Department Contact: Clint Loest, 575-646-1714, cloest@nmsu.edu; Craig Gifford, 575-646-6482, cgifford@nmsu.edu

Internal or External Search: External - Open to all applicants

Advertising Summary: Two complementary faculty positions are located at the Clayton Livestock Research Center (CLRC) in Clayton, NM. New Mexico State University (NMSU) seeks two energetic, self-driven, and innovative scientists with a shared passion for feedlot research to develop internationally recognized, collaborative research and teaching programs in beef cattle production and health.

Position Details

Position Title: Assistant, Associate or Professor of Animal Science

College/Division: Agricultural,Consumer & Env Sci Col

Department: 302000-ANIMAL AND RANGE SCIENCES

Location: NMSU satellite location

Offsite Location (if applicable): Clayton Livestock Research Center, Clayton, NM

Target Hourly/Salary Rate: Commensurate with education and experience

Appointment Full-time Equivalency: 1.0

FLSA Status: Exempt

Bargaining Unit Announcement: This is NOT a bargaining unit position with American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

Contingent Upon Funding: Not Applicable

Standard Work Schedule: Standard (M-F, 8-5)

If Not a Standard Work Schedule: 

Job Duties and Responsibilities: Two complementary faculty positions are located at the Clayton Livestock Research Center (CLRC) in Clayton, NM. New Mexico State University (NMSU) seeks two energetic, self-driven, and innovative scientists with a shared passion for feedlot research to develop internationally recognized, collaborative research and teaching programs in beef cattle production and health. Candidates may bring different but synergistic areas of expertise, such as ruminant nutrition, immunology, nutritional immunology, nutrition-health interactions, or other disciplines relevant to feedlot cattle performance and health. Together, the two faculty members will form an integrated research team whose combined strengths advance both nutrition and health of feedlot cattle.

Positions are 85% research, 15% teaching
This is a unique opportunity to conduct both basic and applied research by leveraging the exceptional infrastructure at CLRC to address industry-relevant challenges while advancing fundamental scientific knowledge. The successful candidates will be expected to work both independently and as a coordinated team, demonstrate initiative in program development, and engage with stakeholders to meet the evolving needs of beef production systems. Each faculty member is expected to mentor graduate students, secure extramural funding (individually and collaboratively) for research at the CLRC, and publish research findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Research may address, but is not limited to, feedlot receiving cattle management, nutritional immunology, rumen function and metabolism, nutrient efficiency, and/or host-microbiome-immune system interactions. This position fosters collaborations and participate in activities and on research teams that support the work of the Center for Excellence in Sustainable Food and Agricultural Systems (CESFAS.)
Research responsibilities will focus on beef cattle production and health, with complementary areas including feedlot nutrition, nutritional physiology, and the relationships among nutrition, animal health/immunology, and growth physiology. The incumbent will establish a strong, independent, extramurally funded research program, while also engaging in collaborative projects with faculty in Animal and Range Sciences at NMSU's main campus in Las Cruces, NM. Research activities will be centered at the Clayton Livestock Research Center but will also include opportunities at stakeholder ranches, other off-campus experiment stations, and on campus.

Administrative leadership opportunities may include managing the Clayton livestock research faculty and staff, directing research activities, and exploring innovative ways to collaborate with existing area youth programs such as 4-H and FFA, while building a model that ensures the economic sustainability of the Center.

The successful candidate must be able to connect research objectives directly to improvements in beef cattle health and production. Additional responsibilities include advising graduate students, publishing research findings in peer-reviewed journals, providing service to professional organizations, and engaging with extension personnel, stakeholders, and allied industries.
• Develop independent yet highly complementary research programs in feedlot cattle production, nutrition, and/or health, with emphasis on (but not limited to):
o Feedlot receiving cattle management
o Nutritional immunology and diet-immune system interactions
o Rumen function and metabolism
o Nutrient absorption, partitioning, and efficiency
o Host-microbiome-immune system interactions
• Proactively integrate their complementary areas of expertise to design collaborative research initiatives that enhance the overall scientific impact of the CLRC.
• Utilize advanced methodologies such as in vivo digestion trials, cannulated animals, tracer studies, omics technologies, and in situ and in vitro models.
• Conduct integrated basic and applied research to improve performance, feed efficiency, animal health, and environmental sustainability in beef production.
• Collaborate with other scientists at NMSU, nationally, and internationally to support interdisciplinary research.
• Disseminate research findings through peer-reviewed publications, professional meetings, and industry outreach.

Teaching responsibilities:
The incumbent may teach existing or new undergraduate and graduate-level courses in their area of expertise, contribute to curriculum development, and participate in university, professional, and stakeholder service.
• Develop and teach graduate-level courses in their respective area(s) of expertise.
• Engage in online course preparation and instruction at both undergraduate and graduate levels.
• Advise and mentor graduate students in research and coursework.
• Contribute to curriculum development and innovation in Animal Science instruction.
• Enhance student training by modeling cross-disciplinary collaboration and integrating concepts across nutrition, health, physiology, and management.

The Clayton Livestock Research Center (CLRC), established in the mid-1970s, is located on 320 acres of Kiowa National Grassland within the Cibola National Forest, approximately seven miles east of Clayton, New Mexico, along Highway 56/64/412. Designed to replicate commercial feedlot conditions, CLRC has historically focused on improving the health, backgrounding, and finishing performance of newly received lightweight calves. The center also conducts specialized, professionally managed cattle feeding research for industry partners, supporting product development and generating data for FDA approvals.
Strategically situated in the tri-state region of Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico-an area known as "Cattle Feeding Country" and responsible for approximately 30% of U.S. fed cattle production-CLRC delivers high-quality research with direct industry relevance. The semi-arid climate, characterized by mild winters, hot summers, and low humidity, enables year-round cattle production while reducing the incidence of certain diseases and pests. The region's challenging environmental conditions also make CLRC an ideal setting for studying cattle health, stress, and environmental resilience.

CLRC's facilities integrate basic and applied research capabilities across the full spectrum of cattle production. The center includes 48 soil-surfaced pens (capacity for 960 animals) and 32 individual pens for controlled studies, accommodating up to 3,000-4,000 head annually in research trials. Supporting resources include 120 acres of irrigated land for forage production, 160 acres of native rangeland, and a modernized 40-acre feedlot with advanced feeding systems. The state-of-the-art feed mill is equipped for all production stages, including corn flaking, automated mixing, and precision feed delivery.

Smart Performance Pens (SPP) technology enables continuous, individual animal monitoring for dry matter and water intake, performance, and greenhouse gas emissions. Additional facilities include a fully enclosed cattle handling system, machine shops, transport trailers, ATVs, UTVs, and graduate student housing. The on-site Ruminant Nutrition and Microbiome Laboratory supports advanced chemical and microbial analyses, in vitro digestion simulations, and nutrient degradability studies-providing a unique platform for research that bridges controlled experimentation with commercial-scale application.

Qualifications

Required Education and Experience: 
An earned Ph.D. or DVM (in hand by hire date) in Animal Science or a closely related discipline with emphasis in beef cattle health, stress physiology, immunology, nutrition/production, or a closely related field. and qualifications for tenure and promotion at the rank of associate professor or professor in the Department of Animal and Range Sciences.

Equivalent Qualifications: 

Preferred Qualifications: 
• Postdoctoral training in ruminant nutrition, nutritional immunology, or a related discipline.
• Experience with molecular, omics, or systems-level approaches to animal nutrition, physiology, immunology, or related fields.
• Knowledge of beef cattle production systems, including feedlot management.
• Experience with animal models (e.g., fistulated, catheterized cattle).
• Expertise in inflammation biology, mucosal immunity, microbiome interactions, or pathogen-host dynamics.
• Demonstrated track record of collaborative research, including securing external funding and publishing in peer-reviewed journals.
• Experience managing student research projects and training students in research.
• Documented evidence of favorable interactions with allied industry, including feed and micronutrient manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and feed supplement suppliers.

Special Certification/Licensure: 
*The following documents are required. Please include on the application:
-Your resume/cv
-Cover letter
-Transcript
-Statement of research focus/expertise (2 page maximum)

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

Environment: Work involves moderate exposure to unusual elements, such as extreme temperatures, dirt, dust, fumes, smoke, unpleasant odors, and/or loud noises.

Physical Effort: Moderate physical activity.

Lifting Requirements: Requires handling of average-weight objects up to 25 pounds or standing and/or walking for more than four (4) hours per day.

Risk: Work environment involves exposure to potentially dangerous materials and situations that require following extensive safety precautions and may include the use of protective equipment.