Agricultural Specialist II — Dairy Farm Night Crew Lead

Iowa State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is hiring an Agricultural Specialist II to lead the night crew at its Dairy Farm in Ames. The position combines hands-on milking and herd care with staff supervision, research support, sanitation, recordkeeping, and daily problem solving in a teaching and research dairy. Responsibilities • Lead, schedule, and train employees and student workers on the evening shift • Complete milking routines and make sure animal handling, hygiene, and milk-quality procedures are followed consistently • Monitor cattle health and behavior, respond to routine concerns, and escalate emergencies appropriately • Maintain clean, safe milking, housing, and work areas • Support faculty and staff research protocols while protecting animal welfare and data quality • Maintain accurate herd, treatment, production, staffing, and operational records • Operate, inspect, troubleshoot, and help maintain dairy and agricultural equipment • Monitor feed, supplies, and inventory and contribute to responsible use of farm resources Qualifications and schedule A bachelor's degree and two years of related experience are required. Iowa State prefers dairy or milking experience, livestock-care knowledge, familiarity with agricultural equipment, and prior lead or supervisory work. Candidates should be dependable, communicate clearly, and remain attentive during independent evening operations. The regular schedule is Monday through Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., with rotating weekend coverage. This is a regular full-time position in pay grade PS806 with comprehensive health, retirement, paid-leave, disability, and other university benefits; the posting does not state a dollar range. The search remains open until filled. Apply through Iowa State's direct Workday page with a resume and cover letter.