Research Associate - Poultry Handling

The role

We are seeking to appoint a Research Associate with a background in animal behaviour/welfare science to support a Defra funded project examining the welfare of commercial poultry during the catching and handling process.

The aim of the project is to compare the use of two different catching methods with regard to the behaviour and welfare of poultry during catching and handling, as well as the efficiency of the process. The project will involve conducting real time behavioural observations and collecting, analysing and reporting on behavioural and process data in situ, during catching and handling events for a variety of commercial poultry.

The Research Associate will be embedded in the Animal Welfare and Behaviour Group at Bristol Veterinary School. The successful candidate will be responsible for co-designing, organising and conducting on-farm studies, and then collating, organising and analysing the data. They will also oversee day-to-day project management, including supervising and mentoring a research technician with support from the project leadership team. The candidate will also be expected to prepare conference presentations and draft scientific papers for publication in high-quality journals

The start date will be January 2026 and there is funding in place for the position 2.5 days per week until February 2028, with the possibility of a six-month extension, depending on funding availability.

What will you be doing?

You will be responsible for the day-to-day organisation of practical work on the project, including assisting with the development of methodology, managing data collection visits, conducting data collection, data collation and analysis. Note that data collection will take place during poultry catching and handling events; the timing of these events will be outside of our control, and will often be outside of normal working hours. As a result data collection will require working some unsociable hours. You will also be expected to prepare academic papers and funder reports on the results of the research conducted, as well as conference presentations. You will work with industry stakeholders to ensure that the project runs efficiently and you will work closely with the grant holders and academic collaborators. You will be expected to ensure that all work adheres to, health and safety regulations, university policies, funder requirements, and Research Ethics Committee guidelines.

You should apply if

You have:

• Experience in observation and recording of animal behaviour.
• Experience of assessing and recording animal welfare metrics.
• Experience in handling, collating, and statistical analysis of behavioural data.
• Experience of presenting work at conferences.
• Proven track record for conducting and disseminating research demonstrated by publications.

Additional information

Contract type: Open ended (fixed funding Jan 2026 – Feb 2028)

Work pattern: 17.5 hours per week

Shift pattern: 2.5 days per week

This advert will close at 23:59 UK time on 07/01/2026

For any informal queries please contact:

Sarah Lambton

Senior Lecturer in Livestock Welfare and Innovation

Sarah.Lambton@bristol.ac.uk

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