Animal nutritionist

Animal nutritionists use their scientific knowledge to advise on the effect of diet on animal health and wellbeing

Your role as an animal nutritionist is to promote a better understanding of the effect of diet on the health, wellbeing and productivity of animals. You'll be most active in the field of agriculture, where you'll provide advice and information on animal nutrition and design and evaluate the diets of the animals in question.

You may also be involved in the production of food for zoo and companion animals (pets) and may give advice on issues related to feeding them. Some animal nutritionists choose to specialise in one type of animal.

Types of animal nutrition work

You could work in a variety of settings, including:

• animal charities
• animal welfare organisations
• freelance - working for individuals and commercial businesses
• government - advising on public health projects
• research institutions, including laboratories and universities
• the animal feed industry.

Responsibilities

As an animal nutritionist, you'll need to:

• evaluate the chemical and nutritional value of feeds, feed supplements, grass and forage for commercial animals and pets
• formulate diets and rations to maximise growth, reproduction, health and performance
• assess the relative nutritional and economic value of feeding systems
• research the effectiveness of dietary regimes
• conduct animal-based studies and laboratory trials
• support agricultural consultants in their work
• liaise with producers and clients to understand their targets and objectives, and the specific needs of the market
• monitor feed formulations to meet quality performance and animal health standards
• provide advice on nutrition to farmers, other animal owners, veterinarians and government bodies
• rationalise animal feed manufacturing techniques
• expand existing ranges of animal food products and develop new ones
• support commercial teams in producing and launching new products
• carry out sales and marketing strategies following the launch of a new product
• balance growing consumer interest in quality with the need to develop competitive agricultural systems
• maintain expertise in nutritional trends and keep up to date with regulatory changes
• use software to formulate diets, conduct research and generate reports
• investigate nutritional disorders and the safe storage of feeds, often in conjunction with veterinary surgeons.

Salary

• Starting salaries are usually between £18,000 and £22,000.
• The range of typical salaries with around three to five years' experience is £23,000 and £32,000. Sales roles and roles requiring a PhD tend to be on the higher end of the scale.
• Typical salaries for those with several years' experience are between £35,000 and £50,000.

Sales and marketing roles are usually better paid than when working directly with animals and often attract commission, in addition to a decent annual salary.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Working hours are varied and may be irregular if visits to farms or clients are required in the evening. Weekend or shift work is not common.

Self-employment and freelance or consultancy work may be possible once you've built up a reputation and some substantial experience. It may be possible or necessary to build up a portfolio career, including a combination of employment in commercial research, advising on a freelance or consultancy basis and teaching relevant courses in an agricultural college or university.

What to expect

• As a consultant it's common to work from home, although jobs are available in most parts of the UK, especially in rural areas.
• It's possible to spend much of your working time alone, with team meetings scheduled for every one to two months.
• Farm visits may be made to plan the nutritional aspects of existing animal husbandry systems, or to assess the value of a particular feedstuff.
• Clothing requirements vary and usually include a white coat for the laboratory, smart formal wear for meetings and waterproof outdoor clothes and boots for work on farms.
• Travel within the working day is often required but is dependent on the type of job. Overnight absence from home may sometimes be necessary.

Qualifications

Any of the following science or animal-based degrees may be helpful:

• agricultural, food and sports sciences
• agriculture (animal science)
• animal management
• animal production science
• animal studies
• animal welfare and behaviour
• animal/equine science
• applied animal science
• biochemistry
• biomedical sciences
• biosciences
• dietetics and physiology
• health sciences
• public health nutrition
• veterinary science
• zoology.

Professional registration with the Association for Nutrition can help to give you a competitive edge. Associate registration is available for newly qualified nutrition graduates with little or no experience.

Full registration is available for those with a nutrition degree and at least 3 years' experience, gained within the past 5 years. You can also apply for full registration without a nutrition degree, but only if you have around 7 to 10 years' professional experience.

Once registered, you'll be on the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists (UKVRN), which shows that you have met certain ethical and quality standards. See the Association for Nutrition website for further details.

Search for postgraduate courses in animal nutrition.

Skills

You'll need to show:

• an understanding of the scientific basis of nutrition
• familiarity with analysing data and writing reports
• the ability to conduct research in a safe, ethical and reliable manner
• the capability to formulate and communicate ideas
• the capacity to form long-term relationships with customers and clients
• an appreciation of the interdisciplinary nature of science and the validity of others' viewpoints
• business-management, time-management and personal-development skills
• advanced numeracy, IT and internet skills
• drive, perseverance, dedication and a willingness to work long hours.

Work experience

Experience is valued by employers and clients, particularly in related areas such as animal feed sales or practical farm experience. Having a farming background will give you an advantage.

You can approach experienced nutritionists for work shadowing opportunities or at least talk to them about the various areas of nutrition. This will help you choose your specialist area and understand current industry trends.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

You can work in a range of roles, from advisory positions and product development roles to sales and marketing jobs.

Employers include:

• ADAS
• agricultural advisory bodies
• animal and pet food manufacturers
• educational and research institutions
• government departments
• international development agencies
• Scotland's Rural College (SRUC)
• universities.

It's also possible to work as a freelance animal nutritionist, once you've gained enough experience.

If you're interested in teaching and research, you can look for opportunities in universities and agricultural colleges. Delivering health and science education in schools and colleges is also an option, for which a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) (or equivalent) would be a requirement.

Look for job vacancies at:

• Farmers Guardian
• Farmers Weekly
• Horse & Hound
• New Scientist Jobs
• Scottish Farmer

Specialist recruitment agencies handle vacancies, such as:

• Agricultural Recruitment Specialists
• De Lacy Executive

Professional development

Training opportunities may include a variety of in-house courses, as well as specialised external courses, on subjects such as relevant new legislation and scientific advances.

The speed of scientific development within this area of science means it's especially important to keep up to date through continuing professional development (CPD). You can keep abreast of changes within animal nutrition by reading technical and scientific journals and subscribing to online resources such as:

• British Society of Animal Sciences (BSAS)
• Feedinfo News Service

If you're an associate member of the Association for Nutrition, you should undertake CPD with the aim of upgrading to Registered Nutritionist status within 3 to 5 years. You will need to maintain a record of your CPD activities throughout your career.

You'll find opportunities for professional networking and for updating your knowledge and skills, by attending conferences and events organised by a range of bodies. For details of events and short courses see The Nutrition Society.

Career prospects

After gaining some experience as an animal nutritionist, it's possible to become a specialist field consultant. Alternatively, you could take on a role in technical sales or marketing in an animal feed production company within the commercial sector. Other opportunities include specialising in a particular species, such as poultry or horses.

Nutritionists who have started out with one of the smaller manufacturers can progress by moving to a larger multinational company, where there is likely to be greater scope for promotion. Another option, if you've built up a strong and loyal client base, is to find work in community development in the UK or as a freelance independent consultant.

Post-PhD careers might include research on a funded project, lecturing in animal nutrition, researching animal management for a feed additive company or product management for an international breeding firm.

With enough experience in the role, you might find opportunities available for working overseas. For example, on a ranch in the USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, or in community projects in the developing world with organisations such as Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO).