Undergraduate Employee – K-State Meat Lab

• Opportunities:
  • Gain experience working in a federally-inspected food processing facility
  • Gain experience in livestock processing, fabrication, and harvest
  • Learn and apply proper food processing facility sanitation procedures
  • Learn USDA regulations regarding meat safety and wholesomeness
  • Gain hands-on experience with HACCP and gain valuable, sought-after skills regarding critical control point monitoring and validation
  • Learn anatomy and major muscle groups of all major species as well as the value of each
  • Gain customer service experience in meat sales
  • Work in meat marketing for sales of meat directly to the public
  • Gain an understanding of meat labeling regulations and guidelines - Help be prepared for a wide variety of careers including those in – meat processing, livestock production, marketing, sales, food inspection, graduate school, animal health, and veterinary medicine.
  • Student Skill Set: Good work ethic and reliable
  • Hours per week: 10 to 30 hours
  • May include weekend and/or holiday work: No
  • Eligible for work-study: Yes

For more information or to apply contact – John Wolf, Meat Lab Manager, or 785-532-1279

Student Employee

The K-State Dairy Plant is seeking motivated undergraduate students to join our production team at our new one-of-a-kind, state-of-the-art dairy processing plant. Student employees will play an essential role in producing high-quality milk, cheese, and ice cream for both internal and external customers. This position offers hands-on experience in food production, sanitation, and distribution while working alongside industry professionals in a fast-paced, learning-forced environment.

• General Responsibilities:
  • Milk, cheese, & ice cream production – Assist with processing & packaging.
  • Sanitation duties – Clean floors, pipes, tanks & other production equipment.
  • Product deliveries – Deliver milk and other dairy products as needed.
  • Equipment operation – Use plant equipment safely and efficiently.
• Hours per week: 10-25 per week available
• Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
• May include weekend and/or holiday work: No
• Start date: Start of any University pay period
• Eligible for work-study: Yes
• Requirements: Valid driver’s license for potential vehicle use.
• For more information or to apply contact – Jared Parsons, KSU Dairy Plant Manager, or 785-532-1293

Please include a current resume highlighting your agriculture and/or food production experience, as well as your current class schedule.

Student Employee

• General Responsibilities: Serve customers in a fast-paced setting, stock shelves, handle cash, and clean.
• Hours per week: 10-15
• May include weekend and/or holiday work: Will include weekend work in 2027.
• Start date: September 1
• Eligible for work-study: Yes
• For more information or to apply, contact: Anthony Fink, anthonyfink@ksu.edu

Applied Swine Nutrition Team Undergraduate Student Employee

• • General Responsibilities: Undergraduate students will assist swine-focused graduate students with their research projects. Work will occur at the swine research facilities, in the swine lab, and/or other locations where graduate students are conducting research trials.
    • Data collection
    • Analysis of swine related research projects.
    • Activities associated with securing optimum health and wellbeing of pigs (feeding, watering, pig treatments, barn sanitation, etc).
  • Hours per week: Up to 20 per week available
  • May include weekend and/or holiday work: Yes
  • Start date: Negotiable
  • Eligible for work-study: Yes

For more information or to apply contact – Katelyn Gaffield, or 815-592-5189

Student Employee

• Assist in the daily feeding, treatment of cattle, help with research projects as well as regular facility up-keep.
• Opportunities for career advancements and personal growth
• Expected hours/week: 10 to 30 per week

For more information on employment opportunities contact: 785-532-1287

Bill Hollenbeck (Manager) - willia6@ksu.edu
Colton Weir (Assistant Manager) - colton46@ksu.edu
Tim Kessen (Assistant Manager)- tkessen@ksu.edu

Undergraduate Research Assistant

• • General Responsibilities: Infrastructure maintenance and improvement: fences (electric and barbed wire), livestock working facilities, equipment and water development. Land stewardship: tree and brush removal.
  • Hours per week: 30 hours
  • May include weekend and/or holiday work: Yes
  • Start date: Start of any University pay period
  • Eligible for work-study: Yes

For more information or to apply contact – Jack Lemmon, or 785-569-1407

Please include a current resume highlighting your animal and/or agriculture industry experience, and your current class schedule.

Undergraduate Employee

The K-State Dairy Teaching and Research Center is hiring students for the spring semester. Students will be responsible for helping with routine dairy activities, including milking cows, feeding calves, cleaning pens, and other general herd care. Help is needed Monday-Friday plus rotational weekends.

Interested students should contact Matt Schapeler, KSU Dairy Farm Manager, at mschapeler@ksu.edu.

• General Responsibilities: Dairy Teaching and Research Center student employees assist with milking cows, feeding calves, cleaning pens, and other general herd care.
• Hours per week: 30-40 per week available
• May include weekend and/or holiday work: Yes
• Start date: Start of any University pay period
• Eligible for work-study: Yes

The dairy is also looking for students with extensive equipment experience (tractors, skid loaders).

For more information or to apply contact – Matt Schapeler, K-State Dairy Farm Manager

Please include a current resume highlighting your animal and/or agriculture industry experience, your summer class schedule if applicable, and any conflicts that may require time off (weddings, travel, etc.).

Student Employee

• General Responsibilities: Mowing, grounds maintenance, repairing and building pipe fence, operating agricultural equipment, perform general maintenance of small engines and ag equipment.
• Hours per week: 20-30 hours
• May include weekend and/or holiday work: Occasional/as needed
• Start date: Start of any University pay period
• Eligible for work-study: No

For more information or to apply contact – Eli Sheppard, eshepp@ksu.edu or 785-410-0851

For more information on employment opportunities contact – Sterling Buist, or 785-313-3323.

The K-State feedlot is looking for undergraduate employees to assist in the deconstruction of the facility as we work towards the rebuild of a modern feedlot.

Responsibilities:

• Assist in the deconstruction and cleaning of pens and barns at the feedlot
  • Proficient skid steer skills a plus or willingness to learn
• Perform general maintenance and upkeep of equipment and facilities
• Occasional cattle handling to assist researchers in processing and collecting data on cattle at the feedlot intake center
• Assist in feed batching and delivery

Hours per week: 15-30 per week available

May include weekend and/or holiday work: Yes

Start date: Start of any University pay period

Eligible for work-study: Yes

Please contact Tim Kessen at tkessen@ksu.edu

Please include a current resume highlighting your animal, equipment, and general agricultural experience your current class schedule, and the number of desired hours to work weekly.

Student Employee

• General Responsibilities: Daily poultry husbandry, chores, assistance with event set-up, egg processing, outdoor maintenance, etc.
• Hours per week: 8 to 20
• May include weekend and/or holiday work: Yes, weekend work
• Start date: Flexible
• Eligible for work-study: Yes

For more information or to apply contact – Dr. Scott Beyer, Assoc Professor - sbeyer@ksu.edu
Molly Brown, Graduate Teaching Assistant - molly75@ksu.edu

Marketing Student Assistant
Position Overview

The Purebred Beef Unit Marketing Student Assistant will support the daily recordkeeping and herd management needs of the Purebred Beef Unit while assisting with marketing, communications and sale preparation for the annual K-State Legacy Bull Sale. This position requires strong attention to detail, an understanding of beef cattle breed associations and registration processes, and the ability to maintain accurate records. The student will also contribute to the development of sale materials, data collection and marketing efforts to support the success of the Legacy Sale.

Primary Responsibilities
Purebred Beef Unit

• Update fall and spring herd inventories
• Create calving books with each association
• Help collect and send in DNA on calves
• Register calves with each association
  • Correct DNA issues/ ensure parentage
  • Name calves
  • Order AI certificates
• Record any other information (weaning weights, dispersals, etc.)
• Work alongside a graduating student worker to ease transition into this role

Marketing & Communications for Legacy Sale

• Work to develop “Lot of the Day” order leading up to sale
• Help to print sale day materials (supplement sheet, feed trial/feed efficiency data, etc.)
• Review catalog data before print to ensure accuracy
• Help to update catalog mailing list
• Help to gather sale data (averages, top buyers, etc.) to send to social media, breed associations, etc.
• Gather association member numbers of buyers from Livestock Sales class finance committee for registration paper transfers
• Help to keep accurate data from sale (credits, association numbers, etc.) for shared usage between class and Purebred Unit for Legacy Sale purposes
• Will help with social media and photography for the sale if time allows

Qualifications

• Major in Animal Science, Agribusiness or Agricultural Communications preferred
• Freshman or sophomore preferred with interest in staying through to graduation, helping to transition with next student successor
• MUST HAVE a strong understanding of breed associations, DNA process, data entry, EPD’s, etc.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Experience with media design platforms (e.g., Canva, Adobe Creative Suite)
• Interest in photography and/or social media marketing
• Organized, dependable, and able to work independently
• MUST BE AT THE LEGACY SALE ON MARCH 5, 2027

To apply for this position, email resume and cover letter to BOTH, Christian Magana (cjmagana@ksu.edu) and Madie Marshall (madiemarshall@ksu.edu) no later than November 29th.

Undergraduate Student Employee

• • General Responsibilities: Daily animal care (feeding, health management, lambing/kidding, etc.) facility maintenance, assist with research and extension activities. Students with equipment experience (tractors, skid loaders, etc.) specifically needed!
  • Hours per week: 5-30 hours (flexible depending on students schedule)
  • May include weekend and/or holiday work: Yes
  • Start date: Anytime
  • Eligible for work-study: Yes

For more information or to apply contact – Elaine Cockroft, Farm Manager: elaine21@ksu.edu or 785-534-7595

No Current Openings for Fall 2026