Jobs in Acrefair

Job Title:
Herd Manager – 600-Cow Organic Dairy

Location:
West Cheshire

Salary:
Up to £50,000 DOE + House Included

Overview:
An excellent opportunity for an experienced Herd Manager to join a progressive 600-cow organic dairy business in West Cheshire. Operating a split-block calving, grass and forage-focused system, the business is looking for a technically capable dairy professional who can take ownership of herd performance, fertility, grassland management and people.

This is a key position within the business and would suit an experienced Herd Manager or highly capable Assistant Manager ready to take greater responsibility. The successful candidate will combine excellent practical stockmanship with strong technical ability, confident use of modern dairy technology and the leadership skills required to manage and develop the dairy team.

Farm Profile:
A well-established 600-cow organic dairy business operating a split-block calving system with a strong emphasis on efficient milk production from grass and home-grown forage.

The farm has a progressive approach to herd management, with technology and performance data playing an important role in decision-making. Fertility, herd health, grass utilisation, cow welfare and operational efficiency are central to the system.

The wider farming business incorporates arable cropping, beef production and renewable energy, providing a diverse and forward-thinking agricultural environment.

Responsibilities:
• Take day-to-day responsibility for the management and performance of the 600-cow dairy herd
• Lead, organise and motivate the dairy team, ensuring clear responsibilities and high working standards
• Manage the herd's fertility programme, including heat detection, breeding decisions and AI
• Monitor conception rates, submission rates and overall reproductive performance
• Maintain excellent standards of cow health, welfare and stockmanship
• Manage cows effectively throughout the production and calving cycle
• Work closely with the wider management team, vets, nutritionists and other technical advisers
• Take an active role in grazing and grassland management to maximise utilisation and quality
• Monitor grass availability and make informed grazing decisions throughout the season
• Support forage planning and the efficient use of home-grown feed
• Use herd-management technology and performance data to identify issues and improve results
• Maintain accurate breeding, health, treatment and performance records
• Ensure organic standards, medicine protocols, welfare requirements and farm procedures are consistently followed
• Identify underperforming areas and implement practical improvements
• Train, support and develop members of the dairy team
• Assist with staff rotas and organisation of daily workloads
• Maintain excellent standards of hygiene, biosecurity and general farm presentation
• Communicate effectively with the owners and wider management team regarding herd performance and operational priorities

Requirements:
• AI trained and fully competent in artificial insemination – essential
• Proven experience working with a substantial dairy herd
• Herd Manager, Assistant Herd Manager or senior herdsperson experience
• Excellent practical dairy stockmanship and cow-handling ability
• Strong understanding of dairy fertility, breeding and reproductive performance
• Excellent grassland and grazing-management knowledge
• Good understanding of forage utilisation and grass-based milk production
• Experienced and competent using Uniform-Agri or comparable dairy herd-management technology
• Confident interpreting herd data and using information to support management decisions
• Good understanding of herd health, lameness, mastitis prevention and transition-cow management
• Previous experience of block-calving systems would be advantageous
• Experience within an organic dairy system would be beneficial but is not essential
• Proven ability to lead, organise and motivate people
• Comfortable taking responsibility and making day-to-day management decisions
• Strong communication and organisational skills
• Commercially aware with an interest in continually improving herd performance
• Reliable, practical and capable of working both independently and as part of the wider management team

Benefits:
• Salary up to £50,000 DOE
• House included
• Senior management responsibility for a 600-cow dairy herd
• Established and progressive organic farming business
• Opportunity to influence herd performance, fertility and grassland management
• Modern dairy technology and data-led herd management
• Diverse wider farming enterprise
• Supportive management structure
• Long-term career opportunity for the right individual