Breeder Services Technician

Maple Leaf Foods Inc.; Wetaskiwin; On-site; CAD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and wellness benefits

Defined contribution pension plan

Learning and development opportunities

Tuition reimbursement program

Volunteer days

Job summary

Maple Leaf Foods Inc. is seeking a Breeder Services Technician to optimize breeder flock performance, hatchability, and egg quality across our breeder network.

You will be the main technical link to producers, hatcheries, veterinarians, breeding partners, and internal teams, delivering guidance, data analysis, and improvements to sustain productivity. You will train growers on vaccination programs, biosecurity, welfare standards, and egg quality practices, while monitoring performance and

Qualifications

• Degree or diploma in Agriculture, Animal Science, Poultry Science, Veterinary Technology, Agribusiness, or related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• Minimum 3–5 years in poultry, breeder, hatchery, livestock, or agricultural production environments.
• Experience with breeder flocks, hatching egg producers, animal health programs, or poultry systems preferred.
• Ability to interpret production data and translate findings into practical recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical representative to breeder producers on flock management, health, biosecurity, welfare, hatchability, and egg quality.
• Provide training to external grower operations on water vaccination, euthanasia, and egg grading per industry codes.
• Communicate flock performance and trends to support forecasting and planning.
• Lead investigations to resolve health, fertility, and production issues.
• Coordinate vaccination programs, disease prevention, and health initiatives.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Communication

Relationship building

Influencing

Time management

Education

Agriculture, Animal Science, Poultry Science, Veterinary Technology, Agribusiness or related field

Tools

SAP

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Opportunity:

The Breeder Services Technician is a specialized technical advocate responsible for optimizing breeder flock performance, hatching egg quality, animal welfare, and hatchability across Maple Leaf Foods' breeder network. Serving as the primary link between producers, hatcheries, veterinarians, breeding companies, and internal teams, the role provides expert guidance, performance analysis, and relationship management to drive continuous improvement and business results. Through their influence and expertise, the Breeder Services Representative helps ensure healthy breeder flocks, high-quality chicks, reliable supply, and sustainable productivity throughout the poultry production value chain.

Snapshot of a Day-in-the-Life:

• Serve as the primary technical representative to breeder producers, providing expertise in flock management, animal health, biosecurity, welfare, hatchability, and egg quality.
• Provide training to external grower operations on water vaccinations, euthanasia, and egg grading on farms, ensuring sign-off and documentation as per Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Hatching Eggs, Breeders, Chicken and Turkeys by the National Farm Animal Care Council.
• Communicate flock performance, fertility concerns, production trends, and egg grading on-farm to support forecasting and operational planning.
• Build strong partnerships with breeder producers and act as a trusted resource to drive adoption of best management practices and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Monitor, analyze, and interpret flock performance data, identifying trends, risks, and opportunities to improve fertility, hatchability, egg quality, chick quality, and overall production efficiency.
• Provide recommendations and corrective actions related to flock health, nutrition, brooding, environmental management, disease prevention, vaccination programs, and breeder performance.
• Act as the liaison between producers, hatcheries, veterinarians, primary breeding companies, feed suppliers, laboratories, and internal operations teams to resolve technical and operational challenges.
• Support hatchery planning and supply continuity by communicating flock performance, production forecasts, fertility concerns, and emerging risks.
• Lead investigations and troubleshooting efforts related to bird health, egg quality, hatchability, chick quality, fertility, and flock performance issues.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on corporate animal welfare standards, biosecurity programs, industry regulations, CHEQ requirements, and provincial hatchery policies.
• Conduct farm visits, audits, welfare assessments, and producer reviews to ensure compliance with regulatory, customer, and company standards.
• Coordinate and support vaccination programs, flock health initiatives, sample collection, diagnostic testing, and disease prevention strategies.
• Maintain accurate production, health, and compliance records while completing required SAP transactions, reporting, and documentation.
• Represent Maple Leaf Foods at producer meetings, industry forums, technical conferences, and stakeholder discussions, promoting innovation and industry best practices.
• Stay current on industry advancements, emerging technologies, genetics, nutrition, and breeder management practices, translating technical knowledge into practical solutions that improve business performance.
• Influence key business outcomes including breeder flock performance, hatchability, chick quality, animal welfare, producer success, supply reliability, and operational efficiency.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives across breeder operations by identifying opportunities to enhance flock performance, egg quality, hatchability, animal welfare outcomes, and producer effectiveness through the adoption of best practices and emerging technologies.
• Provide technical leadership and risk mitigation support by proactively identifying and addressing factors that may impact breeder flock health, egg supply, regulatory compliance, chick quality, or business continuity.

What You’ll Bring:

• Degree or diploma in Agriculture, Animal Science, Poultry Science, Veterinary Technology, Agribusiness, or a related field. Equivalent combination of education and relevant poultry industry experience may be considered.
• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in poultry, breeder, hatchery, livestock, or agricultural production environments.
• Experience working with breeder flocks, hatching egg producers, animal health programs, or poultry production systems preferred.
• Demonstrated experience interpreting production data and translating findings into practical recommendations and business solutions.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to identify trends, assess risks, and implement performance improvement strategies.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and influencing skills with the ability to work effectively with producers, veterinarians, suppliers, and operational teams.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and SAP or similar business systems.
• Valid driver's license and willingness to travel regularly throughout the assigned region.
• Flexibility to support operational and flock health requirements outside of standard business hours, including occasional evenings, weekends, and holidays.

What We Offer at Maple Leaf Foods:

• Being part of a high-performance, people-focused company that has an inspiring and unique vision to become the most sustainable protein company on earth, and a deep commitment to sustainable protein across North America.
• An inclusive company culture and a work environment that keeps our people safe, rewards excellence, and empowers everyone to learn and contribute their best.
• Competitive Health and Wellness benefits that offer flexibility to meet your individual or family needs, including programs focused on improving mental health and wellbeing. These benefits start on your first day of employment.
• Defined Contribution Pension Plan with company matching that starts on your first day of employment.
• Learning and development opportunities, including workshops, 'speaker series' events, and resources that allow you to develop your skills and progress your career.
• Comprehensive tuition reimbursement program that supports continuous learning and development of our team members through investment in eligible degrees, diplomas, professional certification, or trades programs.
• Supporting our deep commitment to community impact, we offer up to two paid days annually to volunteer at a cause of your choice.

About Us:

We’re a carbon neutral food company on a purposeful journey to Raise the Good in Food through better nutrition, safer food and workplaces, more humane animal care, and environmental sustainability efforts that protect our planet. We care about our communities and commit to reducing food insecurity in Canada. Join us on the journey. Let’s build a better future, together.
We’re passionate about food. For more than 100 years, we’ve made delicious, healthy protein that Canadians love under iconic national and regional brands, like Maple Leaf®, Schneiders®, and Greenfield Natural Meat Co.® We’re on a journey to become the most sustainable protein company – not just in Canada – but on earth.

• We are carbon neutral.
• We are one of the only food companies in Canada to set science-based targets.

We’re a global food company with approximately 10,000 team members. We operate sites in 20+ locations across Canada. We also have locations in the U.S. and Mexico, and do business in Asia.

A diverse and inclusive work environment

Championing diversity and inclusion is a critical component to advancing our collective purpose and vision, living the Maple Leaf Leadership Values, and delivering winning results. Accommodation is available upon request for applicants with disabilities in the recruitment and assessment process and when hired; please contact our Talent Attraction Team at [e-mail] .

We embrace a strong, values-based culture

Our eight Leadership Values are our north star. They guide the decisions we make for all our stakeholders: our consumers, our customers, our people, our communities, our shareholders, and the environment.

• Doing What’s Right
• Shared Value
• High Performance
• Diverse and Inclusive Teams
• Disciplined Decision Making
• Our Accountability