Finding the right role for you

Working in New Zealand's dairy sector offers a range of opportunities for people at all stages of their careers. Whether you're entering the workforce, changing careers, or looking for your next step in dairy farming, there are pathways to learn, grow and progress.

Dairy farming offers opportunities to work with animals, develop practical skills, build leadership capability and progress into farm management or business ownership. There are permanent, casual and part-time positions available across a wide range of farm systems and locations.

While qualifications can be helpful, employers often place just as much value on attitude, reliability, a willingness to learn and a strong work ethic.

Finding the right job for you

Finding the right job in dairy farming means looking beyond the job title. The right role is one that suits your skills, interests, lifestyle and career goals.

Before applying for a role, consider:

• Responsibilities and tasks: Make sure you understand what the role involves day-to-day. Job titles can vary between farms.
• Location: How close is the nearest town? Does living and working in a rural community suit you?
• Hours and roster: Consider the roster/hours and whether it fits your lifestyle and commitments.
• Training and development: Does the farm offer opportunities to learn and grow your skills?
• Farm team: Would you prefer working as part of a team or independently?
• Accommodation: If accommodation is included, does it suit your needs or those of your family?
• Remuneration package: Is the package fair and appropriate for your experience and skills?
• Family and support network: Will the opportunity work for those who are important to you, including any employment needs of a partner?

Taking time to consider these factors can help you find a role where you can be successful and enjoy your work.

Where to find jobs

The most common places to find jobs are outlined below:

• Farm Source jobs: Create a free job seeker profile, search current vacancies and set up alerts for roles that match your interests and experience.
• Trade Me jobs: Search dairy farming vacancies throughout New Zealand and receive recommendations based on your preferences.
• Seek: Browse dairy farming opportunities and set up notifications when suitable jobs become available.
• Use your networks.

Some opportunities are found through personal connections. You may wish to:

• Contact farmers who have a reputation for being great employers.
• Let friends, family and industry contacts know you're looking for work.
• Talk to people already working in the dairy sector about potential opportunities.
• Attend industry events and connect with people working in your area.

Farm Assistant

Farm assistant is often the starting point for people entering the dairy sector.

The role provides valuable hands-on experience and on-the-job training. Typical responsibilities include milking, feeding stock, animal handling, fencing and maintaining farm equipment.

Most employers place significant value on attitude, reliability and a willingness to learn. Previous farming experience is helpful but not always essential.

Herd Manager

Herd managers take responsibility for a range of daily farm activities, including milking operations, feeding and effluent management.

They can work with minimal supervision, support and train other staff, and contribute to improving farm performance and compliance.

Assistant Manager

Assistant managers support the management of daily farm operations and help implement farm plans and policies.

Responsibilities may include managing milking operations, animal health, feed management, environmental compliance, staff supervision, machinery maintenance and health and safety.

They also play an important role in developing people, improving efficiency and contributing to farm performance.

Farm Manager

Farm managers are responsible for meeting farm goals such as production, stock, feed, environment, machinery, and people management. They can monitor, analyse, interpret, and report on appropriate benchmarks. They ensure that farm policies and plans are implemented and are responsible for managing farm expenses to meet the budget.

Operations Manager

Operations managers are highly skilled leadership roles that typically oversee more than one farm and ensure that all parts of the farm business are working efficiently towards their goals. They manage various aspects including milking, animal health, feeding, environmental plans, people management, machines, health, safety, and wellbeing. Their responsibilities also extend to financial planning and strategic business management.

Calf Rearer

Depending on the size of the farm, this role can be part or full-time or incorporated into another role on the farm. A calf rearer manages and assists with daily calf-rearing tasks to ensure all calves are treated with care and respect. Duties include feeding and handling calves, animal health, and administering mineral treatments.