Director of Cattle Operations – The 808 Ranch

King Ranch® Institute for Ranch Management; Missouri; On-site; USD 140,000 - 195,000; Full time

Job summary

The 808 Ranch is seeking a Director of Cattle Operations to lead all cattle production across three locations. The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on ranch oversight, focusing on breeding programs, herd health, and data-driven decision making to drive profitability and animal welfare.

You will manage budgets, implement nutrition and forage programs, and collaborate with marketing to showcase content across platforms.

Qualifications

• Experience leading seedstock or commercial cow-calf operations.
• Knowledge of cattle reproduction, herd health, nutrition and marketing.
• Ability to prepare and interpret strategic financial reports and ROI analyses.
• Willingness to travel between AR and MO locations and industry events.

Responsibilities

• Lead multi-location cattle operations and manage breeding programs.
• Develop herd health, vaccination, and record-keeping protocols.
• Coordinate nutrition programs and forage management with Land & Stewardship.
• Oversee cattle movement, inventory, and welfare standards.
• Collaborate with Marketing to capture content for The 808 Ranch platforms.
• Lead genetics and sales planning with Genetics Program and Sales Manager.
• Develop annual budgets and multi-year financial projections.
• Recruit and develop the cattle team and enforce safety standards.

Skills

Leadership

Seedstock experience

Financial reporting

People management

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

EPD data

Genomics data

Performance records

Job description

Position Title: Director of Cattle Operations

Name of Ranch/Business: The 808 Ranch

Location: Southwest City, Missouri

Position Description

The Director of Cattle Operations leads all aspects of cattle production and ranch-based livestock operations for The 808 Ranch. The position oversees commercial cow-calf and Angus seedstock programs; establishes production and financial plans; manages personnel, systems, and resources; and ensures cattle are managed with exceptional standards of animal welfare, productivity, and stewardship. The Director of Cattle Operations will also identify, evaluate, implement, and optimize technologies that improve cattle performance, labor efficiency, data accuracy, decision-making, and financial results. This includes the ability to build and interpret strategic financial reports that assess the cost, operational impact, payback period, and return on investment of new technologies before and after adoption. This leader will work closely with ownership and ranch leadership to translate long-term business objectives into practical operating plans. The role requires regular travel between ranch locations in Arkansas and Missouri and a highly visible, field-oriented leadership style.

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience in seedstock and/or commercial cow-calf production.
• Knowledge of cattle reproduction, breeding systems, herd health, nutrition, grazing, and cattle marketing.
• Working knowledge of genetics, performance records, EPDs, genomic information, and seedstock marketing is strongly preferred.
• Experience as a leader with strong people management skills.
• Practical understanding of animal welfare, low-stress cattle handling, workplace safety, and biosecurity.
• Proven capability in preparing and interpreting strategic financial reports, capital-investment analyses, cash-flow projections, and return-on-investment calculations.
• Willingness and ability to travel routinely among ranch locations in Arkansas and Missouri as well as to other industry events.
• A bachelor’s degree in animal science, agricultural business, ranch management, or a related discipline is preferred, but substantial directly relevant experience may substitute for formal education.

Responsibilities

Cattle Operations

• Lead daily, seasonal, and long-range cattle operations across all three ranch locations
• Oversee breeding programs, calving management, weaning, backgrounding, cattle feeding, replacement heifer strategy, and culling decisions for both the seedstock and commercial herds
• Develop and execute herd health, vaccination, biosecurity, animal welfare, and record keeping protocols with our veterinarians and adviser
• Coordinate with the Director of Land and Stewardship to implement short and long term animal nutrition and forage programs, including grazing plans, hay production and inventory, supplementation, mineral programs, feed procurement, and drought contingency planning
• Monitor key production indicators, including conception and pregnancy rates, calving distribution, weaning weights, death loss, replacement rates, cow efficiency, pasture utilization, and pounds weaned per exposed female
• Coordinate cattle movement, shipping, receiving, sorting, processing, and inventory reconciliation across all locations
• Maintain high standards for cattle handling practices, facilities, working systems, fencing, water infrastructure, and ranch and herd appearance\
• Collaborate and coordinate with the Director of Marketing and Branding to facilitate the capture of content for all The 808 Ranch platforms (print, digital, website, social media)

Seedstock and Commercial Programs

• Provide leadership and support for the Genetics Program and Sales Manager. Including development of a robust recipient herd program to enable advanced Precision Genetics breeding strategy, as well as a structured bull development program that fits the needs of the local market
• Supports the Genetics Program and Sales Manager to ensure accurate and timely collection, analysis, and reporting of performance data, registrations, pedigrees, genomic information, and expected-progeny-difference data where applicable
• Support the Genetics Program and Sales Manager with the planning and execution of bull sales, female sales, private-treaty marketing, customer service, and post-sale relationships
• Forecasting commercial cattle inventories to support a future regional beef supply chain
• Build working relationships with breed associations, genetic advisers, veterinarians, nutritionists, marketing partners, and other industry professionals

Financial and Inventory Management

• Develop annual operating budgets, capital plans, and multi-year financial projections for cattle and ranch operations
• Track results against budget, explain variances, recommend corrective action, and report performance to ranch leadership
• Evaluate major production and capital decisions with real financial analysis, including expected return, risk, and cash flow
• Manage livestock, feed, forage, equipment, and supply inventories with accurate records and regular reconciliation. This will require collaboration with the Director of Land and Stewardship
• Participate in commodity-risk, marketing, purchasing, and input-cost decisions as appropriate to the ranch’s business strategy
• Maintain disciplined purchasing practices and manage relationships with feed, animal-health, equipment, transportation, and agricultural-service vendors

People Leadership

• Recruit, lead, schedule, evaluate, and retain the cattle team, and coordinate shared crew from the Land & Stewardship team during peak cattle work.
• Set clear standards for safety, animal care, ranch appearance, accountability, and work quality.
• Coach and develop direct reports, including team members earlier in their careers, with practical development plans.
• Run regular team meetings, one-on-one check-ins, performance reviews, and operational debriefs
• Lead by example in the field while delegating effectively and holding people accountable for results.

Technology and Data

• Evaluate, implement, and manage technologies that strengthen cattle and ranch operations, including herd management software, electronic identification, performance data platforms, and remote monitoring.
• Lead the move from pen and paper to a shared system, where information is captured once, in the field, and is available to everyone who needs it.
• Collaborate with the Community and Education Coordinator to create internal training modules or source external training as needed for staff to ensure adoption and proficient use of technology.
• Evaluate new technologies for return on investment.

Ranch Contact:

Dan Jandak

Contact Information

Phone- [phone]

Email- [e-mail]

Website- https://jobs.gusto.com/postings/the-808-ranch-director-of-cattle-operations-2752ed4b-555c-4b78-8289-4c4f713c1081