Livestock / Lairage Assistant

Pilgrim'S Europe; Llanidloes; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Pilgrim's Europe is seeking a hands-on Livestock / Lairage Assistant to support the Livestock Manager in running the lairage and livestock operations on site in Wales. The role involves coordinating daily tasks, ensuring welfare checks, and maintaining accurate records to meet kill plans.

The ideal candidate has experience with livestock (sheep/lambs), strong organisational and supervisory skills, and flexibility for early starts, weekends and on-call duties as seasonal demand requires.

Qualifications

• Experience working with livestock, ideally sheep/lambs.
• Experience or confidence to step up and cover a management role when required.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to work to tight kill plans.
• Knowledge of animal welfare, lairage operations, livestock and carcasses legislation live and dead.
• Excellent communication skills for dealing with farmers, hauliers and internal teams.
• Good IT/admin skills - Excel, email, industry databases.
• Full driving license.
• Flexible to work early starts, evenings and weekends; potential call out to site out of hours.
• Previous supervisory or team leader experience.
• Knowledge of disease restrictions, biosecurity and livestock movement licensing laws.

Responsibilities

• Day-to-day oversight of lairage operatives and operations, relevant training documents, allocate tasks, monitor performance, and ensure welfare checks, penning, and cleaning are completed to standard daily.
• Liaise with farmers and hauliers regarding deliveries.
• In the event of being short staffed, cover all areas of lairage including stunning/booking in as needed.
• Resolve issues with complaints or rejected carcasses, pathology queries or documentation/deliveries.
• In the manager's absence cover the Livestock Manager when required.
• Act as the main point of contact for lairage.
• Manage lamb bookings to meet daily/weekly kill plan.
• Liaise with Production/Sales Manager to confirm numbers and specs required.
• Monitor lamb bookings so lairage capacity and daily sales requirements are met.
• Support stock reconciliations and audits; ensure traceability.
• Maintain professional relationships with suppliers.

Skills

Livestock handling

Supervisory experience

Welfare knowledge

Communication skills

IT skills

Tools

Excel

Email

Industry databases

Job description

Job Title: Livestock / Lairage Assistant

Reports to: Livestock Manager

Hours: Full-time.

Early starts, weekends, evenings and some bank holidays required to meet seasonal demand. Being contactable and flexible with working hours is essential.

About the Role

We are looking for a hands‑on and reliable Livestock / Lairage Assistant to support our Livestock Manager with the smooth running of our lairage & livestock operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Day‑to‑day oversight of lairage operatives and operations, relevant training documents, allocate tasks, monitor performance, and ensure welfare checks, penning, and cleaning are completed too standard daily.
• Liaise with farmers and hauliers regarding deliveries
• In the event of being short staffed, being able to cover all areas of lairage is key, full WATOK will need to be obtained along with other roles i.e stunning / booking in.
• Resolve any issues, with complaints or rejected carcasses, pathology queries or any discrepancies with documentation/deliveries
• In the managers absence on some occasions you may be required to cover the Livestock Manager in their absence whilst they are on annual leave and attending offsite work commitments.
• Act as the main point of contact for lairage
• Manage lamb bookings to meet daily/weekly kill plan
• Liaise with Production/Sales Manager to confirm numbers, and specs required
• Monitor lamb bookings so lairage capacity and daily sales requirements are met
• Support with stock reconciliations and internal/external audits and traceability
• Liaise with farmers and hauliers regarding deliveries
• Maintain professional relationships with suppliers

Person Specification

• Experience working with livestock, ideally sheep/lambs
• Experience or confidence to step up and cover a management role when required
• Strong organizational skills and ability to work to tight kill plans
• Knowledge of animal welfare, lairage operations, livestock and carcasses legislation live and dead
• Excellent communication skills for dealing with farmers, hauliers and internal teams
• Good IT/admin skills - Excel, email, industry databases
• Full driving license
• Flexible to work early starts, evenings and weekends. Potential call out to site out of hours. On farm visits and lamb grading/selection will be required as well as any on farm follow ups
• Previous supervisory or team leader experience
• Good Knowledge of disease restrictions, biosecurity and livestock movement licensing laws