Assistant farm manager

This is a full-time permanent role with a minimum guarantee of 40 hours per week. The pay rate for this position is $35.00 to $40.00 per hour, depending on skills and experience.

The successful applicant will assist with the daily management of the farm and support the Farm Manager or farm owner to ensure the farm operates efficiently, safely and productively. This will include helping to implement farm policies and plans, organising daily farm tasks, monitoring herd performance, supporting milk production targets, managing feed allocation, and ensuring animal health and welfare standards are maintained.

Key duties include overseeing milking operations, monitoring milk quality, troubleshooting issues in the dairy, assisting with drying off decisions, implementing animal health programmes, identifying and treating common animal health issues, managing calving when required, assisting with mating plans, monitoring cow condition, and ensuring accurate recording of animal health treatments and farm events.

The role will also involve assisting with pasture and feed management, including farm walks, assessing grass cover, monitoring post-grazing residuals, calculating feed requirements, organising supplementary feed when required, and helping to ensure cows are being fed appropriately to support production and animal welfare.

The Assistant Farm Manager will also assist with environmental and compliance responsibilities, including effluent management, water use, nutrient management, farm maintenance, machinery operation, and ensuring farm practices are carried out in line with workplace procedures, consent requirements, health and safety obligations, and biosecurity standards. The role requires clear communication with the farm owner, good planning skills, and the ability to step up and help run the farm when required.

Applicants must have either at least 3 years of relevant dairy farming experience or a relevant bachelor’s degree in agriculture, dairy farming, farm management, animal science or a related field. The ideal applicant will have strong practical dairy farming skills, sound animal handling ability, good knowledge of milk quality, animal welfare, pasture management and farm compliance, and the ability to make sensible day-to-day decisions on farm.

Applicants must be physically fit, reliable, punctual, able to work early mornings, weekends and rostered hours as required, and willing to follow workplace procedures and instructions. Strong time management, attention to detail, initiative, problem-solving ability and a positive attitude are essential.