Herd Manager

Ready to take more ownership and build the next stage of your dairy career?

We’re looking for an experienced and motivated Herd Manager to join our small team on our dairy farm in Waitoa.

We’re 50:50 sharemilkers who care about farming well. Looking after our people, animals and land, producing high-quality milk, and running an organised, safe and efficient farm. We’re looking for someone who enjoys variety, takes pride in their work and is keen to keep learning and developing.

About the Farm

Our 109 ha flat milking platform peak milks approximately 320 cows in a spring-calving, System 2–3 operation. We have a 32-aside herringbone shed with in-shed feeding, Protrack drafting and Datamars TruTest wearable technology.

We're located in Waitoa, approximately 10 minutes from Te Aroha and 15 minutes from Morrinsville.

About the Role

This is a hands-on role with plenty of responsibility. We need someone who can see what needs doing, plan ahead and work efficiently, completing jobs properly without needing to be given every next task.

You'll be involved in:

• Milking, milk quality and dairy hygiene
• Animal health, welfare, treatments and recording
• Pasture management, grazing and feed allocation
• Calving, mating, heat detection and other seasonal work
• Effluent and environmental requirements
• Machinery operation and general farm maintenance
• Supporting less-experienced team members when needed

On rostered weekends, you'll be responsible for keeping things running to the agreed farm plan, working alongside our relief milkers. You'll need to be comfortable managing the day's jobs, dealing with the unexpected things that pop up on farm and knowing when to ask for support.

What We Offer

Total Remuneration: $90,000 per annum, with on-farm accommodation at $300 per week.

The accommodation is a tidy three-bedroom home with a renovated kitchen and bathroom, wood burner, heat pump/air conditioning and attached single garage.

We offer a negotiable roster with regular time off and genuinely value having a life outside the farm. We also want to support someone who is keen to develop, whether that's through on-farm learning, ITO training, discussion groups or other industry opportunities.

Who We're Looking For

Ideally, you'll have at least two years' practical dairy farming experience, or equivalent experience in a New Zealand pasture-based dairy system.

More importantly, we're looking for someone who:

• Is reliable, organised and gets on with the job
• Works efficiently and uses their time well
• Takes pride in doing things properly
• Can plan ahead, prioritise and use initiative
• Is confident taking responsibility and keeping things running to plan
• Communicates well and knows when to ask
• Works safely and follows good farm work practices
• Is keen to learn, open to feedback and wants to keep improving
• Cares about animal welfare and looks after the farm and equipment
• Works well as part of a small team

You'll need a current full NZ driver's licence, practical farm machinery skills and good record-keeping ability. Relevant agricultural qualifications are an advantage.

Please note: Applicants must already have the legal right to work in New Zealand without requiring employer-supported visa sponsorship. We are not an Immigration New Zealand accredited employer and are therefore unable to support an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV).

Interested?

If you're an experienced dairy farmer looking for more responsibility and think you'd be a good fit for our farm, we'd like to hear from you.

Please send your CV and a brief cover letter, along with two referees from current and previous employers.