Production Manager Job Description

Transcription

1 Production Manager Job Description Strategic Business Focus: To maintain a highly profitable business that runs efficiently through the application of practical processes and procedures, allowing the Farm Owners to concentrate on business development. Purpose of Position: The role of Production Manager is to contribute to the business objectives through focussing on profitable production of high quality milk solids while maintaining quality pasture and animal health. Working in the team environment and leading junior team members to achieve excellent farming practice. Salary Band $55K - $60K Reporting Lines: Reports to the Farm Manager and has junior reports, including the Farm Assistant and Casual Farm Assistant. Hours of Work: Period Approx Dates Approx Hours/week (estimate only, hours may vary) Early Spring: Mid-July to August 50 Late Spring: Balance of Milking season: September to November December to end of May Dry Period: June to mid-july 45 Time Off: Two days per fortnight are rostered off with an additional half day per fortnight offered at the Farm Manager s discretion for off farm training. There are also 26 annual leave days per annum. Farm Details: The farm is located 5km from Stratford township with a 96.5 effective hectare milking platform, milking 320 crossbred cows. There is also a 45 hectare runoff and all stock milked through a 40 aside Herringbone Shed. The production target is 160,000 milk solids. Accommodation: A two bedroom cottage is provided as part of the remuneration package, valued at $150 per week ($7,800 per year). Qualifications and additional Requirements: A minimum of three seasons dairy farming experience and a full and valid New Zealand Driver s Licence is required. PrimaryITO or relevant agricultural training is encouraged. Performance will be reviewed annually in February.

2 Key Responsibility Areas Milking: Critical Tasks/Measures Responsible for managing all aspects of the milking process including; Cup application and removal, plant hygiene, daily cleanliness, checking teat spray and responding to all hygiene alerts. Ensuring cows are collected and brought to the milking shed in time for milking and that the shed is set up 30 minutes prior to milking. Checking temperature of milk in the vat before and after milking. Checking water tanks at shed are full or filling before milking starts. Carrying out pre-milking checks, ensuring all rubberware and plant is in good condition. Reporting faults immediately to the Farm Manager for repair and following the farm s Best on Farm Practice System to ensure routine maintenance is carried out as required by the system. Managing a good flow of cows entering the milking shed, ensuring limited gaps in the row and correct use of the backing gate with no cows heads up so that cows enter the shed calm. Accurately putting washes through the milk vat in line with Farm Procedure. Maintaining a Bulk Somatic Cell Count under 150,000 through detecting and drafting any problematic cows with; lameness, cracked or damaged teats. Ensuring Identification of sick and mastitis cows occurs followed by immediate treatment and recording of withholding periods. Responsible for ensuring the maintenance of a clean and hygienic milking environment at all times including; Before, during and after each milking compliant with the farm s Best on Farm Practice Manual to contribute to achieving a grade free season. Immediately alerting the Farm Manager of any issues that may impact on the Thermoduric, Coliforms or Bactoscan results including, milk refrigeration, water and plant cleanliness.

3 Feed Management:. Consulting with the Farm Manager on formation of the Feed Plan. Responsible for ensuring feed allocation and management is in line with the Feed Plan, including: Carrying out weekly farm walks using a plate meter and setting of appropriate rotations and feed breaks. Reporting pasture cover and residuals to the Farm Manager on a weekly basis. Communicating pasture management or feed allocation issues to the Farm Manager and seeking clarification where required. Responsible for ensuring silage and hay is fed out in line with the Feed Plan and in consultation with the Farm Manager, ensuring feed wastage is minimised. Responsible for ensuring the silage wagon is loaded and feeding out occurs in line with the Feed Plan located in the shed. Responsible for ensuring cows have access to crop breaks at times specified by the Feed Plan, ensuring cows are then returned to the correct feed area. Responsible for ensuring no cows on the milking platform are left hungry at any time and that they always have access to water. Record Keeping & Reporting Responsible for accurately recording own hours on the daily timesheets, signing and submitting to the Farm Manager fortnightly on a Sunday after milking. Responsible for ensuring monthly Best on Farm Practice (BOFP) checks are accurately carried out and recorded in the BOFP book within the first week of each month and reporting any issues to the Farm Manager. Responsible for ensuring all animal treatments are accurately input into ProTrack when treatment is administered, detailing correct animal identification number and withholding periods. Assisting the Farm Manager to ensure that accurate stock records are kept and key events such as calving and mating dates are recorded, to allow up-to-date MINDA and NAIT history. Stock Ensuring the highest degree of Animal Welfare is carried out and maintained to ensure animals are kept in optimal health and in a productive condition, including: Responding to any downer or sick cows immediately, using appropriate medical intervention or calling a Vet/ Farm Manager, accurately recording any treatment administered. Consulting the Farm Manager in planning the animal health programme to prevent seasonal health issues such as bloat, milk fever, mastitis, calving issues and ensuring effective implementation of these systems.

4 Ensuring lame animals are drafted and treated within two days. Assisting the Farm Manager to ensure that no cows are left hungry so that a minimum condition score of 4 is maintained throughout the herd during the milking season and a minimum condition score of 5 at calving. Reporting key stock events such as deaths to the Farm Manager within 24 hours. Demonstrating stock empathy at all times, dealing with stock in a quiet and calm manner. Ensuring troughs are regularly checked and reporting all leaking troughs to the Farm Manager. Responsible for ensuring stock are always secure and placed in the accurate paddocks or breaks. Assisting the Farm Manager with all aspects of the calving season including; Accurately recording cows and calves, getting calves and cows in from the paddock, managing calved cows, drafting cows into the correct herd and all other duties that may be required. Assisting with calvings when required. Feeding and rearing calves in line with the Feed Plan when required. Assisting the Farm Manager with all aspects of mating to achieve a 90% three week submission rate and a 78% six week in-calf rate including: Observing on heat stock in the paddock two hours after milking, accurately recording and reporting premating heats. Identifying and drafting on heat cows. Asset Management Responsible for mowing lawns around the home at least twice a month and keeping the home in a clean and tidy state. Responsible for ensuring weekly machinery and vehicle checks take place ensuring all equipment and plant is in a safe and working condition, reporting any issues or damage at to the Farm Manager within one day. Responsible for ensuring oil, fuel and water in any tractor used is checked daily before operating. Responsible for operating all machinery in a safe manner minimising risk to oneself, others and stock. Responsible for regularly checking effluent ponds, reporting any areas of concern to the Farm Owner and ensuring compliance with local council regulations to minimise environmental impact. Responsible for ensuring the milking platform is kept weed free and the farm entrance is tidy.

5 Responsible for ensuring the cowshed, yard and all surroundings are kept in a clean and tidy state with all rubbish removed. Responsible for ensuring all cowshed maintenance is kept up-to-date including replacement inflation (liners) at the start of each season and at the recommended interval. Assisting the Farm Manager with repairs and maintenance to infrastructure such as buildings, fences, races and water systems as required. Staff Responsible for the supervising and directing the Farm Assistant and Casual Farm Assistant or relief milkers including: The planning and allocation of day to day work. Assisting the Farm Manager with staff performance management. Leading weekly staff meetings. Responsible in the Farm Manager s absence, for ensuring that all relief milkers or contractors are made aware of any hazards on farm and are given correct instruction and guidelines relating to their duties General Responsible for understanding and maintaining Health, Safety & Environment guidelines at all times. Responsible for using drive and initiative to develop/grow within the role while striving for sustainable business excellence. Using intiative to respond effectively to emergency situations and demanding workloads. Responsible for contributing to the team through; Liaising and communicating with the Farm Manager regarding any aspects affecting the role or one s ability to perform that role. Developing and maintaining positive and productive working relationships with the rest of the team. Being extremely punctual at all times, a strong communicator, able to plan, prioritise and execute tasks as well as admit mistakes. Carrying out of additional tasks as requested by the Farm Manager from time to time.