Do you love animals? Want to work outside with a lovely herd of dairy goats? We are hiring for our future manager of our goat herd and dairy!
Job: Goat Dairy General Manager
Description: Our small, family owned goat dairy is looking for a hard working individual to join our team for the long run as our goat herd and dairy manager. We will be milking our friendly and adorable herd of Lamancha goats and are expecting over 1110 kids in 2025 (currently have 90 already born). If you love animals, thinking outside the box, working outdoors and are looking for a job that is self-guided and dynamic, this could be the right fit for you.
General Description
The Dairy General Manager is responsible for the day-to-day and long-term management of all aspects of the dairy farm operation of Stepladder Creamery. This includes but is not limited to: herd management, animal health, birthing, supply/feed inventory management, dairy budgeting, and personnel management. This position will interview, hire, train, schedule, manage, cover shifts, and, if necessary, terminate milking staff in cooperation with the Director of Business Operations and the owners of the business.
Estimated and Expected Hours of Work:
The hours listed below are in accordance with a full-time position. This position requires flexibility to handle emergencies based on the needs of the herd and season.
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Spring (Kidding & Bottle-Feeding Season): 40–70 hours/week; on-call as needed
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Summer–Fall (Post-Kidding, Once-Daily Milking): 40-60 hours/week; on-call as needed
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Winter (No Milking): 30–40 hours/week; vacation encouraged during this time; on-call as needed
Weekends:
This role requires regular weekend and holiday work as needed.
Compensation & Benefits
Compensation:
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Compensation to range from $22-$30/hour depending on the experience of the applicant and the arrangement of the on-site housing agreement. Specifics are to be determined in the hiring process.
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Overtime observed in accordance with California labor laws
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Two weeks of paid vacation per year. Vacation accrues over time (.0384 hours accrued/hour worked) and must be taken during the off-season (Winter/No Milking).
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Additional unpaid time off / sick time time may be available, subject to prior approval
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401K match up to 4%
Additional Benefits:
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Potential for onsite housing: There is a small 2 bedroom home that is potentially available for the right candidate. Specifics are to be arranged with the owners.
Requirements: The right candidate must love animals, have a positive attitude, be hard working and extremely reliable. They must be able to lift 75 pounds and be able to work both independently and as a team. They must be able to work early mornings and evenings and have reliable transportation. Due to the nature of animal husbandry we have a firm schedule and do not have the flexibility to offer time off during the kidding season once committed; any time off during this extremely busy period (February-May) must be negotiated during the interview. During the milking season we have a little more flexibility for shift coverage but there is a limit and we ask that whenever possible time off that spans for more than a couple days is taken during the off-season (December-early February).
Responsibilities
Dairy
Budgeting
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Work with the Director of Business Operations and owners to set a course for the yearly budget.
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Administer team scheduling and herd health needs within the pre-established budget.
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Monitor staffing time and self-scheduled time to ensure profitability and efficiency.
Management of Milking & Staff
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Train and schedule all shifts for dairy staff.
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Create schedules to ensure all aspects of the dairy are covered.
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Conduct regular and unscheduled check-ins to monitor standards for animal care, workflow, and time management.
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Communicate all dairy updates and treatment plans clearly and concisely to staff.
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Perform milking duties 4–6 times/week.
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Cover shifts as needed.
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Foster a meaningful work environment for staff.
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Collaborate with other departments to ensure tasks are completed.
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Communicate effectively as a team leader.
Cleaning and Maintenance
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Maintain cleanliness and functionality of dairy equipment and vehicles
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Establish a schedule to ensure regular cleaning of pens and milking parlor
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Maintain gates, fences, barns and equipment associated with the dairy
Facility Organization
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Keep the dairy facility clean and organized.
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Stock necessary supplies using a company credit card
Tour Program Awareness and Accomodation
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Maintain awareness of and make accommodations for the needs of the tour program whenever possible. This may include and is not limited to:
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Keeping the pen, parlor, ect. as clean as possible for tour guests
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Goat pens are organized and created with tour program guest access and safety in mind whenever possible
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Scheduling pen scrapes and other duties around the tour program to ensure that goats are available for visiting when tours are being led
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Regular communication is maintained with the tour program to address concerns, issues, changes, and/or updates
Goats
Feeding & Pasturing
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Feed hay and ensure consistent stock of feed.
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Maximize use of all pastures whenever to encourage foraging and cut down on feed costs whenever possible
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Ensure water sources are functional and clean.
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Water pastures as necessary.
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Ensure mineral supplments are replenished.
Health & Milk Production
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Maintain vaccines and medications in stock.
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Schedule worming and vaccinations.
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Record weight measurements and maintain health records.
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Trim hooves according to schedule.
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Prevent and control mastitis.
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Optimize milk production through breeding, health, and nutrition strategies.
Mastitis Prevention & Detection
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Run herd samples to diagnose and treat mastitis cases.
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Submit lab samples and interpret results for treatment plans when needed.
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Keep detailed records and maintain schedules for herd health.
Breeding
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Plan pairings and timing for breeding.
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Develop bottle-feeding schedules and oversee weaning.
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Consider how breeding impacts overall business operations (e.g., cheese production schedules).
Kidding
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Lead the kidding season team and manage all births, including late-night oversight.
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Oversee cauterization, vaccination, and castration schedules.
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Manage all aspects of kidding season logistics.
Animal Sales and Purchasing
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Set pricing for goats based on market value
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Sell all goats by utilizing Craigslist, the Stepladder website, and any other means available in order to ensure that available animals are rehomed as soon as possible
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Arrange goat pick-ups with customers. Train staff redundancy to arrange for pick-ups during your days off if necessary
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Arrange for purchasing of stock whenever necessary (bucks, milking does, etc.)
Animal Care
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Feed all animals as necessary (including dogs, pigs, cows etc).
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Maintain dog supplements and medications.
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Buy and sell goats as needed to maintain herd balance.
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Feed all animals as needed on farm (watch Jack & Michelle's pets if gone)
Additional Requirements
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Manage Kidding Season Challenges: Handle the ups and downs of animal husbandry, including managing workloads, resolving unexpected issues, and maintaining a positive and productive environment during this demanding period.
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Punctuality and Reliability: Show up on time and adhere to scheduled hours to ensure the smooth operation of the dairy.
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Leadership and Oversight: Act as a leader for your team, providing regular check-ins, guidance, discipline, and clear direction to ensure all tasks are completed efficiently and to a high standard.
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Animal Health Decisions: Make critical decisions regarding animal health, including difficult life-and-death choices, with the welfare of the herd and farm operations in mind.
