Agricultural Research Technician Series

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Employees in positions allocated to this series provide support for Agricultural Research, Teaching, Demonstration, and Production Units. Agricultural Research Technicians supply the basic physical, social, and behavioral requirements of the animals (such as feed and water); maintain the sanitation, environmental controls, and animal care equipment and supplies for an agricultural research facility; or they may be engaged in crop production and research that involves tillage, planting, fertilizing, pesticide application and harvesting of agronomic crops. They may also operate and maintain equipment in preparation and delivery of animal diets; maintain agricultural/farming equipment in the production of forages, grains, and miscellaneous crops for use in agricultural research units; and maintain the upkeep of facilities and grounds. These positions may be working with and assisting faculty, undergraduate/graduate students, laboratory personnel and other unit staff with procedures and specific experimental care for animals or crops used in research and education as well as assisting with the completion of all research and demonstration projects including materials application, cultivation and harvest while monitoring all the different aspects research trials.

DESCRIPTIONS OF LEVELS OF WORK

Employees in positions at this level of the series work in a team-based environment to perform a wide variety of basic duties in service and support for agricultural research, teaching, demonstration, and production units.

A(n) Assistant Agricultural Research Technician typically -

1. receives, processes, stores, and rotates feed, forage, bedding, and other animal care and facilities supplies; works with field, forage, and other crops;
2. administers medications and treatments;
3. prepares livestock for teaching, research, and demonstration purposes;
4. conducts euthanasia procedures;
5. observes animals regularly, recognizing and reporting changes in eating or drinking habits and general behavior and outward signs of disease or abnormal appearance/behavior;
6. records and/or maintains animal health data, breeding data or other data necessary for operation of the unit;
7. collects specimens for diagnostic or environmental control procedures;
8. performs animal identification procedures;
9. performs agricultural crop production procedures to produce feed and forage for use by the agricultural animal units;
10. tills, cultivates and applies fertilizers to land in preparation for seeding with Agronomic crops;
11. performs pesticide application to insure optimum health of crops;
12. assists in harvesting plots by hand and machine, collecting seed samples and harvest measurements;
13. assists with public meetings and tours of facilities;
14. performs other duties as assigned.

Performs specialized duties and responsibilities. Employees at this level should be skilled and knowledgeable in all areas of service to the animal or crops units.

A(n) Associate Agricultural Research Technician typically -

1. provides technical assistance and special services to investigators, clinicians, or other staff;
2. assists in the selection of livestock or crops for teaching, research, and demonstration purposes; assists with teaching and demonstrations for class;
3. performs more high-level specialized animal care or crops management procedures requiring particular treatments and skilled assistance;
4. advises and assist in the preparation of standard operating procedures for unit;
5. assists management and/or departmental administration on medium-term and long-range planning for operations and facilities;
6. assists management in scheduling and assigning work to others; inspecting facilities to monitor equipment and condition of animals or crops; training, instructing, and/or directing lower-level staff in operational and animal care or cropping procedures; coordinating communication between management and staff; and by providing input for performance evaluations for lower-level staff as requested;
7. has the authority to make purchasing decisions; acquires parts, materials and supplies;
8. maintains operational and experimental records on computers and or handheld recording devices;
9. performs routine maintenance and repairs on machinery, buildings, grounds and equipment;
10. operates field scale equipment such as tractors, planters, grain drills, fertilizer spreaders, sprayers, combines, etc.;
11. assists in maintenance of plots; assists with the application of pesticides, fertilizer, herbicides; keeps plot borders trimmed and stakes or flags in place;
12. assists in harvesting plots by hand and machine; keeps records on activities; assists in data gathering from plots, including plan and soil samples;
13. prepares seeds, as needed, for research plots; prepares equipment and supplies for planting; performs maintenance and harvests research plots;
14. measures, mixes and applies fertilizers, herbicides and other materials;
15. observes, collects, records and report weather data in accordance with current directives;
16. performs primary tillage, secondary tillage, planting and harvesting of all research trials and bulk fields;
17. performs all duties and responsibilities outlined in Level I, as appropriate;
18. performs other duties as assigned.

Responsibilities include assisting management in mid-range operation planning and scheduling that involves production, teaching, research and demonstration at a unit. Employees at this level work under administrative supervision from a unit manager and/or higher-level staff with supervisory appointments.

A(n) Senior Agricultural Research Technician typically -

1. acts as unit operation supervisor, which includes supervising, training, scheduling and assigning/prioritizing work to subordinate staff; overseeing daily inspection of agricultural animals, facilities, equipment, and supplies; assisting in performance evaluations for lower- level staff as requested;
2. performs more advanced technical procedures and operations;
3. has the authority to make purchasing decisions;
4. develops standard operating procedures for unit;
5. develops medium-term and long-range planning for operations and facilities;
6. maintains and assures the daily and/or periodical collection, processing and recording of necessary operational records;
7. performs all duties and responsibilities as needed outlined in Levels I and II;
8. performs other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE QUALIFICATIONS

CREDENTIALS TO BE VERIFIED BY PLACEMENT OFFICER

1. High school diploma or equivalent.
2. Possession of a valid Illinois vehicle operator’s license(s).
3. Any one or combination totaling two (2) years (24 months) from the categories below:
   1. Coursework in agriculture, animal science, crop science, environmental science, or a closely related field as measured by the following conversion table or its proportional equivalent:
      • 30 semester hours equals one (1) year (12 months)
      • Associate’s Degree (60 semester hours) equals eighteen months (18 months)
      • 90 semester hours equals two (2) years (24 months)
   2. General agricultural experience as appropriate performing general animal, livestock or related farming duties.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs)

1. Knowledge and competency in providing care for and safe handling of agricultural animals or performing agricultural crop production and research procedures.
2. Knowledge of pesticide applications for crops as applicable or necessary.

CREDENTIALS TO BE VERIFIED BY PLACEMENT OFFICER

1. High school diploma or equivalent.
2. Possession of a valid Illinois vehicle operator’s license(s).
3. Any one or combination totaling five (5) years (60 months) from the categories below:
   1. Coursework in agriculture, animal science, crop science, environmental science, or a closely related field as measured by the following conversion table or its proportional equivalent:
      • 30 semester hours equals one (1) year (12 months)
      • Associate’s Degree (60 semester hours) equals eighteen months (18 months)
      • 90 semester hours equals two (2) years (24 months)
      • Bachelor’s Degree (120 semester hours) equals three (3) years (36 months)
   2. General agricultural experience as appropriate performing duties comparable to those listed for Level I of this series.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs)

1. Knowledge of agricultural animal and/or crop production, handling, care, and biology.
2. Knowledge and experience with computers, handheld computational and recording devices.
3. Skill in a wide variety of areas that service the agricultural animal and/or crop units.
4. Skill in supervising staff.
5. Ability to train or instruct persons in animal care and/or crop techniques and use of equipment and materials.
6. Possession of attributes listed for Level I, as appropriate.

CREDENTIALS TO BE VERIFIED BY PLACEMENT OFFICER

1. High school diploma or equivalent.
2. Possession of a valid Illinois vehicle operator’s license(s).
3. Two (2) years (24 months) of work experience comparable to that performed at the Agricultural Research Technician II level of this series.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs)

1. Knowledge and competency in the areas of agricultural animal and/or crop production, handling, care, and biology.
2. Ability to recognize normal/abnormal appearance and habits of agricultural animals or diagnose crop problems.
3. Possession of attributes listed for Levels I and II, as appropriate.