Calf-Rearing Site Manager

Calf-Rearing Site Manager — Devon

Salary: £40,000–£50,000, depending on experience
Accommodation: ;House included 
Good with calves. Confident with people. Ready to take the lead?

The opportunity

An large calf-rearing business in Devon is looking for a hands-on Site Manager to lead its team and oversee daily operations across two sites, with visits to additional farms rearing calves for the business.

The role combines practical calf care with staff management, planning and record keeping. It suits someone who can organise people, make sound decisions and take ownership of the day-to-day operation.

You will work closely with the owner, with increasing responsibility as you demonstrate competence and build the working relationship.

The operation

The business rears dairy-cross beef calves using modern housing and automatic feeding equipment.

Experience with livestock software, alongside the ability to monitor feeding performance and maintain accurate records.

Your responsibilities

• Lead and organise a team expected to grow to approximately 12–15 staff.
• Plan daily workloads, delegate clearly and check that work is completed properly.
• Remain actively involved in calf care and support the team with practical work.
• Carry out regular site walk-rounds, maintaining animal welfare, cleanliness, housekeeping and organisation.
• Oversee feeding and weaning routines, automatic feeders and calves requiring additional attention.
• Coordinate calf movements and work across the main sites and external rearing farms.
• Oversee health monitoring, treatments and medicine records under agreed veterinary protocols.
• Monitor growth, illness, mortality, feed use and rearing costs, agreeing targets and improvements with the owner.
• Maintain livestock records and help oversee biosecurity, site safety and equipment upkeep.
• Work with vets, supplying farms, customers, feed suppliers and contractors.
• Develop staff through clear instruction, practical training and consistent feedback.

What we’re looking for

You will need practical calf-rearing experience and proven ability to manage people. You should be comfortable giving clear instructions, delegating work and addressing problems constructively.

We’re looking for someone who takes ownership, maintains standards and becomes a dependable point of contact for the team and owner.

Experience with automatic calf feeders, AgriWebb and managing more than one site would be an advantage.

Your first six months

The initial priority will be to establish clear responsibilities, organised daily routines and consistent standards across the team.

Working with the owner, you will develop a practical management plan covering staffing, calf care, housekeeping and performance monitoring.

The package and progression

• Salary of £40,000–£50,000, depending on experience.
• Accommodation plans in progress, with details to be discussed.
• An opportunity to influence how an expanding operation is organised and managed.
• Increasing responsibility as the business grows.
• Scope to become involved in budgeting and cost management over time, with potential future incentives to be discussed.

Working hours, rota, weekend commitments, relief arrangements and the start date will be agreed during the recruitment process.

Candidate requirements

All applicants must hold a minimum of an NVQ Level 2, Scottish NVQ Level 2, or an equivalent qualification relevant to the role applied for. Candidates must also have the legal right to work in the UK or hold a valid visa permitting employment.