Basic Function:

Applications are invited for the post of VistaMilk Programme Manager. This is a temporary full time post, the indicative duration of which is 64 months.   The post will be based in Teagasc, Moorepark Research Centre, Fermoy, Co. Cork, P61 C996. Reporting to the Centre Manager, the primary role of the VistaMilk Programme Manager will be to oversee the operational management of several research programmes of the center across the different research institutes and industry partners. The successful appointee will be responsible for the day-to-day operation and running of these programmes, including providing support to the center’s staff and reporting to VistaMilk partners and SFI.

Background: 

The VistaMilk Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre (www.vistamilk.ie), which has been operating out of Teagasc Moorepark since 2018, is entering its second 6-year phase (2024-2030). The VistaMilk SFI Centre aims to be an agent of growth for the Irish dairy industry by being a world leader in fundamental and translational research for precision pasture-based dairying. VistaMilk’s vision for Phase II will advance the construction of a federated set of digital twins, each representing a module in the soil-to-gut pathway but with the ability for upstream and downstream communication and interaction – a system-of-systems. Such an integrated collection of independent systems for the dairy sector will enable whole system scenario modelling of a multitude of features and perturbations such as climate change adaptation, policy, farm advice, and research/hypothesis generation, the scale of which has never before been achieved. The outcome is informed direction and policy on how best to tackle Ireland’s unique challenges.

VistaMilk represents a unique collaboration between 14 Agri-Food and ICT research institutes and leading Irish/multinational food and ICT companies. The Centre is hosted by Teagasc, The National Agency with responsibility for agriculture and food research.

The Centre consists of one Director and 11 co-applicants (applicant group; 42% female) with skillsets in agriculture (soil, pasture breeding and management, animal breeding and management), food (processing and food for health), sensing, communications, social and behavioural sciences and analytics. The applicant group are supported by 64 funded investigators (FIs; 42% female) from 13 institutes and 54 industry collaborators; opportunities will be created to expand this academic and industry team through the 6-year term. Over the next 6 years, VistaMilk will hire a total of 162 Research Staff comprising 3 MSc, 77 PhD, 64 Post-Doctoral Researchers, and 20 Research Assistants.

The core remit of the Programme Manager includes:

• Support the centre in executing the strategic plan and vision of the VistaMilk centre, as it pertains to the Programme Manager role, to ensure its growth and long-term sustainability.
• Build relationships and communicate the vision agreed with the VistaMilk Board, both within and outside the industry, and act as the public face of the organisation, liaising with industrial partners, funding agencies, regulatory authorities, and academic collaborators to ensure active participation and engagement with the Centre.
• Manage several research programmes across multiple research sites. In doing this, maintain positive relationships with all interested stakeholders and parties such as the hosting institution and the industry members, as well as other industry parties and academic research performing organisations.
• Coordinate the planning and implementation of project workshops and meetings.
• Monitoring, collecting and timely reporting of all outputs, milestones, deliverables, KPIs and other metrics as required from the research programmes. 
• Collate and draft all reports to SFI from the various work programmes.
• Assist Teagasc in meeting the commitments of the Quality Customer Service Charter and Action Plan.
• Actively participate in the annual business planning and Performance Management Development System (PMDS) processes.
• Fully co-operate with the provisions made for ensuring the health, safety and welfare of oneself, fellow staff and non-Teagasc staff and co-operate with management in enabling Teagasc to comply with legal obligations, including full compliance with the responsibilities outlined in the Safety Statement.
• Carry out other duties as may be assigned from time to time.

* This job specification is intended as a guide to the general range of duties and is intended to be neither definitive nor restrictive.  It will be reviewed from time to time with the post holder.

 Note:  The ‘essential’ qualifications, knowledge, skills and behavioural competencies outlined above are ‘must-have’ which will be used in the selection process.

Note:  Alternative location(s) may be considered solely at the discretion of Teagasc management.