Job Description
Grade UE04 £26,093 to £28,778 per annum (based on a 35 hour work week) Plus 15% Variable Hours Premium
CMVM / The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies
Full-Time: 35 hours per week, Plus 6 hours weekly contractual overtime (Regular overtime offered in addition to the 6 contractual hours)
Open-Ended (permanent)
The Opportunity
The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies are looking for a keen and enthusiastic Herdsperson to work within a small team on the University of Edinburgh’s teaching and commercial dairy farm located 15 miles from Edinburgh city centre.
Key responsibilities will be to carry out all day-to-day routines associated with the running of a large 240 cow, high yielding 11,000 litre dairy herd and associated young-stock.
The farm has a range of purpose-built dairy sheds, as well as other youngstock accommodation. We are installing a new 28:28 parlour with feeders, ACR’s, meters, auto ID and auto shedding autumn 2025.
The successful candidate must have previous experience in a similar role, be able to think for themselves and work with the existing team.
In return we offer a competitive salary, 3-bedroom family accommodation which is on-farm, centrally heated, double glazed and is free from rent. Good local schools, and the opportunity to be a key part in a successful and progressive business.
Your Skills And Attributes For Success
- You will be responsible for the day-to-day cleaning, milking, welfare and husbandry of the dairy herd therefore, you must be committed to animal welfare and have sound skills in animal handling and animal care / welfare.
- Other duties such as basic tractor/telehandler driving, feeding, bedding, fencing and maintenance will provide variety to the role
- You must have good working knowledge and recent experience of dairy cows including recognition of ill health and common problems and also experience of Calf and Heifer rearing
- The ability to work in a physically demanding environment is essential.
- Ability to work regularly over weekends and holidays as part of a rota and from time to time work extra hours in evenings as required by the farm manager.
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Application Information
Please ensure you include the following documents in your application:
As a valued member of our team you can expect:
- A competitive salary
- An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work.
- To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community
- Comprehensive Staff Benefits, such as a generous holiday entitlement, competitive pension schemes, staff discounts, and family-friendly initiatives. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page (opens in a new tab) and use our reward calculator to discover the total value of your pay and benefits
- Staff discount for on-site gym ad exercise classes https:www.ed.ac.uk/sport-exercise/gym-memberships.
Championing equality, diversity and inclusion
The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality.
Prior to any employment commencing with the University you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our
right to work webpages (opens new browser tab)
The University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. International applicants will therefore be unable to apply for and secure a Skilled Worker visa. They will only be able to take up this role if they can demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.
Key dates to note
The closing date for applications is
2nd September 2025.
Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm GMT. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone.
About Us
As a world-leading research-intensive University, we are here to address tomorrow’s greatest challenges. Between now and 2030 we will do that with a values-led approach to teaching, research and innovation, and through the strength of our relationships, both locally and globally.
About The Team
The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies is a one-of-a-kind centre of excellence in clinical activity, teaching and research. Our purpose-built campus, set against the backdrop of the beautiful Pentland Hills Regional Park, is home to more than eight hundred staff and almost eighteen hundred students, all of whom contribute to our exceptional community ethos.
The School comprises:
- The Roslin Institute
- The Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems
- The Roslin Innovation Centre
- The Hospital for Small Animals
- Equine Veterinary Services
- Farm Animal Services
- Easter Bush Pathology
- The Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education
We represent the largest concentration of animal science-related expertise in Europe, impacting local, regional, national and international communities in terms of economic growth, the provision of clinical services and the advancement of scientific knowledge.
Education
The School is accredited by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and participates in the Veterinary Medical Colleges Admissions Service (VMCAS). We are consistently ranked the best vet school in the UK by both the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide and the Guardian League Tables. We are consistently ranked among the best in the world by global rankings.
The School is a global education provider with over 1,800 undergraduate, postgraduate and research students from around the world. We provide world-class education to improve the health of animals and human beings alike and are leaders in veterinary education, research, and clinical practice, at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. The Roslin Institute collaborates closely in delivering research-led teaching to undergraduate veterinary students, and promoting clinical veterinary research and translation. The unique association with leading medical and veterinary schools (through the University’s College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine) with a genuine commitment to the concept of One Medicine, also enables the translation of expertise and knowledge into human health and vice-versa.
Research Impact
In a joint submission to the latest UK Research Excellence Framework exercise, research at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies (R(D)SVS) and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) has been ranked number one in the UK for agriculture, food and veterinary sciences by combining Times Higher Education’s ratings for each institution. The judgement, based on the quality and breadth of research, maintains the R(D)SVS and SRUC’s position as the strongest provider in these subject areas. The institutions’ research environment was classified to be 100 per cent world leading or internationally excellent for agriculture, food and veterinary sciences research. The Vet School and SRUC submission was also assessed as being 100 per cent world leading or internationally excellent in terms of the impact its research work has on wider society.
Community
The School holds a Silver Athena SWAN award and the Roslin Institute holds a Gold Award in recognition of their commitment to advance the representation of women in veterinary medicine and animal science. It is home to a thriving and diverse community of staff and students, with access to facilities including campus allotments and apiary, cycle storage and showers, walking and running trails, two restaurants and a modern gym.
