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Useful experience for dairy farm managers includes:

• any type of farm or farm management work
• animal-handling work
• driving tractors and using machinery
• engineering work such as welding
• work as a stock and station agent – buying or selling sheep, cattle or deer
• managing others.

Dairy farm managers may do some or all of the following: 

• organise herd tests
• plan and manage the food cows eat
  
• manage the health, breeding and mating of cattle, and the raising of calves
• carry out general maintenance such as fencing and spraying weeds
  
• keep financial and farming records, and organise the farm business plan
• maintain equipment and farm vehicles
• employ and train people to work on the farm 
• interact with vets, farm advisers and other contractors
• follow health and safety and wellbeing procedures
• keep up to date with new farm technology, and ways to make the dairy farm more environmentally sustainable.

Experienced dairy farm managers in demand

Chances of getting a job as a dairy farm manager are good due to a shortage of workers and high demand for people with dairy farm management skills. There are opportunities for skilled workers throughout the dairy farming year, not just at busy times such as calving.

Dairy cattle farmer appears on Immigration New Zealand's regional skill shortage list. This means the Government is actively encouraging skilled dairy farm managers from overseas to work in New Zealand.

Large industry with career pathway opportunities

Dairy farming is a large industry employing many farm managers.

The trend for dairy farms to be run as corporate businesses means more opportunities for people with management skills. New farm management roles include operation managers, business managers and farm supervisors.

According to the Census, 26,541 dairy cattle farmers worked in New Zealand in 2018.

Types of employers and working arrangements varied

Dairy farm managers may work as permanent staff members, or on a profit-sharing contract that includes part-ownership. 

Large farming businesses often employ dairy farm managers.

GoDairy

0800 4 324 7969 - info@dairynz.co.nz - www.godairy.co.nz

Primary Industry Training Organisation

0800 20 80 20 - info@primaryito.ac.nz - www.primaryito.ac.nz

Dairy farm managers can progress into other management roles such as operations manager. Some may buy and run their own farms. 

Dairy farm managers can specialise in a number of profit-sharing and management roles, such as:

Dairy Operations Manager

Operations managers are responsible for meeting farm owners' business goals, and other farm management functions such as ensuring farms meet resource requirements.

Contract Milker

Contract milkers pay for a percentage of the farm costs (without owning the cows) and receive a set reward per kilogram of milk solids.

Sharemilker

Sharemilkers either milk a dairy farmer's cows for a profit share, or own a herd of cows and milk them on an owner's land for a profit share.

Dairy Farm Owner

Farm owners own their own dairy farm and farming business, and may employ staff to run their farming business.

Dairy farm managers need to be:

• confident and caring with animals
• patient, adaptable, practical and well organised
• motivated and able to follow a routine
• able to show initiative and make decisions
• well organised, goal focused and forward thinking
• able to work well independently, and as part of a team
• good at communicating with and managing people.