Day One Technician

Schwartz Farms

Mountain Lake (MN)

On-site

USD 36,000 - 60,000

Full time

14 days+

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Job summary

Schwartz Farms, Inc. in Minnesota is seeking a Day One Specialist to care for sows around parturition and newborn pigs through day 3. This nonexempt, full-time role supports the Department Leader in Farrowing Production and equipment maintenance, emphasizing animal welfare and accurate documentation.

The position requires attention to safety, bio-security, and teamwork, with weekend/holiday rotations as needed and the ability to lift up to 50 lbs with accommodation.

Responsibilities

Assist with preparation of pre-farrow rooms.
Induce sows.
Perform proper farrowing.
Ensure Day 1 pig care is executed.
Identify piglets needing teat access during Day 1–3.
Ensure colostrum intake in the first 12 hours of life.
Meet sow and piglet needs consistently.
Ensure piglets are with correct sow and crate as directed.
Move sows and piglets as directed.
Identify and treat sows/piglets as directed.
Feed lactating sows per protocol.
Maintain sow/piglet inventories and documentation.
Assist with power washing as assigned.
Promote animal welfare policy and report concerns.
Ensure SFI training requirements are met.
Promote safe work environment and practices.
Maintain PQA certification status.
Follow bio-security policies and procedures.
Demonstrate teamwork and collaboration.
Capable of lifting 50 lbs with accommodation.
Weekend and Holiday work rotations may be required.

Job description

Schwartz Farms, Inc.

POSITION: Day One Specialist

ACCOUNTABILITY: Department Leader – Farrowing and/or Unit Manager

STATUS: Nonexempt

POSITION OBJECTIVES AND PURPOSE:

The purpose of the Day One Specialist is to perform the daily duties associated with the care of the sow around parturition and of the newborn pig until the 3rd day of age

SCHWARTZ FARMS VALUES:

Humility: We seek to understand in order to better serve, grow and appreciate others.

Seek to Understand. We seek out others' perspectives, actively listen, maintain an open mind, and respect different views.
Embrace personal and professional growth. We acknowledge our limitations, and recognize our talents are gifts which come with the responsibility to develop and share with others.
Serve Others. We serve with generous confidence. We are committed to bringing out the best in each other and prioritize shared success over individual ambition.
Demonstrate gratitude. We express appreciation for the contributions and sacrifices of others, past and present.

Care: We foster an environment of empathy, support and thoughtful actions that help others thrive.

Build relationships. We take time to genuinely learn about the whole person, show empathy, and interact in ways that build long-term trust.
Model respect. We aspire to be good stewards of the gifts we've been entrusted with: our families, team, animals, environment and communities.
Communicate thoughtfully. We give and receive respectful, honest feedback to encourage development, knowing that caring for someone means sometimes having hard conversations.

Integrity: We strive to do the right thing, for the right reason, aligning words with actions and building trust.

Do what is right. We ensure our decisions and actions are morally-sound and reflect our values.
Be honest. We speak the truth constructively and with compassion.
Honor commitments. We practice what we preach and do what we say.
Build trust. We assume good intent in others, acknowledge our mistakes, and are genuine in all our interactions.

Discipline: We approach our work with intentionality, consistency and accountability.

Demonstrate accountability. We follow through on our commitments.
Practice self-discipline. We manage our time, energy and priorities with intention, organization, sound information and accountability. We lead with steadiness and objectivity.
Create alignment. We collaborate intentionally across teams to ensure shared understanding of goals, clarity of purpose, utilization of skillsets and coordination of efforts.
Serve courageously. We embrace work and conversations that strengthen our character and credibility. We demonstrate grit and resilience in difficult situations.

Excellence: We deliver results by relentlessly pursuing the best versions of ourselves, our work, our teams, our company and our communities.

Drive performance. We build our legacy on maintaining high standards, continuous improvement, honoring past achievements and embracing new ideas.
Develop talent. We challenge ourselves and others to develop capabilities, reach full potential and celebrate successes.
Deliver results. We strive to exceed expectations, demonstrating initiative, creative problem-solving and ownership of outcomes.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Specifically, the Day One Specialist is responsible for the following activities:

Farrowing Production:

Assist Department Leader with preparation of pre-farrow rooms
Perform inducing of sows*
Execute proper farrowing of sows
Ensure proper execution of day one pig care
Identify piglets that in need of a teat to nurse during Day 1 activities and up to the 3rd day of age
Ensure colostrum consumption in all newborn pigs in the first 12 hours of life
Ensure all sow and piglet's needs are always met
Assist Department Leader in ensuring that piglets are with the correct sow and crate as directed
Movement of animals (sows and piglets) as directed
Identify sows and piglets in need of treatment and treat as directed
Feed lactating sows per protocol and stimulate feed consumption
Assist Department Leader with maintaining accurate documentation (i.e., weekly, monthly inventory of sows and piglets)
Assist in power washing, as assigned
Advocate and engage in SFI's animal welfare policy, including promoting animal well- being, remedying circumstances which impede animal care, and properly reporting instances of mistreatment or abuse
Ensure that SFI training program requirements, and procedures are being met and followed
Ensure and promote the highest level of a safe work environment and safe work practices
Maintain PQA certification status
Ensure and maintain as directed that all SFI bio-security policies and procedures are followed and enforced
Exhibit strong teamwork, including working to achieve team goals, embracing new technologies, working on new projects,
Be capable of lifting a minimum of 50 with reasonable accommodation

Building & Equipment Maintenance:

Follow bio-security protocol
Ensure general barn cleanliness, and specifically farrowing rooms and hallways
Adjust heat lamps, as directed
Notify Department Leader with ventilation questions and/or concerns to ensure optimal environment
As assigned and trained perform maintenance task
Ensure and follow the highest level of a safe work environment and work practices

The preceding statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

Additional duties may be assigned as they arise.

WORKING CONDITIONS AND ENVIRONMENT