JOB OPENING: FABRICATION TECHNICIAN

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Description: This position will contribute to the Agricultural Experiment Station’s mission of maintaining a high level of integrity with regards to research conducted at the Dakota Lakes Research Farm. The main contributions from this position will be fabrication, repairs and maintenance of farm and research equipment. The functionality of this equipment is paramount in the day-to-day operations conducted at the Dakota Lakes Research Farm.

Dakota Lakes Research Farm is located 17 miles east of Pierre, SD immediately adjacent to the Missouri River. It has a robust crop and livestock integration research program and is well-known in the field of regenerative agriculture. The shop facilities are modern and comfortable.

As a member of the operations team at the Dakota Lakes Research Farm you will design, fabricate, test, maintain, repair and modify equipment used for research and production projects including livestock, field, research, precision agriculture and irrigation equipment.

Below is a list of knowledge, skills and abilities Dakota Lakes Research Farm is seeking in the Fabrication Technician candidates.

Knowledge of:

  • Equipment fabrication
  • Research protocols
  • Precision agriculture, hydraulics, mechanical, electrical, and electronic components of equipment
  • Computer software (Microsoft Office)

Skill and Ability to:

  • Construct prototypes of new or modified pieces of equipment.
  • Operate, maintain, repair and modify agricultural equipment including tractors, combines, sprayers,
    irrigators, etc.
  • Evaluate operation of machines and recommend modifications.
  • Perform welding, mechanical, electronic, and electrical repairs on a wide variety of research, irrigation and
    field equipment.
  • Care for livestock including feeding, watering, administering medications and moving the herd.
  • Record data and maintain accurate records.
  • Operate seeding, harvest, and spraying equipment.
  • Apply herbicides, fungicides, and fertilizer with self-propelled sprayer.
  • Maintain adequate supplies and parts.

Required Licenses: Valid driver’s license. Commercial Driver’s License with endorsements or ability to obtain one within six (6) months and Pesticide Applicator’s License or ability to obtain one within six (6) months of hire is required.

Wages: $18.73/hour – $23.41/hour, depending upon qualifications, plus benefits 12 months, 100% time

Benefits: South Dakota State University offers an excellent comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage for the employee, spouse, and dependents; life insurance; long-term disability insurance; paid holidays; educational assistance; retirement plans; and a generous vacation accrual and sick day allowance.

Application Procedures: SDSU accepts applications through an on-line employment site, to apply visit https://YourFuture.sdbor.edu. [AE8233-40848]

Employee will be subject to pre-employment, random, reasonable suspicion, post-accident, follow-up and return-to-duty drug and alcohol testing. South Dakota State University is a tobacco free environment. It is the policy of the university to maintain a drug-free environment and to thereby establish, promote, and maintain a safe and healthy working and learning environment for employees and students. This position is subject to the university’s Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy 4:14. Employment is contingent upon a successful background check. Posting # CSA01705P South Dakota State University

Ample Wildlife

Just like people, wildlife needs food, shelter, and water not just to survive but to thrive. The farming practices we follow at Dakota Lakes nurture a robust ecosystem that provide for the needs not only of the deer and pheasants that are popular with local hunters and nature enthusiasts but also a diverse range of species that ideally keeps pests at bay naturally without the need for intensive pesticide intervention.

Healthy Food

Much of the nutrient acquisition in plants is mediated by microbes, so soils that are home to a rich diversity of microbial life are better equipped to provide plants with their required nutrition effectively and efficiently. Recent studies have shown foods, including meat, grown under regenerative farming practices contain higher levels of certain vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals than those grown under conventional farming practices. While the science behind these studies is complex and sample sizes are small and highly variable, preliminary results suggest that regenerative practices can enhance the nutritional profile of many of the foods we eat.

Clean Water

Carbon is one of the best water filters known to man, and regenerative farming practices like no-till, cover crops, and livestock integration help to maintain or even increase soil carbon levels. Plants serve as natural “carbon pumps,” bringing carbon in from the atmosphere by way of photosynthesis and feeding it to soil microbes in the form of exudates. In addition, plants take up and hold onto nutrients that are mineralized in the soil, so keeping living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible goes a long way to preventing nutrient runoff into local waterways.

Living Soils

By following diverse cropping rotations, keeping a living root in the ground as much as possible, integrating livestock, maintaining good soil armor, and keeping soil disturbance to a minimum, we are nurturing the soil microbiome and providing favorable conditions for the bacteria, fungi, nematodes, protozoa, insects, earthworms, and other living creatures that call the soil their home. Just a teaspoon of healthy soil can contain billions of microbes and our goal is to promote a natural, balanced environment that allows them to thrive.