to research and the management protocols of the facility
• Ability to effectively work and interact with students, faculty, and the public in a professional manner

Education

H.S. Diploma preferred

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas at this time.

Contact Information

Andrew Vaudt, HR Generalist ([e-mail])

Institutional Statement on Diversity

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.