Research Assistant

Job Description:

DEVENISH NUTRITION is seeking a research assistant in its Fairmont, MN headquarters. The person will work with Devenish’s R&D team in all areas of research and report to the Research Manager. A major focus of this position will be to provide support on a number of daily tasks related to internal and external research activities required to be completed in the office, production facility, and research barns. If you are looking for an animal-related career, this position can be an extremely good opportunity.

Job Type:

Full-Time position, with weekend rotation when an animal trial is on-going.

Key Functions:

  1. Assisting in pre- and post-trial related tasks for research trials (poultry and swine focus) in a safe, accurate, and timely manner
  2. Using computer skills to support office tasks and research skills to support trial setup and research related activities at Devenish facilities
  3. Providing support for other tasks as needed

Responsibilities include:

  • Assist with pre-trial planning and preparation for poultry and swine trials, which includes helping set up premixes and diets, mixing and packaging of premixes for trials, helping with paperwork associated with trials, and other related tasks as needed.
  • Execute data entry and post-trial tasks, including but not limited to quality assurance and quality control processes, testing microtracers in premixes and diets, sample preparation for laboratory analysis, tracking and recording results when available
  • Assist with swine nursery trial related activities, including but not limited to pig receiving, feeding, collecting accurate performance data and samples (e.g., feces, blood, and oral fluid), and be a backup to other research team members when needed
  • Conduct weekend tasks, on a rotating basis, at the swine research facility, including observation of barn environment and animal health, feeding, feeder adjustment, identifying sick animals, administrating medications, and other tasks as assigned and directed by the Research Manager
  • Pro-actively identify potential risk situations that may impact the well-being of the Devenish employees and animals and the research trial outcome - communicate regularly and professionally in verbal and written form with the Research Manager to remediate such situations
  • Assist the team to ensure accurate execution of research trials, especially in quality control of all research data while keeping safety at the fore front
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the relationships involved in the research trials

Requirements:

  • Proficient Microsoft Office and computer skills
  • Must be able to work in the office, feed mill and animal barn (PPE provided) independently and safely under minimal supervision
  • Ability to multitask, be detail-oriented and a natural organizer
  • Ability to lift at least 50 lb repeatedly and apply about 100 lb of force to move items with the assistance of another person as needed
  • Must be punctual on scheduled work days, including weekend rotation schedule when needed (work time ≤ 4 hours/day with compensatory time off)
  • Valid Driver's License and reliable transportation
  • Must be a good communicator and a successful team member

Schedule:

Day shift

Qualifications:

Associate's degree or Bachelor's degree in Animal Science (Preferred)

Compensation:

Dependent on experience

Guidelines for Applicants:
To apply for this position, please submit a detailed resume by April 30th, 2023.

Please email your information to Larry.Wigand@Devenish.com or mail it to:

Devenish Nutrition, LLC
Attn: Human Resources
2320 Lake Avenue
Fairmont, MN 56031