Ranch Veterinary Assistant - Kapiti Plains Estate Limited

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit a Ranch Veterinary Assistant on behalf of Kapiti Plains Estate Ltd to support the Ranch Livestock Manager and resident veterinarians in maintaining livestock health, herd productivity, and disease prevention. The role involves administering treatments, performing basic diagnostics, assisting with breeding programmes, and managing health records in a remote, large-scale research and conservancy environment.

Kapiti Plains Estate Limited is a public limited company, wholly owned by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). The ranch’s objective is to run as a state-of-the-art research station and a commercially viable farm. Kapiti Plains Estate Limited is located 60 km southeast of Nairobi on the Mombasa road, in Kenya’s semi-arid lands (550mm average rainfall) at an altitude of 1,650–1,900m above sea level, and is part of the Athi-Kapiti Ecosystem. Kapiti Plains Estate Limited is also home to a vast array of wildlife. These provide livestock scientists with unique opportunities to include wildlife in their research projects. Since September 2020 Kapiti Plains Estate Limited has been registered as a wildlife conservancy with the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS).

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) is an international organization working for better lives and better planet through livestock. ILRI is a member of the CGIAR, a global research alliance that works to transform food, land and water systems in a climate crisis and is the only CGIAR centre dedicated to addressing multiple development challenges through sustainable livestock solutions. 

• Administer medications, vaccines, and treatments to sick or injured livestock as prescribed by the resident veterinarian.
• Assist with post-mortem examinations and collect biological samples (blood, tissue, faecal samples) for laboratory analysis.
• Identify and report common regional diseases (e.g., tick-borne diseases, foot-and-mouth, anthrax) to the veterinarian promptly.
• Monitor animal health status daily and escalate any disease outbreaks or unusual mortalities.

• Assist with artificial insemination (AI), pregnancy diagnoses, calving support, and branding or identification procedures.
• Ensure proper animal tagging and tracking (notching, tattoos, RFID tags, ear tagging) for accurate herd records.
• Support the Ranch/Livestock Manager in selection of breeding stock, culling candidates, and sale animals.
• Maintain calving records and assist with neonatal care.

• Monitor feed and water consumption for all livestock herds and report any deviations from normal intake.
• Oversee grazing management programmes in coordination with the Ranch/Livestock Manager, including rotational grazing and supplementary feeding.
• Ensure animal handling facilities (crush pens, dipping tanks, loading ramps) remain sanitary, safe, and well-maintained.
• Assist with deworming, dehorning, docking, and hoof trimming as required.

• Perform routine treatments including dipping, spraying, and pour-on acaricides for tick and parasite control.
• Respond to livestock emergencies (e.g., dystocia, injuries, poisoning, predator attacks) outside normal working hours when necessary.
• Assist in quarantine procedures for incoming or sick animals to prevent disease spread.

• Maintain detailed logs of all treatments, medications administered, vaccination schedules, and herd health statistics.
• Update breeding records, pregnancy diagnosis results, and calving outcomes in the electronic database.
• Prepare daily and weekly animal health reports for the Ranch/Livestock Manager and resident veterinarian.
• Track mortality and morbidity rates and assist in identifying trends for preventive action.

• Support ILRI scientists and visiting researchers conducting trials on animal health, vaccine development, disease ecology, and livestock-wildlife interfaces.
• Assist in collecting and processing biological samples for research purposes following ethical and safety protocols.
• Ensure research protocols involving animals are followed without compromising animal welfare.

• Manage veterinary supplies and medications inventory, ensuring timely reordering and proper storage (cold chain where applicable).
• Participate in ILRI Kapiti staff meetings and contribute to overall station management.
• Carry out any other duties as assigned by the Ranch/Livestock Manager or Senior Manager/Head – Kapiti.

• Diploma in Veterinary Science, or Animal health from a recognised institution 
• Registration with the Kenya Veterinary Board (KVB) is strongly preferred / mandatory.

• 3 years of hands-on experience in livestock, dairy, or conservancy herd management.
• Demonstrated experience in administering treatments, vaccinations, and basic diagnostics in large-scale livestock operations.
• Experience working with cattle (preferably improved breeds such as Boran) in a ranch or conservancy setting.

• Experience with artificial insemination (AI) and pregnancy diagnosis.
• Experience working in a research environment or supporting scientific trials.
• Familiarity with wildlife-livestock interface issues (disease transmission, zoonotic diseases).

• Strong understanding of livestock anatomy, common regional diseases (especially tick-borne diseases), and treatment protocols.
• Proficient in basic computer literacy for record keeping (MS Office Word, Excel).
• Ability to maintain electronic and paper-based animal health records accurately.

Kapiti Plains Estate Ltd does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing or training). Kapiti Plains Estate Ltd also does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.