About the role#
The Quantitative Genetics Intern supports the development of new genetic evaluations for beef and dairy breeding programs. You will work with the Product Development and Innovation team to apply single-step genomic evaluation methods to phenotypic, pedigree, and genomic data. This internship provides practical experience in the development, validation, and documentation of genetic evaluations within a commercial livestock environment.
What you'll do#
- Contribute to genetic evaluations for traits relevant to internal beef and dairy breeding programs.
- Define analysis populations, contemporary groups, and model specifications with team geneticists.
- Estimate genetic parameters and implement single-step genomic evaluations using the BLUPF90 family of programs.
- Compare alternative data edits and model scenarios to determine implications for prediction quality.
- Prepare, integrate, and perform quality control on phenotypic, pedigree, and genomic datasets.
- Assess evaluation outputs for data integrity, predictive performance, bias, and biological plausibility.
- Develop reproducible scripts and workflows for data preparation, execution, and reporting.
- Document methods, assumptions, quality-control rules, and analytical results to support future implementation.
- Participate in project meetings to communicate progress and incorporate stakeholder feedback.
- Prepare and deliver a final technical report and presentation summarizing your methods, results, and recommendations.
What you'll need#
- Current enrollment in a PhD program in quantitative genetics, animal breeding, animal science, genetics, genomics, or a related field.
- Practical experience conducting genetic evaluations in livestock, preferably cattle.
- Hands-on experience implementing single-step BLUP or single-step genomic BLUP using the BLUPF90 family.
- Understanding of mixed models, breeding value estimation, genomic relationship matrices, and evaluation validation.
- Experience working with phenotypic, pedigree, and genomic data, including editing and quality control.
- Proficiency in Python for data manipulation and workflow development.
- Ability to write clear, reproducible code and maintain organized analytical records.
- Strong analytical judgment, attention to detail, and problem-solving skills.
- Effective written and verbal communication skills.
- Experience with Fortran, Linux or Unix environments, shell scripting, or high-performance computing is preferred.
Location & details#
- This is a full-time, paid, remote internship.
- You must be available to participate in meetings and collaborative work during regular Central Time business hours.
- You will receive day-to-day supervision and technical coaching from a senior quantitative geneticist.
About URUS Group
URUS Group is a holding company founded in 2018 to support dairy and beef cattle producers. Based in Madison, Wisconsin, the firm operates as a partnership of agricultural organizations including Alta Genetics, GENEX, and Trans Ova Genetics. It employs between 1,001 and 5,000 people. The company provides genetic products, reproductive services, and management information to help farmers maintain productive herds.
How to get in at URUS Group
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