Agriculture Operations Specialist

Conner Prairie Museum•Fishers, IN

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Agriculture Operations Specialist is responsible for supporting and overseeing daily operations of Conner Prairie’s agriculture program, both behind-the-scenes and in public facing roles. This role involves daily chores, animal management, facility maintenance, and leading teams of part-time staff. The specialist will also facilitate educational guest/animal interactions and collaborate with the Livestock Manager on animal health and wellbeing.

Requirements

High school diploma required.
Knowledge of farm machinery and low-stress animal husbandry practices desired.
Experience leading teams preferred.
Ability to operate farm machinery and power tools.
Experience with low-stress livestock handling.
Demonstrate working knowledge of pasture rotation, health, and quality.
Demonstrate basic knowledge of large animal health and behavior.
Experience lambing/kidding/calving/farrowing.
Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations.
Listens and gets clarification.
Responds well to questions.
Demonstrates group presentation skills.
Participates in meetings.
Observes safety and security procedures.
Determines appropriate action beyond guidelines.
Reports potentially unsafe conditions.
Uses equipment and materials properly.
Is consistently at work and on time.
Ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent.
Arrives at meetings and events on time.
Follows instructions.
Responds to management’s direction.
Takes responsibility for own actions.
Keeps commitments.
Commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals.
Completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternative plan.
Adapts to changes in the work environment.
Manages competing demands.
Changes approach or method to best fit the situation.
Able to deal with frequent change, delays or unexpected events.
Assesses own strengths and weaknesses.
Pursues training and development opportunities.
Strives to continuously build knowledge and skills.
Shares expertise with others.
Volunteers readily.
Undertakes self-development activities.
Seeks increased responsibilities.
Takes independent actions and calculated risks.
Looks for and takes advantage of opportunities.
Asks for and offers help when needed.
Desire to educate the public about modern and historic agriculture.
Regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.
Frequently will stand; walk (on uneven dirt and gravel pathways); and lift and/or move up to 75 pounds with or without assistance.
Will regularly climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; and taste or smell.
Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision (clear vision at 20 inches or less), distance vision (clear vision at 20 feet or more), color vision (ability to identify and distinguish colors), peripheral vision (ability to observe an area that can be seen up and down or to the left and right while eyes are fixed on a given point), depth perception (three-dimensional vision, ability to judge distances and spatial relationships), and the ability to adjust focus (ability to adjust the eye to bring an object into sharp focus).

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of farm machinery and low-stress animal husbandry practices.
Experience leading teams.

Responsibilities

Possesses and demonstrates knowledge of proper livestock handling, maintenance and care in both routine and emergency situations.
Works independently and as part of a team to complete daily chores, including feeding, watering, medicating and moving animals as needed.
Leads and supervises teams of Part Time and Part Time Flex staff, including Agriculture Operations Assistants, on livestock and facility maintenance projects.
Performs and oversees routine animal management activities such as milking, vaccinating, hoof trimming, etc., utilizing proper biosecurity protocols.
Maintains cleanliness of pens, barns and enclosures through daily work and routine deep cleans.
Mentors PT and PT/Flex staff in Animal Encounters, Prairietown Ag and programs roles to ensure Conner Prairie’s interpretation and animal handling standards are met and exceeded.
Maintains and monitors inventory of feed, bedding and veterinary supplies; orders more as needed.
Performs routine and emergency maintenance of fences and shelters.
Routinely moves electric fences for rotational grazing of bucks, feeder stock and cattle.
Facilitates safe, educational guest/animal interactions using low-stress handling methods.
Collaborates with Livestock Manager to monitor animal health and wellbeing.
Operates safely Ag-related machinery including, but not limited to, tractors, ATVs, skid loaders, trucks and trailers, etc.