Basic Function:

Teagasc is seeking to recruit a Research Officer to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team within the Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Programme with responsibility for developing and implementing a translational research based programme aimed at optimising sheep health and welfare. The candidate will be expected to identify researchable knowledge constraints to improving sheep health and welfare on commercial sheep farms, define best practice responses, develop implementation packages and monitor results. This programme will build on strong collaborative links with Animal Health Ireland (AHI), University College Dublin, Sheep Ireland, Bord Bia, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and other relevant institutions both nationally and internationally.

Background:

The Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre in Teagasc, located at Mellows Campus, Athenry, Co. Galway has extensive facilities for field and animal research. Additionally, there is strong alignment between the Animal and Bioscience Department, Livestock Systems Department and the Grassland Department across Moorepark, Grange and Athenry research centres.  Over 150 scientific and technical professionals, supported by an administrative and operative staff, conduct the research programme. Additionally, there are approximately 100 Walsh Scholars completing mainly PhD degree programmes. The sheep industry is of vital national importance to Ireland and Teagasc plays a key role in developing competitive, profitable and sustainable systems of sheep production. Teagasc are seeking to appoint a highly qualified, enthusiastic and dynamic researcher to develop and lead a research programme in sheep health and welfare. This position will be a key appointment for Teagasc with national significance in developing scientifically based approaches to support enhanced sheep health and welfare to improve the profitability and sustainability of the Irish sheep sector and the wider agri-food industry. The principal of ‘prevention is better than cure’ promotes animal health as a driver of optimised production, improved margins and the production of high quality food. Furthermore, healthy animals result in a reduced requirement for antibiotics which is a major strategy in reducing the development of antimicrobial resistance. The highly interdisciplinary Teagasc animal health research programme focuses on the underlying biological mechanisms of disease and parasitism development and resistance, enhanced biosecurity and management strategies, parasite drug resistance, improved diagnostics and therapeutics, and vaccination and identification of and selection for disease resistant animals.

• Develop and implement a research programme in sheep health and welfare in consultation with industry stakeholders.
• Design and manage experiments and perform statistical analysis of experimental data.
• Interpret research findings and prepare scientific and popular press publications.
• Manage staff and resources assigned to the research programme.
• Identify opportunities for cutting-edge research to address key knowledge gaps.
• Lead successful submissions for external funding, that is consistent with the Teagasc research programme, with the objective of developing critical mass in the area by building and supervising a dynamic team of post-doctoral researchers(s) and post-graduate student(s). 
• Develop and maintain active collaboration with the relevant national and international research communities including Animal Health Ireland technical working groups.
• Participate in undergraduate teaching roles.
• Work closely with Teagasc Knowledge Transfer Specialists/Advisors to ensure effective dissemination of research findings to advisers and stakeholders.
• Supervise, in conjunction with University partners, postgraduate students to Masters and PhD level.
• Interpret and publish research results in the scientific and popular press, at conferences (nationally and internationally) and to stakeholders.
• Disseminate research findings to a variety of audiences as appropriate.
• Contribute to the teamwork and team-spirit in the Animal & Bioscience Research Department, and foster and add to further collaboration and integration.
• Comply with all relevant Teagasc policies and procedures.
• To assist Teagasc in meeting the commitments of the Quality Customer Service Charter and Action Plan.
• To 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 themselves, fellow staff and non-Teagasc staff and co-operate with management in enabling Teagasc to comply with legal obligations. This includes full compliance with the responsibilities outlined in the Safety Statement.
• Any 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.