Basic Function:

The successful candidate will join the Department of Agri-Food Business and Spatial Analysis within Teagasc’s Rural Economy and Development Programme which is based in Dublin and Galway. They will work closely with colleagues in the Pig Development Department, within the Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc in Cork. Consideration will be given for the candidate to be based in one of these three locations: Athenry, Galway; Ashtown, Dublin; or Moorepark, Cork solely at the discretion of Teagasc management.

The candidate will be joining a dynamic group of researchers as part of a Horizon Europe project (https://biosecure.eu/) on biosecurity of farm animals. The candidate will work at an EU level with a diverse, international, multidisciplinary group of researchers to ensure the inclusion of social and behavioural science-based perspectives into relevant activities in the project, including a leadership role in setting up and facilitating a multi-actor stakeholder forum to support interactive knowledge exchange, bottom-up behavioural change and uptake of Biosecure’s key exploitable results. (Expertise on biosecurity is not essential but would help). There will be an opportunity for the researcher to travel to other European countries to meet and work with project partners.

Background:

Biosecurity is a key aspect of animal farming to preserve health and welfare of the animals. However, despite the availability of sufficient technical information on how to implement biosecurity, this implementation fails in many cases because of an inadequate interaction between the actors involved (farm staff, farmer, veterinarian, advisors, etc.). Project Biosecure is an EU project with a multidisciplinary approach that will use social science-based research to support the implementation of biosecurity in farms at a EU level. 

• To lead and support the implementation of the multi-actor approach

• To support the execution and analysis of EU-wide farmer and vet attitudinal surveys

• To participate in the design, execution, and evaluation of a national biosecurity participatory behaviour change intervention on farms (including running focus groups, semi-structured interviews and analysing qualitative data). 

• To provide training and methodological support on social science based methods for project partners as required.

• To liaise with other project partners to ensure coordinated and timely delivery of project deliverables and progress reports.

• To undertake other tasks as required within Biosecure to fulfil Teagasc commitments to work packages including actively supporting dissemination & communication activities and coordination & management.

• 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. 

• To 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.

• To 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.