Post-doctoral Position – Swine Welfare:
Development of an on-farm tool to measure quality of life and sustainability in farmed pigs
Location: University of Saskatchewan – Western College of Veterinary Medicine, Canada
Start date: September 2023 (some flexibility on start date by arrangement).
Duration: Two years, with the option to extend by one year, subject to continued availability of funding. Competitive salary, plus benefits.
Research focus: The chosen candidate will lead scientific investigation into how quality of life parameters in farmed pigs relate to swine production performance and sustainability goals. Research outcome: the development of an on-farm tool for pork production companies to make business decisions to meet animal welfare and sustainability goals.
Approach:
Phase 1: Through a literature review and qualitative interviews with pork producers and veterinarians, this research will determine quality of life (QoL) parameters for farmed swine and identify how the QoL parameters link to parameters of swine production performance and pork production sustainability (environmental and economic) when specific management strategies are implemented to improve animal welfare.
Phase 2: Building upon the knowledge generated from phase 1, the candidate will work with a range of pork production systems in the major pig producing regions of the world to evaluate how the current farm management impacts their sustainability parameters (animal welfare, economics of production, environmental). Working with producers to implement management changes, the outcome of these changes that arise for animal welfare and performance will be documented.
The end-product of this research will be the development and validation of an on-farm tool for pork production companies to make decisions on animal welfare and sustainability goals with regards to their production conditions.
The candidate will benefit from working within an active research group environment, including international collaboration with the pork industry and connecting research findings to application with stakeholders.
Whilst working in the Swine Welfare Research Group at the University of Saskatchewan, the candidate will have the opportunity to participate in assisting in data collection, project management, publications, grant writing and knowledge dissemination to stakeholders.
Duties: Manage assigned areas of the research project, including: planning, data collection, statistical analysis; communication of research findings through scientific meetings and publications; industry liaison and knowledge transfer of results to stakeholders; grant writing as required. The successful candidate will be required to work closely with research collaborators, both academic and industry, and to support progress in the overall research program. Work will require periods of travel for data collection to facilities across Canada and internationally.
Eligibility: A PhD in field of animal welfare science, animal science, veterinary medicine or related discipline; a valid driver’s license. Individuals with swine experience and qualitative research experience an asset.
Candidate skills: Excellent written and oral communication skills, a strong work ethic, the ability to work independently and within a team, initiative and problem-solving ability, and good organizational skills are essential to this role. Candidates with a strong multidisciplinary skill set are desirable, with a good knowledge of biology, experience in welfare assessment, animal behaviour, statistical analysis and publication record and preferable. Experience and knowledge of pigs and pig production, qualitative research, work with commercial farms is considered an asset.
Applications: Please submit a current CV, a one-page cover letter outlining your motivation and qualification for the position and contact details of two references to Dr. Yolande Seddon. E-mail submissions, please include in the subject heading: Post-doc Swine Welfare. This position will remain open until filled. Review of applicants will begin upon receipt, and applicants will be contacted for an interview.
For further information about this position & to apply please contact Dr. Yolande Seddon:
E-mail: yolande.seddon@usask.ca; Telephone: +1-306-966-7151
Large Animal Clinical Sciences,Western College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
Learn more about the University of Saskatchewan at: https://www.usask.ca/ and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at: http://www.usask.ca/wcvm/
Please follow the link below for more detailed information.
