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Job description

Agri-Food and BioSciences Institute (AFBI) is a leading provider of scientific research and services to government, non-governmental organisations and commercial organisations. We are sponsored by our key stakeholder, the Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). Our customers include a range of local, national and international commercial companies, Northern Ireland and UK Departments, Agencies and associated bodies in the European Union. As a leading institute of research, we tackle the complex challenges of our industry through purpose-driven science. We are a community with a common goal: to leave the world better than we found it. Are we ambitious? Definitely. Are our ambitions achievable? Absolutely. AFBI has been defying scientific boundaries to create measurable, scalable and enduring solutions to agri-food and marine science complexities in Northern Ireland - and beyond - since 2006. We are delighted that you are considering joining us. Of all the many factors that come together to make AFBI what it is, nothing is more important than our employees. Every area of our service delivery is underpinned by a number of dedicated teams working in synchrony to ensure the provision of scientific excellence. Across our four divisions, every team member, from those on the scientific front to those working behind the scenes in one of our offices, plays an essential role in delivering our long tradition of excellence, whilst helping to propel future discoveries. Together we are better. Our People Vision is to: Attract, empower and grow purpose-driven staff with the passion and capability to pursue excellence, embrace technology and cultivate innovation and change. This is how we do great science. Great people. Great science.

Responsibilities

• Milking duties, including bringing cows to and from fields and houses for milking, preparing cows for milking, milking cows, maintaining hygiene throughout the milking process, maintaining parlour cleanliness.
• Feeding cows, including preparing experimental rations to specific experimental requirements, normally using a telescopic handler, tractor and mixer wagon, but also by hand or using a mini mixer.
• Pasture/grazing management, including sowing fertiliser, mowing paddocks using a mower, harvesting grass using a zero-grazer, weed control, allocating pasture, setting up fence lines, checking water troughs.
• Maintaining high animal health and welfare standards, including identifying and treating sick animals, routine health management, vaccination, hoof care, assisting veterinary practitioners.
• Fertility management, including heat detection, artificial insemination, assisting at calving, and ensuring the health and welfare of calves and cows at birth.
• General livestock management duties, including bedding cow houses/cubicles and calving pens (for example, with straw, sawdust and lime), clipping cows.
• Recording detailed herd health and management details, both electronically and hard copy, as appropriate. Assisting scientific staff to take measurements.
• Maintaining overall cleanliness and tidiness of the dairy unit, including cleaning and disinfecting animal accommodation, brushing, power hosing, grass cutting, weed control/management, silo management.
• All types of general farm duties, and any other duties that may arise, including young-stock management which includes feeding and rearing large numbers of calves and youngstock until they move into the main dairy herd.
• Conducting an evening check of animals within the herds, which may include checking youngstock and calves.

Skills and Qualifications

Essential Skills

• Applicants must, by the closing date for applications provide evidence in their application form that they meet all the following eligibility criteria.
• Two GCSE’s including English Language and Maths, grade C or above, or a recognised level 2 or higher in Agriculture or equivalent in a relevant area.
• Relevant or equivalent qualifications: Applications will also be considered from applicants with relevant formal qualifications considered by the selection panel to be of an equivalent or higher standard to those stated.
• If you believe your qualification is equivalent to the one required, the onus is on you to provide the panel with details of modules studied, information proving equivalency, etc. so that a well-informed decision can be made
• Demonstrate, by way of examples, at least 12 months experience of working in a Dairy Unit of over 200 dairy stock, including milking, feeding, maintaining cow hygiene throughout all milking processes and working with young stock.
• Demonstrate, by way of examples, experience in all of the following: Pasture/grazing management in whole, Heat detection/Fertility,
• General livestock husbandry skills including animal Health and Welfare and have good working knowledge of farming practices and principles relevant to livestock management.
• Possess a full, UK current or exchangeable driving licence from the list for manual vehicles, (to aid the successful candidate in driving AFBI vehicles) enabling the licence holder to fulfil the duties of this role.
• Exchange of driving licences: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/exchanging-your-foreign-driving-licence and https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/advice-foreign-driving-licences-northern-ireland.

Further Information

Location: AFBI Hillsborough, Co. Down NICS Application form only, Vacancy closing date Friday 14th November 2025 at 12 noon.

Application Information

Visit the recruitment service website www.nicsrecruitment.org.uk (Please quote reference number: IRC320272)