Farm Manager
Position Circumstances
- Career Category: Agriculture, Agriculture - Livestock, Agriculture - Animal Science
- Schedule:Full-time
- Salary: Negotiable + Based on Experience
The Integrated Poultry Operations Manager will oversee the daily operations of KJC Farm, ensuring optimal production, animal welfare, and efficient resource use. This role involves hands-on management, staff supervision, and adherence to best practices in poultry farming.
Duties & Responsibilities:
- Strategic farm leadership and operations oversight
- Provide overall leadership and oversight of all KJC poultry farm operations, including breeder farm, hatchery/incubation, grow-out farming, processing and outgrower activities.
- Oversight of KJC processing unit and Breeder Farm.
- Ensure effective coordination between breeder farm, hatchery, grow-out operations, processing and sales to maintain a smooth and efficient production cycle.
- Oversee implementation of farm systems, processes and operational plans to ensure high quality, productivity and efficiency.
- Monitor farm performance and proactively identify and resolve operational risks and bottlenecks.
- Work closely with the General Manager and technical advisors to strengthen farm systems and long-term sustainability.
- Team leadership, supervision and skills development
- Provide line management and leadership to the Breeder Farm Supervisor, KJC Farm Supervisor, Processing Supervisor and Outgrower Team.
- Build a strong, collaborative and accountable team culture across all farm operations.
- Ensure effective coordination and communication between teams to support smooth farm operations and minimise silos.
- Identify staff training needs and lead ongoing capacity building, coaching and mentoring to strengthen technical and management skills.
- Support supervisors to effectively manage their teams, set priorities and solve operational challenges.
- Monitor staff performance and ensure all employees understand and fulfil their roles and responsibilities.
- Biosecurity, animal health and quality control
- Lead and enforce KJC’s farm-wide biosecurity programme, ensuring strict compliance across all farm sites, outgrowers, staff and visitors.
- Ensure supervisors and outgrowers consistently implement best practice in poultry husbandry, disease prevention, sanitation and animal welfare.
- Oversee HACCP, GMP and other farm quality and safety systems to ensure compliance with organisational and industry standards.
- Monitor disease risks, flock health and mortality trends and implement corrective action where required.
- Ensure strong environmental health, cleanliness and maintenance standards are upheld across all facilities.
- Production planning and forecasting
- Lead farm production planning and forecasting across breeder farm, hatchery, grow-out operations and outgrower network.
- Forecast egg production, hatchability, chick numbers, chicken growth, mortality and expected market supply.
- Coordinate production cycles to ensure alignment between breeder supply, outgrower placement and market demand.
- Monitor production performance data and adjust plans to optimise productivity and minimise losses.
- Ensure accurate records and reporting systems are maintained to support operational decision-making.
- Outgrower program (oversight)
- Oversee the effective implementation and coordination of the KJC outgrower programme.
- Ensure outgrowers receive appropriate technical guidance, training and ongoing support through the outgrower team.
- Monitor outgrower compliance with KJC standards for biosecurity, animal welfare and farm management.
- Support continuous improvement in outgrower productivity, quality and income outcomes.
- Sales and market coordination
- Oversee and support the sales team to ensure sales planning aligns with production forecasts and availability.
- Coordinate closely with sales staff to forecast demand and ensure sufficient supply of eggs and chickens to meet customer requirements.
- Minimise supply shortages or overproduction through effective production and sales coordination.
- Support development of market planning and sales systems that strengthen business sustainability.
- Administration, reporting and stakeholder coordination
- Ensure accurate farm reporting, documentation and record keeping across all operational areas.
- Prepare daily, weekly and monthly operational reports, including production, mortality, biosecurity and forecasting updates.
- Contribute to management meetings, advisory committee meetings and reporting requirements.
- Coordinate with suppliers, technical advisors, partners and management to support efficient farm operations.
- Support farm visits from donors, government representatives and other stakeholders as required.
Benefits:
- Generous salary package to be negotiated depending on experience.
- Farm Manager will be required to sleep on-site. Modest accommodation will be provided.
Expected Profile of Candidates
Languages:
- English - Good
Skills & Knowledge:
General & Technical Skills
- Minimum 5–7 years’ experience in poultry farm management or agricultural operations management, ideally across multiple production stages.
- Demonstrated experience leading teams and supervising supervisors.
- Strong knowledge of commercial poultry biosecurity and poultry husbandry.
- Experience in production planning, forecasting and operational coordination.
- Experience managing multi-site operations and/or outgrower networks highly desirable.
- Ability to analyse production data and use information to improve performance.
- Strong English communication and computer skills, including Google Workspace.
Soft Skills
- Strong leadership, people management, coaching and training skills.
- Strong problem-solving, organisational and decision-making skills.
- Commitment to ethical, sustainable and inclusive agricultural development.
