Working Dairy Operations Manager
Ebert Family Farm | Byers, Colorado
Full-time, hands-on leadership position
Ebert Family Farm is seeking a dependable, highly productive Working Dairy Operations Manager to lead daily dairy operations while working alongside the team. This is not an office-only or supervisory position. The manager will personally perform essential farm duties, fill critical staffing gaps, and make sure animal care, milk handling, sanitation, deliveries, and assigned projects are completed correctly and on time.
The right person is a strong worker first and a capable leader second: someone who notices what needs to be done, keeps the crew productive, finishes unpleasant jobs, and takes ownership of the operation without requiring constant direction from the owners.
Primary Responsibilities
· Personally perform daily dairy work while directing and supporting other employees.
· Milk cows independently when needed and ensure milking procedures, udder health, and sanitation standards are followed.
· Oversee and assist with cattle feeding, movement, calf care, calving, treatments, and routine animal-health observation.
· Help with bottling, jar washing, packing, labeling, cooler cleaning, and food-processing sanitation.
· Complete or cover customer delivery routes when scheduled or when another employee is unavailable.
· Create clear daily and weekly work assignments and move employees to the next priority when essential work is complete.
· Inspect completed work and enforce standards for cleanliness, animal care, safety, attendance, and productivity.
· Assist in hiring and train employees, correct performance problems promptly, and communicate significant concerns to the owners.
· Maintain a rolling list of cleaning, maintenance, fencing, inventory, vehicle, facility, and seasonal projects so slower periods remain productive.
· Respond to weather, equipment, animal-health, staffing, and other farm emergencies as needed.
What This Position Requires
· A hands-on manager who is willing to perform dirty, physical, repetitive, and time-sensitive work—not someone who only assigns tasks.
· The ability to work independently, make sound day-to-day decisions, and take responsibility for results.
· A steady work pace and the judgment to finish work efficiently without stretching tasks to fill the day.
· The confidence to direct employees respectfully, follow up on assignments, and address poor performance.
· Strong observation skills and the ability to recognize animal illness, injury, calving concerns, sanitation issues, safety hazards, and equipment problems.
· Dependability, punctuality, honest communication, and willingness to work some early mornings, weekends, holidays, and longer days during busy periods.
Typical Work Mix
Most weeks, the manager should expect approximately 60-70% hands-on dairy and farm work and 30-40% leadership, planning, inspection, training, and problem-solving. The exact balance will change with staffing, calving, deliveries, weather, maintenance needs, and the season.
Schedule
· Approximately 45-50 hours per week under the normal operating schedule.
· Some additional hours may be required during calving, employee absences, severe weather, equipment problems, or other farm emergencies.
· The schedule will include some early mornings, weekends, and holidays because essential animal-care and milk-handling duties continue every day.
· Time off will be scheduled in coordination with the owners and available staff coverage.
Qualifications
· Dairy, livestock, farm, food-production, operations, crew-lead, or comparable hands-on management experience strongly preferred.
· Demonstrated history of dependable attendance, physical work, task completion, and leadership.
· Ability to safely work around cattle, tractors, loaders, skid steers, trailers, and other farm equipment.
· Valid driver’s license and acceptable driving record for delivery and farm-vehicle duties.
· Ability to use basic written schedules, checklists, text messaging, and simple recordkeeping tools.
· Ability to regularly lift approximately 50 pounds and work on foot in heat, cold, wind, dust, mud, and changing weather.
· We are open to either an experienced working dairy/livestock manager or an exceptional recent agricultural graduate ready to enter a structured assistant manager to manager development role. Compensation and initial responsibility will reflect experience.
Compensation
$58,000-$65,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications. Paid time off and retirement plan with matching funds. Modest housing may be available as part of the compensation package.
Selection Process
· Application and interview focused on specific examples of hands-on work, leadership, reliability, and problem-solving.
· Reference checks with former supervisors or employers.
· A paid working interview so both the farm and the applicant can evaluate the fit.
· A 90-day introductory period with clear expectations for attendance, productivity, cleanliness, animal observation, employee direction, and owner communication.
How to Apply
· Name, phone number, and current location.
· A brief work history or resume.
· A description of your dairy, livestock, farm, food-production, mechanical, delivery, or crew-lead experience.
· Your typical weekly availability and any scheduling limitations.
· Contact information for at least two work references.
· A short explanation of why you are interested in a hands-on dairy management position.
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Pay: $24.00 - $31.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- Flexible schedule
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply
Work Location: In person
