Herd Manager

DairyNZ; Hamilton; On-site; NZD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

DairyNZ is seeking an experienced Herd Manager to join our team at Lye Farm, a research dairy near Hamilton. This drive-in role combines practical farming with research activities that help improve milk quality, herd health, and farm efficiency.

Reporting to the Farm Manager, you will manage day-to-day herd operations, maintain high welfare and milk quality standards, record farm data, operate machinery, and support trial protocols alongside scientists and farm staff.

Qualifications

• Two or more years' dairy farming experience with responsibility for key herd management activities.
• Strong animal health and stock management skills.
• Experience operating farm machinery and equipment.
• Confidence using farm technology and recording systems.
• Good planning, organisational, and communication skills.
• A genuine interest in research and innovation.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Full New Zealand driver licence and the right to work in New Zealand.

Responsibilities

• Milking, feeding, grazing, mating, calving, and animal health management.
• Maintaining excellent animal welfare and milk quality standards.
• Recording and managing farm and animal data.
• Operating and maintaining farm machinery and equipment.
• Supporting research activities and following trial protocols.
• Training and supporting junior and casual staff.
• Contributing to a safe, productive, and positive team environment.

Skills

Dairy farming

Animal health

Stock management

Farm machinery operation

Farm technology

Data recording

Planning & organisation

Communication

Teamwork

NZ driver licence

Job description

Full-time | Permanent
Newstead, Hamilton (Drive-in role)

Help shape the future of New Zealand dairy farming

DairyNZ is looking for an experienced and motivated Herd Manager to join our team at Lye Farm, our research farm minutes from Hamilton.

This is a unique opportunity to combine practical dairy farming with research that contributes to the future success and sustainability of New Zealand's dairy sector. You'll work alongside a skilled farm team, scientists, and research technicians, helping deliver research that makes a real difference for farmers.

About Lye Farm

Lye Farm is a working dairy farm of around 300 milking cows, set up to support high-quality research into areas such as animal health, nutrition, reproduction, and emissions reduction.

The farm includes:

• A 30-bail rotary dairy with automatic cow ID, in-shed feeding, and daily electronic milk weight recording
• Indoor housing and feeding barns, including free-stall facilities
• Systems that allow individual cow performance and intake to be measured
• On-site specialist facilities supporting milk quality and animal health research
• Work on a well-resourced dairy farm with modern systems and technology
• Contribute to research that supports New Zealand dairy farmers
• Gain exposure to leading animal health, nutrition, reproduction, and farm systems research
• Enjoy variety, challenge, and opportunities to grow your skills
• Roster: 7 days on / 2 days off, 5 days on / 2 days off, 4 days on / 1 day off

About the role

Reporting to the Farm Manager, you'll play a key role in the day-to-day management of the herd and wider farm operations. You'll be responsible for maintaining high standards of animal welfare, milk quality, herd performance, health and safety, and farm presentation, while also helping implement research protocols and collect accurate farm data. This is a drive-in role with no accommodation provided.

Key responsibilities include:

• Milking, feeding, grazing, mating, calving, and animal health management
• Maintaining excellent animal welfare and milk quality standards
• Recording and managing farm and animal data
• Operating and maintaining farm machinery and equipment
• Supporting research activities and following trial protocols
• Training and supporting junior and casual staff
• Contributing to a safe, productive, and positive team environment.

About you

You'll be someone who takes pride in producing excellent farming outcomes and enjoys working in an environment where accuracy, initiative, and continuous improvement matter.

You'll ideally bring:

• Two or more years' dairy farming experience with responsibility for key herd management activities
• Strong animal health and stock management skills
• Experience operating farm machinery and equipment
• Confidence using farm technology and recording systems
• Good planning, organisational, and communication skills
• A genuine interest in research and innovation
• The ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• A full New Zealand driver licence and the right to work in New Zealand.

Ready to apply?

If you're passionate about farming, enjoy working to high standards, and want to be part of something bigger than a traditional farming operation, we'd love to hear from you.