Senior Animal Caretaker

Important messages

AMENDMENT - TO CLOSING DATE

Duties

The successful candidate will be expected to:
• Care for a beef cattle herd on a daily basis according to general management guidelines and research protocol.
• Feed prescribed amounts of high quality feed on a consistent basis using automatic and manual feeding systems.
• Collect and record data in a computer and daily diary pertaining to breeding, birth weights, finishing weights, and feed consumption.
• Participate, through consultation with a Veterinarian, in a herd health care program by conducting daily health checks, treating sick animals and administering vaccinations.
• Assist in ultrasonic probing and blood collection.
• Maintain the beef cattle facility in a clean and sanitary condition at all times.
• Ensure that the facility and farm equipment are maintained and performing to a high standard through daily inspections and equipment adjustments.

Work environment

As one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, AAFC is proud to celebrate our achievement in creating a diverse, respectful, and positive workplace where all employees are valued and recognized for their unique qualities, ideas, voices and perspectives.

Intent of the process

Immediate staffing need:
- 1 full time permanent position

A pool of qualified candidates may be established and may be used for similar permanent and temporary employment for the location indicated for this process.

In the event that an employee of the public service is qualified through this process, and there is a temporary need, he/she may be considered for acting or assignment/secondment opportunities.

Positions to be filled: 1

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

Contact information for 2 references.

You must meet all essential qualifications in order to be appointed to the position. Other qualifications may be a deciding factor in choosing the person to be appointed. Some essential and other qualifications will be assessed through your application. It is your responsibility to provide appropriate examples that illustrate how you meet each qualification. Failing to do so could result in your application being rejected.

In order to be considered, your application must clearly explain how you meet the following (essential qualifications)

Experience in the handling, care and maintenance of the cattle.
Experience operating various types of farm machinery (bale processors, feed mixing trucks, bi-directional truck with grabble fork, skid steer loaders and refrigerated trucks).

If you possess any of the following, your application must also clearly explain how you meet it (other qualifications)

First Aid certificate.
ATV operator certificate.
Valid FAC (Firearms, Possession/Acquisition License).

The following will be applied / assessed at a later date (essential for the job)

English essential

Information on language requirements

Knowledge of modern husbandry and cattle handling techniques.
Knowledge of sickness and disease of cattle.
Knowledge of general operation and maintenance of farm equipment.

Concern for Safety
Initiative
Interactive Communication
Teamwork

The following may be applied / assessed at a later date (may be needed for the job)

Successful completion of post-secondary education in an agricultural related field.

Degree equivalency

Selection may be limited to members of the following Employment Equity groups: Aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities, visible minorities, women

Information on employment equity

Placement of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) employees affected by workforce adjustment.

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance

Possession of a valid driver’s license.
Ability and willingness to work overtime including evenings and weekends.
Ability and willingness to work shift work.
Ability and willingness to work in harsh environments (cold, hot, dust, and noise) with exposure to animal manure and animal body fluids (blood, urine, mucus, infections, semen and vaginal fluids).
Ability and willingness to work with chemicals and pesticides.
Ability and willingness to handle large animals.
Ability and willingness to perform repetitive physical tasks in outdoor setting. ie. Lifting 25 kg. bales
Known allergies must be controlled through the use of personal protective equipment or/medication and must not impinge upon the duties to be performed.

Other information

Applications submitted by email will not be accepted. You must apply on-line through www.jobs.gc.ca.

Persons with disabilities preventing them from applying on-line are asked to contact 1-800-645-5605.

Persons are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language of their choice. Applicants are asked to indicate their preferred official language in their application.

Communication for this process will be sent via email. It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure accurate contact information is provided and updated as required. Candidates who apply to this selection process should include an email address that accepts email from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email).

All communication relating to this process, including email correspondence, may be used in the assessment of qualifications.

Appointment decisions may be based on one or more of the following criteria:
- Matching of the individual's experience or qualifications to the strengths and weaknesses of the work team.
- Matching of the individual's experience or qualifications to the specific duties of the position being staffed.
- Depth, breadth, type of work-specific experience.
- Level/degree of one or more competencies/qualifications.

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled, diverse workforce reflective of Canadian society. As a result, it promotes employment equity and encourages candidates to indicate voluntarily on their application if they are a woman, an Aboriginal person, a person with a disability or a member of a visible minority group.

The Public Service of Canada is also committed to developing inclusive, barrier-free selection processes and work environments. If contacted in relation to a job opportunity or testing, you should advise the Public Service Commission or the departmental official in a timely fashion of the accommodation measures which must be taken to enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner. Information received relating to accommodation measures will be addressed confidentially.

Preference

Preference will be given to veterans and to Canadian citizens, in that order.

Information on the preference to veterans

We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.