Assistant manager

Assistant Dairy Manager

Position Summary

The Assistant Dairy Manager works alongside the Farm Manager to achieve high standards of animal welfare, pasture management, milk production, staff leadership, and farm profitability. The role involves taking responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the farm when required and contributing to continuous improvement across all aspects of the business.

Farm Details

• 600-cow seasonal dairy herd
• 200-hectare effective grazing platform
• System 3 operation
• Once-a-day (OAD) milking from Christmas
• Focus on pasture utilisation, animal health, and efficient farm systems

Key Responsibilities

Milking Operations

• Assist with twice-daily milking until Christmas, transitioning to OAD milking thereafter.
• Ensure consistent milk quality and maintain low somatic cell counts.
• Operate and maintain the dairy shed to a high standard.
• Follow all milk quality, hygiene, and food safety procedures.

Animal Health and Welfare

• Monitor herd health and identify issues early.
• Assist with calving, mating, dry-off, and herd treatments.
• Administer animal health treatments under farm protocols.
• Maintain high standards of animal welfare at all times.
• Record treatments accurately and comply with withholding periods.

Pasture and Feed Management

• Assist with weekly pasture measurement and feed budgeting.
• Implement grazing plans to maximise pasture utilisation.
• Manage supplement feeding within the System 3 framework.
• Monitor pasture residuals and cow condition.
• Support silage and supplement harvesting operations.

Staff Leadership

• Lead daily tasks when delegated by the Farm Manager.
• Train and support junior staff.
• Promote a positive team culture and clear communication.
• Assist with organising daily work schedules.

Farm Maintenance

• Maintain fences, water systems, races, and farm infrastructure.
• Operate tractors and farm machinery safely.
• Ensure equipment is cleaned, serviced, and stored correctly.
• Report maintenance issues promptly.

Record Keeping

• Maintain accurate records using farm management software.
• Record animal health, pasture, feed, and production data.
• Assist with compliance documentation and audits.

Health, Safety and Compliance

• Follow all health and safety procedures.
• Identify and report hazards.
• Promote safe work practices.
• Support environmental and regulatory compliance requirements.

Seasonal Responsibilities

Calving

• Monitor springers.
• Assist with calving and calf care.
• Identify and treat metabolic disorders.
• Ensure accurate animal identification and record keeping.

Mating

• Detect heats and assist with artificial insemination programmes.
• Record mating information accurately.
• Monitor reproductive performance.

Summer

• Manage OAD milking from Christmas.
• Monitor cow condition and heat stress.
• Optimise feed allocation during dry conditions.
• Assist with supplement management.

Autumn

• Prepare cows for dry-off.
• Support body condition scoring and feed planning.
• Assist with winter crop and pasture management.

Skills and Experience

Essential:

• Previous dairy farming experience.
• Good stockmanship and animal handling skills.
• Ability to operate farm machinery safely.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills.
• Good time management and organisational ability.
• Full driver’s licence.

Preferred:

• 2–5 years of dairy farming experience.
• Experience in pasture-based seasonal dairy systems.
• First aid certificate.
• Artificial insemination and tractor experience.
• Understanding of pasture management and feed budgeting.

Personal Attributes

• Positive attitude and willingness to learn.
• Reliable and self-motivated.
• Strong work ethic.
• Calm under pressure.
• High attention to detail.
• Honest and trustworthy.
• Commitment to continuous improvement.

Performance Expectations

Success in this role will be demonstrated by:

• High standards of animal welfare.
• Excellent milk quality results.
• Strong pasture utilisation.
• Effective staff leadership when required.
• Well-maintained farm infrastructure.
• Accurate record keeping.
• Safe work practices.
• Positive contribution to the farm’s profitability and team culture.