Equine Research Manager

The Equine Research Manager, based at 4-Square Ranch in River Falls, Wisconsin, oversees all aspects of equine research operations, including staff management, horse care, biosecurity, research protocol execution, and facility compliance. This role bridges hands-on equine management with scientific collaboration, ensuring high standards of animal welfare, data integrity, and operational efficiency. This position also includes active engagement as a Brand Advocate with customers and industry partners, ensuring research excellence, scientific credibility, and alignment with enterprise priorities.

You must live in the River Falls, WI area or be willing to relocate.

Equine Care & Barn Management

• Along with herd health manager, oversee the daily care and well-being of 40–50 horses, including grooming, turnout, and health monitoring.
• Ensure best practices in barn management, husbandry, and facility maintenance.
• Collaborate with operations team on the maintenance of facilities including barns, arenas, pastures, and related equipment.
• Monitor and manage feeding programs in alignment with research protocols.
• Oversee and lead high standards of cleanliness, safety, biosecurity, and animal welfare.

Research Operations

• Collaborate directly with scientists to execute equine nutrition and research protocols encompassing palatability, digestive physiology, exercise physiology, breeding, and growth development trials.
• Coordinates animal usage for research projects.
• Ensure accurate, timely, and high-quality data collection and entry.
• Maintain and update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for IACUC maintenance and approval.
• Lead study setup, execution, and reporting.

Breeding & Reproductive Management

• Oversee and execute world-class breeding program- including mare reproductive health and foaling.
• Perform ultrasounds and artificial insemination procedures.
• Monitor pregnancies and neonatal care.
• Assist with selection of stallions, collect samples for genetic testing and ensure long-term success of the breeding herd.

Budgeting & Inventory

• Develop and manage departmental budgets.
• Oversee tracking and maintenance of feed, supply and equipment inventory. Optimize and utilize resource allocation to support operational efficiency.

Safety & Compliance

• Implement and enforce health and safety protocols and regulatory compliance standards.
• Conduct routine safety training and audits.
• Ensure adherence to animal welfare regulations and research guidelines.

Work Environment

• Combination of barn, laboratory, and office settings.
• Physical requirements:   work requires constant physical effort and working outdoors in varying conditions.; lifting 50-75 lbs; shoveling, sweeping, walking, catching and handling horses; operates farm equipment; work requires normal hearing and vision; exposure to rabies and other zoonotic diseases, animal inflicted injuries.
• Requires irregular hours at times, including weekends or on-call responsibilities, especially during foaling season or animal health emergencies.

Team Leadership & Human Resources

• Recruit, hire, train, and supervise an equine research staff of 5-7 people.
• Conduct employee performance evaluations and manage ongoing development (e.g., via Workday or comparable HR systems).
• Lead team scheduling, task delegation, and performance management.
• Address workplace challenges and lead critical conversations effectively.

4-Square VIP, Customer Engagement & Brand Advocate   

• Support VIP initiatives and help host on-site engagements.
• Partner cross-functionally to strengthen customer and consumer retail experience, leading to brand loyalty and product sales through the 4-Square experience. VIP customers include veterinarians, equine influencers, retail channel partners (dealers, farm and ranch, online) and horse owners.
• Brand Representation: Act as a proud ambassador for the Purina brand and 4 Square Ranch, consistently upholding our reputation for excellence and delivering a superior customer journey.
• Professional Demeanor: Maintain a consistently courteous, professional, and composed presence, even in fast-paced or challenging situations.

Personal Leadership & Development

• Conduct work in alignment with enterprise and R&D team practices and goals.
• Foster a culture that prioritizes Land O’ Lakes values and expectations across all R&D and partner functions/departments.
• Engage in professional development, training and team building as needed to be successful in role

Required Experience and Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science, Equine Science, or a related field.
• Proven experience in barn management and equine husbandry.
• Strong knowledge of horse care, behavior, and health management including recognition of problems requiring veterinary care.
• Experience managing teams and supervising staff.
• Hands-on experience with equine reproductive management (ultrasound and artificial insemination).
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills.

Required Competencies & Other Skills

• Leadership and team development.
• Adaptability and flexibility in a dynamic environment.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Critical thinking and proactive problem-solving.
• Attention to detail and commitment to data quality.
• A passion for delivering outstanding service and creating unforgettable experiences.
• Proven experience in a high-end customer service or hospitality role, with a strong emphasis on personalized guest interaction.
• An ability to connect with people and make them feel valued and heard.
• Ability to remain calm and composed while maintaining a welcoming attitude in a dynamic environment.
• Lead and embrace change, demonstrating agility to meet business needs.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills across multiple team.
• Ability to anticipate challenges and prepare accordingly with strong problem-solving capabilities.
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills across diverse operational areas.
• Computer skills MS office

Preferred Experience and Education

• Experience working in a research environment, particularly equine nutrition and exercise physiology including running horses on treadmills, utilizing an equi-ciser and familiarity with additional equine data collection systems.
• Familiarity with Workday or similar HR systems.
• Experience handling employee relations and performance management.
• Knowledge of foaling management and neonatal care.

Compensation

• Base salary is dependent upon experience/tenure and generally ranges between: $81,200 - $121,800
• Target Incentive: 10%
• In most cases, candidates offered employment can expect to be hired at a pay rate near the middle of our salary ranges.

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