Farm Assistant Manager/S

Position Summary

Michigan State University’s south campus is looking for an Assistant Manager to assist with overseeing operations at the Dairy Cattle Teaching & Research Center with special focus/attention on heard health. This position will work closely with the Farm Manager and the Farm Operations Coordinator.  If you are interested in assisting in the management of daily operations at the brand new state-of-the-art dairy research facility, please consider joining our team!  

• Assists with overseeing the daily operations at the MSU Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center, to ensure the teaching, research, and outreach missions are accomplished.
• Manage the breeding program and oversee milking, feeding, and treatment of dairy cattle. 
• Responsible for the hiring, training, and supervision of full-time, temps, on-call, and student employees, including conducting annual evaluations. 
• Assist with planning and coordinating short- and long-term operations, including land and stock management. 
• Assists in maintenance of farm records and data bases, recording data, and the analysis of production records.
• Prepares animals for classroom and laboratory instruction i n the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) and the College of Veterinary Medicine.
• Work closely with the veterinarian to ensure herd health is optimal.
• Oversight of herd management and culling.
• Assists the Farm Manager and faculty with the coordination and implementation of research projects.
• Assists the Operations Coordinator in enforcing safety rules, codes, and regulations such as FARM, AAALAC, IACUC.
• Manage the safe handling and replacement of chemicals, ensure proper PPE use, enforce spill and cleanup procedures, and monitor inventory to maintain adequate supply.
• Coordinate the transportation of livestock to and from custom heifer grower monthly.

Working hours will be non-standard and will include evenings and weekends, and on-call periods

Minimum Requirements

Knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in Animal Science or agricultural field related to the area of employment; one to three years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in supervision, all areas of farm work/production with in specific animal groups and/or crops related to the area of employment; experience in computer usage; and knowledge of farm equipment; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Desired Qualifications

Specialized dairy management skills including 2-4 years in dairy herd management or as a dairy herdsperson. Excellent communication skills and experience in following protocols and familiarity with compliance and regulatory procedures. Experience in training labor and coordination of student training, execution and/or development of pro-active health care and biosecurity programs. Experience with nutrition management, reproduction and genetics programs, and electronic record keeping systems for farms (financial, regulatory, milk production, and animal health). 

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Application Materials

Please attach resume and cover letter

Work Hours

3 AM - 11:30 AM Friday - Tuesday

Website

https://www.canr.msu.edu/scaf/dairy_teac

Summary of Physical Demands

The job requires physical effort including lifting and moving equipment of up to 75 pounds and handling animals.

Summary of Health Risks

Loud environment, long hours on your feet, exposure to zoonotic diseases

The Bidding Eligibility ends on 03/10/2026 at 11:55 PM