Bring your experience to our team
We are needing an assistant manager for our new farming role between Te Awamutu and Otorohanga. The farm is 195 hectares, 590 Jersey cows, A2 milk. The farm is rolling to steep terrain with a strong focus on managing the grass with the cows. The cowshed is a 44 aside herringbone with ACRs on the back 20 sets and meal feeding. Good staff room. The owners have been on farm for 30 years and it has grown over time, with two underpasses and good farm races. We are taking on the farm as contract milkers with high targets, with the tools and skill set to achieve. We need a competent Assistant manager to work with us, with the same ambition for farm success. Applicant needs to be proficient in all matters of dairy farming, including but not limited to: - Milking cows in a herringbone cowshed, good with numbers. - Identifying, preventing and treating mastitis, lameness, milk fever, and typical dairy cow ailments in New Zealand dairy farming systems. Safe handling, fetching and following skills. - Good at identifying calved and calving cows, and identifying on-heat cows for mating. - Calf handling and management. - Measuring grass with a plate meter, accurately setting up temporary fences on rolling terrain. - Safe movement and setup of effluent spreading equipment, travelling irrigator. - Maintenance of stock water, repair of water pipes and ballcocks. - Operation of tractors, feed wagon feeding out maize and grass silage, operation of bale feeder on rolling terrain. - Competency on motorbikes both 2 and 4-wheelers, towing trailers and spreaders. - Health and safety active, helmet wearing, PPE and safety conscious. - Ability and prepared to teach skills to assistants and relief staff. - Ability to run the farm in absence of employer. - Strong communication skills. We have taken on a second job and are still managing the farm we have been on for 5 years. We are moving to the new job (this one) and need a strong 2IC to work with us and be able to focus on this farm and allows us time to still oversee the other one. We have a manager for that farm but we will need to still cover their time off. Basically needing to have the skills to run the farm if we are not there, with the support and systems to be able to. There is the potential for relief work for a partner. Please only apply if you are in New Zealand, have experience in New Zealand, can work in New Zealand without needing an accredited employer for immigration, and are results focused. Fair package. Farm Size (ha): 195 Peak Herd Size (cows): 600 Typical On-farm Staff: 3 Position Start Date: 01/06/2026 Accommodation available: 3 bedroom brick house with fireplace Hour Type: season Average Hours Per week: 60 Roster: Single rotation - 11 Days on / 3 days Off Remuneration paid by: Total Package Value (e.g. Salary and/or benefits)