Position Overview

Ancillary Services is currently seeking a Full-time Regular Ranch Hand.

The Ranch Hand reports to the Ranch Manager.

Ranch Hands are talented generalists capable of performing work in 3 main areas:

.    Cattle operations

.    Farming operations

.    Ranch Maintenance and Ranch Improvement Projects

Although, each ranch hand may take the lead in their own specific areas of expertise, they must have the skills to perform work in all areas.  Ranch hands work on their own, with other members of the team, and with external suppliers and contractors. They travel to and work on all the ranch properties.

Ranch hands participate in morning meetings about the daily operation, in annual calving meetings, in all-staff meetings, and in annual performance reviews including 360 feedback. They provide input into all areas of the ranch operation. They work independently and interdependently and must be able to keep others informed throughout the day on their activities, observations and issues to be addressed by communicating remotely (text, phone, radio) and on a face-to-face basis.
 

Position Description

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

• Ensure the health and wellbeing of the cow herd ( +-1000 mother cows, their calves, the bulls)
• This includes:
• Calving
• Monitoring all aspects of the calving process
• Identifying and moving heifers and cows who are ready to calf to the calving pasture
• Identifying and helping mothers that need assistance in calving (e.g. dystocia, easy pulls, hard pulls, calling the vet when needed- C-Section or prolapse, may help remove sac from calf head)
• Tagging, administering shots in accordance with protocols, recording individual calving information
• Sorting off pairs that need assistance, e.g. milking, mis-mothering, calves that aren't sucking
• Moving pairs from the calving pasture to maternity pastures within 24 hours of calving
• Checking existing pairs for health
• Feeding
• Operate feeding equipment (skid steer, loader, tractor, feed wagon, feed truck)
• Load and mix silage, hay, minerals following nutrition batch sheets
• Read feed bunks
• Grass management
• Herd health
• Tagging, processing, vaccine administration, branding, castration, semen checks, ultrasounding at preg checks, pasture and pen treatments. AI experience an asset but not required.
• Operating hydraulic and manual squeezes
• Maintaining cattle records (wanding, inputting data on smart phones and ipads in the field, and/or computers in the office, assisting with data reconciliations)
• Pasture management
• Moving and hauling livestock and materials
• Operating farm and ranch equipment
• Trucks (1/2 ton, 3/4 ton, 1 tons, 5 tons, Highway semi's single and tandem axles), tractors (up to 410 hp, 4 Wheel drive, 8 wheels) quads, rtv's, back hoes, skid steers, cat, road grader, wood chipper, chain saws, post pounders, mowers, seeders, balers, plows, snow blowers, rollers, grinders, tools, harrows etc.
• Provide support to the farming operation including land preparation, planting, fertilizing, weed spraying, and harvesting, including hay cutting/baling of up to 2500 acres in crops, forage and crop production.

Qualifications / Requirements:

• Minimum Formal Education: High school diploma
• Professional Designation(s) No professional designation required
• Minimum Experience: 3 - 5 years
• Experienced working with cattle in a low stress, appropriate pressure environment; understands and appreciates cattle and horse behaviours
• Experienced in calving and processing
• Valid driver's license, ideally with a Class 1 A (with air endorsement)
• Experience operating farm equipment and hauling trailers
• Able to ride horses, rope, and pasture treat animals
• Able to meet all physical demands of the job
• Able to work within a team environment, give and receive feedback, and get along with various personality types
• Able to work alone in remote and/or wilderness areas
• Mixed farm background, an asset
• Ranch/farm safety is a priority
• Excellent memory
• Ability to communicate verbally and in writing
• Strong sense of direction
• Strong situational awareness
• Good vision especially, good peripheral vision
• Comfortable with technology and use of smart phones, gps, computers, texting and email applications
• Must like cattle
• Must have good emotional fitness (there's zero tolerance for taking out anger on animals or equipment)
• Self motivated, organized
• Good observation skills

Application Deadline:  March 31, 2023

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

Additional Information

This position is part of the AUPE bargaining unit, and falls under the General Job Family, Phase 4.

To find out more about management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary and all we have to offer, view our Management and Staff Careers website. 

The University strongly recommends all faculty and staff are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

About the University of Calgary

The University of Calgary is Canada’s leading next-generation university – a living, growing and youthful institution that embraces change and opportunity with a can-do attitude. Located in the nation’s most enterprising city, the university is making tremendous progress on its Eyes High journey to be recognized as one of Canada’s top five research universities, grounded in innovative learning and teaching and fully integrated with the community it both serves and leads. The University of Calgary inspires and supports discovery, creativity and innovation across all disciplines. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy in line with the foundational goals of Eyes High, committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion ([email protected]) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources ([email protected]).

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.