Herd Manager - South West Scotland

Herd Manager Scotland

An exciting opportunity has arisen for aHerd Managerto join our new dairy unit in South West Scotland.

NOTE You will be working directly for the farm, not through REAL Success.

Our Business & Farm

Our business was created by a group of professional farmers who came together to farm on a number of dairy and heifer rearing farms in Scotland and Ireland. Having started with one dairy farm in Ireland less than a decade ago, we are currently milking on 9 dairies, with a 10th farm being developed.

You will be working on our new 600-acre dairy unit near Dumfries. Consisting of 650 New Zealand Jersey grazing cows, who are milked twice a day through a 64-unit milking parlour. We operate on a spring block calving system, with all our records and data kept up to date using Herdlync.

Your Role

As the Herd Manager, you will be supporting the Farm Manager with the overall running of the dairy operation and taking full control of the farm when the Farm Manager is away. Roles and responsibilities will include:

Day-to-day running of the dairy farm operation, ensuring animal health and welfare is the top priority

Liaise with the management team to achieve agreed KPIs, financial budgets, and herd targets

Milking as part of a team to a high and consistent standard

Supporting the Farm Manager with all staff management of the team members and contractors, including weekly staff rotas and training.

Work in collaboration with the wider farm team regarding farm audits, cow nutrition, milk production and the fertility and general welfare of the dairy herd

Taking full responsibility for dry cow management, calving cows and colostrum protocols

Overall grazing management & budgeting

Maintain and build strong working relationships with landlords

Ensuring the farm is kept tidy and safe to operate at all times

General stockperson work including operating farm machinery and maintenance.

Our focus is our People, our Cows and Our grass. People working in our business are part of a valued team, we have a structured development program and invest in their skills with training and courses as well as working to ensure our teams are managed to the best of their interests.

Qualifications & Licenses required

A full UK Driving license.

Proof of UK right to work

Foot trimming qualification

You

The successful candidate will:

Demonstrate strong previous experience in grassland dairy management

Have experience in leading a team on a day-to-day basis to achieve agreed targets

Possess the skills to communicate and work effectively with others

Be a self starter, who has a high attention to detail and organisational skills

Have a positive attitude, who is keen to learn and develop their career

The Benefits

Accommodation is available depending on your needs

11 on 3 off working rota, with changes through peak periods

Competitive salary depending on your experience

Opportunity for a future profit share scheme

We offer a training program for all our team, which includes reviews, discussion groups, training courses and a genuine investment into your goals and development

Location

The farm is located in South West Scotland, with excellent outdoor activities especially mountain biking & hiking, respected local schools and good leisure opportunities.

If youre passionate about dairy farming, keen to play your part in a top-performing team and dont mind hard work, wed love to hear from you. Applications for the Herd Manager role with cover letters are preferred.