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Research Specialist in Agriculture (Meat Science Laboratory) Research Specialist in Agriculture (Meat Science Laboratory) College of ACES - Department of Animal Sciences

WE TRANSFORM LIVES.

Everything the College of ACES does is designed to improve the quality of lifeof the people in the state of Illinois, across the nation, and around theworld. We discover, develop, translate, and disseminate knowledge to addresssocietal concerns and train the next generation of experts and leaders in a waythat empowers them to expand the boundaries of science to higher levels ofunderstanding and influence.

Be a part of our story.

The Department of Animal Sciences operates our animal farms, laboratories, Feed Technology Center, meat and eggsales room, and other facilities to give students working experience in thefield and to advance basic discovery and applied production research. Our farmsoperate on 1,300 acres, housing beef and dairy cattle, poultry, sheep, swine,and horses, and turning grain and forage into feed and bedding for our animals.And our facilities don’t stop at the boundary of our Urbana campus; we maintainand study herds at research and Extension centers throughout Illinois. The MeatScience Laboratory and Meat and Egg Sales are an integral part of our farmoperations. This unit supports the needs of meat science research, whichfocuses on fresh meat quality and further processing. It also provides trainingand hands-on experience for students planning on careers in the meat industry. Theunit supports some of the most visible parts of our department to the communityand beyond through Meat and Egg Sales, BBQ and Grilling courses and outreach, andmeats judging activities within the state and nationwide.

Primary Function of Research Specialist in Agriculture Position:

Assist with management ofoperations, work closely with faculty conducting hands-on research,coordinating teaching, and upholding regulatory compliance at the Meat ScienceLab in Urbana, IL.

Primary Function of Senior Research Specialist in Agriculture Position:

Management of operations,working closely with faculty conducting hands-on research, coordinatingteaching, and upholding regulatory compliance at the Meat Science Lab inUrbana, IL.

Major Duties and Responsibilities: Operation and Maintenance

• Coordinate slaughter and production schedulefor the Meat Science Laboratory including:
  • Arrange and interface with USDAinspection service to ensure coverage and maintain compliance.
  • Procurement of animals, ingredients,supplies, and resources needed.
  • Interaction with other farm units toobtain animals and plan for future needs.
• Lead operations including the slaughter ofanimals, fabrication of carcasses, production, and further processed products.
  • Setup the facility for operations days.
  • Develop and implement SSOPs foroperation.
  • Oversee the sales room operationsincluding pricing, customer service, hours of operation, staffing, andadvertisement.
• Provide day-to-day supervision of personnelof academic and non-academic staff working in the facility.

Research, Teaching, Outreach, and Support

• Coordinate facility use and availability foreducational needs of faculty, graduate students, and others at the Meat ScienceLab.
  • Coordinate teaching laboratory sectionsat the unit.
  • Interact with meats and other evaluationcoaches to schedule practices, contests, and other activities to supportevaluation teams.
  • Oversee the procurement of animals andproduction of needed products for educational needs.
• Establish and reinforce consistent practicesto produce high-quality research results.
  • Provide ongoing training of researchpersonnel in slaughter techniques, carcass fabrication, further processing ofmeat products, and retail meat merchandising.
  • Establishwritten research targets, develop "Standard Operating Procedures",and enforce consistent research methodology associated with the unit.

Regulatory and Financial Oversight

• Maintain fiscal responsibility at thefacility including management of facility expenses, development of budgets and reports, recovery of teaching and research costs, and maintenance of accountingrecords for budgetary and compliance purposes.
  • Maintain current and develop new avenuesfor retail and wholesale of meat products.
  • Hire and supervise needed staff tomaintain operations and optimize staff costs.
• Promote and maintain a work environment withthe highest standards of worker safety.
  • Attend departmental operational, safety,and development meetings.
  • Establish and maintain professional andsafe standards for facility appearance.
  • Supervise maintenance of facilities toensure competence and integrity of research efforts.
  • Provide training on and reinforcement ofsafe working standards including lock-out, tag-out, use of PPE, and electricaland chemical safety.
  • Maintainrecords of safety inspections and accident reports.

Additional Duties and Responsibilities for Senior Research Specialist in Agriculture:

• Implement cost-saving measureswithout compromising the quality of research or compliance.
  • Maintain records in accordance todepartmental standards.
  • Develop and execute long-term financialand operational strategies.
  • Reconcile monthly sales transactions.
• Oversee and manage the operations HazardAnalysis Critical Control Point plan.

Minimum Qualifications for Research Specialist:

• B.S. degree in Animal Sciences or a related field.
• Two (2) years of hands-on experience in a meat production facility.
• Computer experience in record keeping and inventory management.
• Supervisory experience.

Minimum Qualifications for Senior Research Specialist:

• B.S. degree in Animal Sciences or a related field.
• More than six (6+) years ofhands-on experience in a meat production facility.
• Computer experience inrecord keeping and inventory management.
• More than four (4+) yearsof supervisory experience.

Preferred Qualifications for Research Specialist:

• M.S. degree with aspecialization in meat science.
• Six (6) years of hands-onexperience in a meat production facility.
• Experience in managing aFSIS-inspected meat production facility.
• Experience in management ofemployees including conflict resolution, scheduling and training.
• Experience with facilitymaintenance and overseeing these types of projects.
• Understanding of researchdesign and data collection standards.
• Experience with development ofHACCP plans and SSOPs.
• Demonstrated involvement and leadership inmeat-industry organizations.

Preferred Qualifications for Senior Research Specialist:

• M.S. degree with