Farm Manager

FARM MANAGER - 1000 COW, FAMILY-OWNED DAIRY FARM, SW VICTORIA

Run the whole operation at this high-profile, Employer Of The Year award-winning dairy.

• Design your own salary package in the range of $100 - $130k including a beautiful recently renovated house on farm, super and vehicle. 
• Be rewarded and recognised for your work – We offer additional monthly $ incentives for individual achievement, as well as an annual gift such as the heifer given to all our full-timers last year.
• Work for a cutting-edge Australian farm – past awards include Employer of the Year, Herd of the Year, Share Farmer of the Year and Runner-Up in the Victorian Farm Management Competition. The farm owner is Chair of WestVic Dairies and on the Board of TasHerd.
• Enjoy autonomy – with the owner stepping back, you’ll be running the farm - managing all the operations and employees, trialling and testing new innovations and influencing future business direction. 
• Enjoy a flexible rosterthat accommodates your personal needs – we work with you to design shifts/hours that better suit your lifestyle. 
• Grow your expertise - we provide a dedicated budget for professional development, plus you’ll be mentored by an industry expert. Some of our previous employees have become share farmers whilst others now own their own farms.
• Work with modern, automated equipment and the latest tools in cow health – we continuously update our dairy infrastructure and we invest in high-tech machinery such as our robotic teat sprayer and the electronic collar ID used on all our cows for easy health monitoring and heat detection.
• Enjoy a broad diversity of experienceswhilst staying safe– you won’t be bored - work with cattle, pastures, machinery, maintenance and on infrastructure projects. We utilize Safe Ag Systems to provide the highest level of farm safety.
• Potential for work for another talented family member.
• Live in a scenic country area, on the edge of Allansford, just 10 minutes away from thriving Warrnambool, Victoria’s largest coastal city, 3 hours from Melbourne, and near major attractions like the Great Ocean Road and the Grampians. Glimpse a southern right whale, swim in the geothermal hot springs, attend the famous Warrnambool Cup race day or cruise out to see the penguin-guarding Maremma dogs on Middle Island. For more info see https://visitwarrnambool.com.au/attractions/

About Us:

Solaris Farms is a 1000-cow, award-winning dairy farm based in South-West Victoria. Our modern rotary dairy is designed for operator safety and comfort, with high-tech features like lightweight Evanza clusters, auto id, auto draft, cup removers and a teat spraying robot. We’re not like other dairy farms though. For a start, we’re family- owned and operated and our strong, people-focused values such as creating a more flexible work roster have led to us winning Great South-West Dairy’s Employer Of The Year Award twice. 

We’re focused on excellence too and always innovating everything from machinery and equipment through to our new environmental sustainability plan. Some of the awards we’ve won include Herd of The Year Award(Genetics Australia), Share Farmer Of The Year Award (Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria) and we were Runner-Up against all Victorian farms (not just dairy) in the Victorian Farm Management Competition.  

We’re also interested in developing people over the long-term. We fund courses and training opportunities, reward for achievement and some of our past employees are now share farming whilst others have gone on to run their own farms. We see our farm as a vehicle that underpins everyone’s personal success and our long-term goal is to continue to grow our herd, whilst staying at the forefront of the dairy industry.

About the Role:

With the owner looking to step back and focus more on his dairy industry work, we’re now looking for a hard-working high achiever to oversee all aspects of this high-profile dairy farm. You’ll have full control of day-to-day operations so you can decide what to do, not be told what to do. As far as the owner is concerned you’ll run the farm and he will be there if you need him (As the farm owner is also the Chair of WestVic Dairies and on the Board of TasHerd, he can offer expert advice when required).

You’ll set the schedule; select, train and inspire team members; plus continuously innovate in areas such as milk quality, cow safety and crop production. You’ll be hands-on too, working in every area of the operation. You won’t have to worry about accounts and administration though, as these will be handled separately so you can focus on the farming.

Even though we’re a large farm, we don’t have the large farm corporate mentality. We’re not looking for an industry hack, but someone who cares about people and is genuinely interested in a long-term opportunity. In return we’ll support you to learn new skills, and reward you for achievement on a monthly basis. With more flexible rostering than most dairies, you will enjoy an enviable work/life balance to pursue hobbies or spend time exploring the beautiful South-West Vic region.  

As an employer we pride ourselves on our innovative culture and encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates. You may be a high-achieving supervisor looking for that next step up, or you may be working as a manager on an existing farm, but looking for a better employer. Regardless of circumstances, this is a fantastic opportunity for someone who is hard-working and motivated and is looking to grow their skills and knowledge with a dairy industry leader.

Selection Criteria:

• Demonstrated experience and achievement in a medium or large farming enterprise. Prior experience as a supervisor or leading a small team to achieve good outcomes is desirable.
• An agricultural degree or other certification is advantageous.
• A genuine demonstrated interest in cows/other animals.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Current drivers licence and preferably your own transport.
• A demonstrated commitment to improvement and learning.
• A track record of building strong, harmonious relationships with individuals and colleagues in past roles.

A mutually agreeable start date is on offer, so if you are looking for a genuine career opportunity and would like to be a crucial member of Solaris Farms amazing team please email your CV and a cover email to *************@gmail.com