production manager

Herd Manager / Senior Herdsperson

We are looking for a cow focussed Senior Herdsperson to join our mixed dairy and arable business near Thrapston, Northamptonshire.

The Business

We calve our 380 Hol/Fr cows between April and September and they are milked twice daily through a 30/30 GEA parlour. We graze cows during spring and summer and achieve 9,800litres/head at 4.42% BF & 3.65% P and with an average SCC of 175 & Bactoscan of 32 throughout the year. Following development of our greenfield dairy site in 2012, we have continued to invest in cow accommodation and comfort including extensive handling facilities, a hydraulic foot trimming crate, cow brushes and rubber matting. We fully utilise technology such as ACR’s on the parlour to assist in effective and efficient milking along with technology such as Auto-ID, linked to an automated segregation gate and footbath. Cow Manager activity collars are used to monitor activity, heat detection and health and support us in achieving a key technical metrics including 384-day Calving Interval. All calves and replacement heifers are reared on farm and we are pro-active in our management and elimination of endemic disease such as Johnes, BVD & IBR. We farm over 1000 acres with a mixture of short-term grass and maize forages along with wholecrop and combinable cereals which means roughly 60% of our cow diets are homegrown. We graze our cows during the spring and summer, which meets the requirement of our Arla premium milk contract and during winter, we feed a TMR. The business has grown and evolved considerably over the past 4 years and we are now looking to stabilise, and focus on managing the cows to there full potential.

The Role

Along with being a key member of the senior farm team, leading our skilled dairy team of 6 and taking responsibility for daily workload planning, prioritisation, and coordination you will also work hands-on with cows on a daily basis. We already have established ways of working, designed to reduce stress on people and cows but you will be encouraged to challenge and change these for the better, whilst retaining our core principles of simplicity and an unwavering attention to detail. You will be actively involved in cow management, milking, reproduction and health, along with undertaking emergency foot trimming and relief AI cover as required. A key part of the role includes inputting, recording and reviewing cow management and farm data via Uniform Agri, completion of the Kite Milk costings and regularly joining discussions with our consultant to agree and review targets in key cow performance areas.

The Person:

You will be a natural leader with proven people management experience and the ability to effectively communicate, influence and inspire. You will be proactive in your management of people and will want to ensure that the team work collaboratively and cooperatively for the benefit of continuous improvement in cow production, health and welfare. You will have extensive experience in cow management and health, ideally qualified and regularly undertaking both foot trimming and AI, as although we fully utilise RMS service and enlist the support of an external foot trimmer, we do also undertake some of this work in house.

Rewards include: We are offering a starting package of up to £45,000 plus a 3-bed family home on site, along with 28 days paid annual leave per year and pension contributions. After a period of settlement in the business and based on proven delivery in the role we will offer a significant financial incentive and the opportunity to grow the role, potentially including a profit share option if this was of interest. In return you will work between 55-60 hours per week, on a 11on, 3 off rota with most of the team choosing a 3-day weekend each fortnight. We are flexible about the exact structure of the working week and package, keen to ensure it attracts a candidate who aligns with our values and provides sustainable, long-term benefit for them, their family and our business.

Location: We are 5 miles SE of Thrapston in a rural location but with good access to major road networks. The village has a local friendly pub serving good food and a village shop is approx. 3 miles away. A range of supermarkets and retail outlets are all available in a 5-8 mile radius of the farm. The primary school is 3 miles away and there are 3 sought after secondary schools within 10 miles.

What Next: Please apply by submitting a detailed CV to Indeed via the link. Alternatively, if you would like more information or would like to confidentially discuss your suitability for the role, contact Becki on 07595 415756

Additional information

Please note, the employer does not have the sufficient licences to offer sponsorship under the Skilled Worker Visa.

*Kite Consulting supports farmers with the recruitment process, we do not act as a recruitment agency. If you are successful and offered a role you will be employed and paid directly by the farm business.*

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: Up to £45,000.00 per year

Application question(s):

• Do you hold a UK Driving Licence?
• How many years of dairy farming experience do you have?
• This the employer is not licenced to provide sponsorship under the Skilled Worker Visa, please confirm you do not require a visa by answering 'no' to this question.
• Please confirm the best email and phone number should we need to contact you about your application

Work authorisation:

• United Kingdom (required)

Work Location: In person

Reference ID: Herd Manager / Senior Herdsperson - Williams