Background:

Teagasc Moorepark is Ireland’s leading dairy research institute and a world leading institute on grass-based dairy production.  It has national responsibility for all aspects of dairy production research which include grassland and grazing management, dairy cow breeding and reproduction, dairy cow health and welfare, milk composition and dairy cow nutrition, milking technology and milk production systems plus economic analysis.

Research resources include modern individual cow feed and metabolism units, laboratories, computer facilities and milking research laboratories.  We are seeking to recruit a general dairy farm operative with responsibility for general farm operations which include milking, droving, fencing, calf rearing and operating machinery, as assigned by the Farm Manager.

Hours of Work: 

Standard working hours will be 39 hours per week, Monday to Saturday, with one day off during the week and every second Sunday off.  Overtime hours will be available.

Informal Enquiries:

To find out more about these positions, please contact Emer Kennedy at Emer.kennedy@teagasc.ie or via phone at 025-42382

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Milking Management – taking responsibility for the milking process, including milk/quarter sampling, interpreting SCC and TBC reports, making mastitis treatment decisions in conjunction with the farm manager
• Animal Handing and droving
• Ensure appropriate stock inventories are in place for the milking parlour at all times
• Animal health management – identifying and treating basic animal health problems e.g. mastitis, milk fever, lameness.
• Breeding management – heat detection and AI.
• Calf rearing - all aspects of calving, calf and heifer rearing.
• Machinery operation - e.g. tractors, implements, RTV’s.
• Grassland management - grass allocation and management.

Generic Duties:

• 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 assist management and administrative staff in achieving good governance and risk management through co-operation and adherence to administrative procedures and practices.
• 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 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 with the post-holder from time to time.

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