Unit Manager @ Texas Tech University System

Position Description

Manages a unit within a department. Plans, organizes and develops goals and procedures for the unit. Represents the unit to administrators, outside agencies and others on relevant matters. Supervises subordinate staff.

About the University

Founded in 1923, Texas Tech University began with a mission to serve the needs of West Texas, but its impact has always reached far beyond. Today, Texas Tech, located in Lubbock (pop. 300,000+), is home to a vibrant community of more than 42,000 students. Texas Tech's 1,800-acre campus showcases Spanish Renaissance architecture and is home to one of the country's largest public art collections. Its 13 colleges include a prestigious School of Law and a distinguished School of Veterinary Medicine. These programs equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in their respective fields.

Built on the values of West Texas — hard work, grit and authenticity — the university graduates students who are deeply engaged in service to their communities and well-positioned to succeed in the world. Texas Tech is committed to achieving research and scholarly accomplishments that compare favorably to the member institutions of the Association of American Universities (AAU). For more than 100 years, Texas Tech has been a premier destination for those seeking a world-class education and a unique, personalized experience as a member of the Red Raider family.

About the Department and/or College

The Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources includes the departments of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Agricultural Education and Communications, Animal and Food Sciences, Landscape Architecture, Plant and Soil Science, and Veterinary Sciences, along with multiple research centers and institutes. The College houses eight major research centers and institutes: the Center for Agriscience Communications, Davis College Water Center, Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute, Institute for Genomics of Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance, International Center for Agricultural Competitiveness, International Center for Food Industry Excellence, Texas Cooperative Research Unit, and the Thornton Agricultural Finance Institute.

Davis College enrolls more than 2,700 undergraduate students and more than 500 graduate students. The College sustains approximately 110 tenure-track faculty, 40 non-tenure-track faculty, and more than 165 support staff. Faculty across Davis College generated approximately $17.3 million in federal and private funding to support the research, teaching, and outreach and engagement missions.

Davis College is currently engaged in The Pursuit of PRIME campaign, which is dedicated to shaping the future of agriculture, natural resources, and managed landscapes. The College prepares the next generation of leaders to address major challenges and build a brighter future through investments in advanced facilities, innovative research, and hands-on education. Rooted in Texas Tech’s spirit of resilience and excellence, this commitment extends beyond the classroom to strengthen communities and inspire prosperity for generations to come.

The Department of Animal and Food Sciences at Texas Tech University prepares ethical leaders and advances innovation in animal agriculture, food systems, equine, and companion animal science. Guided by our values of accountability, community, excellence, grit, and integrity, we pursue impactful teaching, research, and outreach that improve animal lives, strengthen resilient food systems, and enhance human–animal connections.

The department is home to approximately 35 faculty, many of whom are nationally and internationally recognized leaders in their fields and serve more than 1,450 undergraduate and graduate students. Student growth has crested at historic levels, while research productivity and external engagement continue to expand at an unprecedented pace. Areas of research strength include meat science and muscle biology, food science and safety, animal nutrition, health and welfare, and companion animal studies.

Faculty and students benefit from modern teaching and research facilities as well as specialized units such as the Equestrian Center, Equine Therapeutic Riding Center, Grantham Companion Animal Research Facility, and the New Deal Agricultural Field Laboratory. Together, these resources support a vibrant and expanding community dedicated to discovery, collaboration, and the enduring spirit of West Texas.

Major/Essential Functions

• Herd Management and Animal Care. Implement faculty-approved plans for breeding, genetic selection, replacements, nutrition, culling, marketing, and herd development. Oversee feeding, observation, low-stress handling, calving, neonatal care, weaning, herd health, and reproductive activities. Coordinate specialized procedures with qualified personnel and maintain accurate animal identification, pedigree, breeding, performance, inventory, and treatment records.
• People and Daily Operations. Supervise assigned students, including work assignments, scheduling, training, coaching, and performance feedback. Address routine issues within delegated authority and elevate major personnel, financial, herd, or facility decisions to department leadership. Set daily and weekly priorities; coordinate staffing and coverage for weekends, holidays, calving, adverse weather, and emergencies. Train employees in safe animal handling, equipment use, recordkeeping, and approved procedures; monitor work quality and completion.
• Facilities, Equipment, and Maintenance. Inspect and maintain pasture fences and feedlot pens, including annual maintenance of the feedlot shade system. Maintain the processing barn and sorting pens in excellent condition. Maintain all equipment dedicated to the Beef Unit, including trucks, tractors, feeding equipment, trailers, waterers, feed intake systems, and scales. Ensure functionality of feed intake nodes and accuracy of associated data collection. Perform routine preventive maintenance and minor repairs, including basic welding and agricultural mechanical work, within training and authorization; maintain service records and coordinate specialized repairs. Routine maintenance and repairs of unit waterers and feed intake equipment are unit responsibilities. Facility mechanical, electrical, and plumbing repairs must be submitted through the work-order process for qualified Operations personnel. Electrical repairs beyond resetting a tripped breaker require a work order.
• Animal Care, Safety, and Compliance. Implement approved IACUC protocols, institutional animal care requirements, applicable AAALAC standards, and environmental and workplace safety procedures. Maintain training, inspection, treatment, animal movement, withdrawal, and disposition records; prepare for inspections and report welfare concerns, incidents, and deviations promptly.
• Academic and Outreach Support. Coordinate use of cattle, employees, equipment, and facilities for teaching laboratories, approved research, student projects, tours, field days, and producer programs involving the Beef Unit. Assist with animal preparation, sample and performance-data collection, research identification and records, and operational support under faculty and principal investigator direction. Faculty retain responsibility for instruction and demonstrations to students and program participants.
• Financial and Resource Stewardship. Develop annual operating estimates; monitor approved expenditures, labor, feed, supplies, inventory, revenue, and production costs. Coordinate authorized purchasing, marketing, and transactions in accordance with university procedures. Report variances, emerging needs, and opportunities to improve efficiency.
• Communication and Coordination. Keep department leadership, faculty, employees, and relevant farm personnel informed of herd performance, work progress, facility needs, budgets, and emerging risks. Coordinate shared services and refer competing priorities or major changes for approval. Follow interim maintenance assignments for shared equipment established by department leadership. Once a system is implemented to track use and allocate shared maintenance responsibility, shared water systems, fleet vehicles, tractors, trailers, fuel, and other shared resources will be managed separately from individual unit managers. Document use, condition, and maintenance needs as required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to organize daily operations, supervise and train employees, communicate clearly, maintain accurate electronic and financial records, and exercise sound judgment.
• Practical mechanical aptitude, including routine equipment and trailer maintenance and minor repairs; working skills in basic welding and agricultural mechanics; and a general understanding of plumbing and electrical systems sufficient for routine troubleshooting and safe minor maintenance.
• Ability to operate assigned cattle-handling, feeding, and transport equipment safely; and ability to obtain and maintain TTUS Risk Management approved driver status.
• Ability to complete required animal care and safety training, provide weekend, holiday, and emergency coverage, and perform essential duties with or without reasonable accommodation.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree plus three years supervisory experience; OR a combination of education and/or supervisory experience to equal seven years.

This position requires eligiblityt to drive TTU vehicles, including a valid U.S. driver license and two years of driving experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• B.S. in Animal Science or a closely related field and at least three years of hands-on beef cattle experience in breeding, calving, feeding, herd health, and safe cattle handling.
• M.S. in Animal Science or a related field, preferably thesis-based, with emphasis in beef production, breeding/genetics, applied genomics, reproduction, nutrition, precision livestock management, or animal health and welfare.
• Hands-on beef cattle experience in breeding, calving, feeding, herd health, and safe cattle handling.
• Demonstrated ability to organize daily operations, supervise and train employees, communicate clearly, maintain accurate electronic and financial records, and exercise sound judgment.
• Practical mechanical aptitude, including routine equipment and trailer maintenance and minor repairs; working skills in basic welding and agricultural mechanics; and a general understanding of plumbing and electrical systems sufficient for routine troubleshooting and safe minor maintenance.
• Ability to complete required animal care and safety training, provide weekend, holiday, and emergency coverage, and perform essential duties with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Experience supervising employees; supporting cattle research and hands-on instruction; using reproductive technologies, herd software, electronic identification, genomic data, or precision livestock tools.
• Experience with purchasing, inventory, production-cost monitoring, cattle marketing, and farm/ranch maintenance. Beef Quality Assurance certification or willingness to obtain it during the initial employment period.

Safety Information

Adherence to robust safety practices and compliance with all applicable health and safety regulations are responsibilities of all TTU employees.

Special Instructions to Applicants

This position will Lead daily operations of the New Deal Farm Beef Unit in support of the Department’s teaching, research, and outreach missions. Supervise assigned employees; provide hands-on cattle care; and manage approved herd plans, facilities, records, compliance, and day-to-day resources. Work with faculty and department leadership to develop a solvent beef cattle enterprise while simultaneously achieving operational goals.

• Work occurs primarily at the off-site Beef Unit in New Deal around cattle and equipment, with exposure to dust, noise, manure, and variable weather. Duties include standing, walking on uneven surfaces, bending, handling supplies, and equipment use. Travel to campus and approved destinations is required.
• Responsibilities are limited to the Beef Unit. Farming, crop production, and management or repair of wells, irrigation, pumps, and shared farm water systems are outside the position’s scope. Routine maintenance and repairs of unit waterers and feed intake equipment remain unit responsibilities, subject to the work-order requirements described above.
• Reports to the Department Chair, with operational and administrative reporting to the Associate Director of Finance and Administration. Receive technical guidance from relevant faculty; coordinate veterinary care with the University Veterinarian or designated attending veterinarian and research activities with principal investigators.

Performance will be evaluated on animal welfare and herd health; reproductive and production outcomes; employee supervision; accurate records and compliance; facility and equipment readiness; completion and documentation of equipment maintenance; fiscal stewardship; and dependable academic and outreach support. Specific goals and measures will reflect approved resources, herd conditions, market conditions, and research commitments.

Pay Statement

Compensation is commensurate upon the qualifications of the individual selected and budgetary guidelines of the hiring department, as well as the institutional pay plan.

EEO Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or status as a protected veteran.