Hatchery Manager Trainee

Cooper Farms; Oakwood (OH); On-site; USD 23,419 - 31,684; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation and holidays

Two floating holidays

Same day pay

Medical, Dental, Vision and Life

Wellness reimbursement

401(k) with company match

Product discounts on deli and turkey

Company clinics

Job summary

Cooper Farms, a family-owned farm and food company based in Northwest Ohio, is seeking a Hatchery Manager Trainee in Oakwood to learn all aspects of turkey hatchery operations and move into a leadership role. You will support daily hatchery operations, monitor performance, and gain skills in scheduling and team leadership.

This trainee position offers growth in a high-energy, safety-conscious environment with opportunities for profit-sharing bonuses and benefits as you develop into a Hatchery

Qualifications

• Supervisory background with a college degree in business or poultry science or equivalent experience in agriculture, production management, or a related field is preferred.
• Leadership experience and strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Organizational skills and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to work safely in a fast-paced, biologically controlled environment.
• Computer literacy and ability to learn hatchery software and reporting tools.
• Maintenance experience and/or capacity to learn maintenance tasks.
• Must maintain a valid driver's license.

Responsibilities

• Learn and support daily hatchery operations, including egg handling, incubation, hatching, and poult shipment.
• Assist in monitoring hatchery performance from egg arrival through poult delivery to ensure quality results.
• Learn to operate and maintain incubators, hatchers, and environmental systems (ventilation, water, and controls).
• Track and report key metrics such as hatchability, fertility, poult quality, and environmental conditions.
• Participate in sanitation, biosecurity, and safety practices to support a clean, disease-free operation.
• Shadow hatchery leadership to develop skills in scheduling, communication, and team leadership.
• Help identify operational issues, troubleshoot challenges, and support continuous improvement efforts.

Skills

Leadership experience

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Problem solving

Safety awareness

Education

Bachelor's degree in business or poultry science

Tools

Hatchery software

Reporting tools

Job description

Brief Description

Cooper Farms is a family-owned farm and food company based in Northwest Ohio for over 85 years. A commitment to teamwork and quality has made us one of the top turkey, hog and egg companies in the U.S. and awarded the company and its team an excellent reputation. Our Oakwood Division in Paulding County, Ohio, breeds hogs and turkeys while providing the best care to our animals in a small team setting. Cooper Farms is currently seeking a Hatchery Manager Trainee to join our team in Oakwood.

The Hatchery Manager Trainee will learn all aspects of turkey hatchery operations with the long-term goal of stepping into a full Hatchery Leadership role. This position supports the production of high-quality, disease-free turkey poults by developing skills in hatchery processes, team supervision, facility maintenance, and production data monitoring.

SHIFT HOURS

Monday through Friday 1st shift

STARTING HOURLY RATE

$20.20/hr

ADDITIONAL PAY

Monthly and year-end profit-sharing bonuses (dependent upon company performance)

Job Functions

• Learn and support daily hatchery operations, including egg handling, incubation, hatching, and poult shipment
• Assist in monitoring hatchery performance from egg arrival through poult delivery to ensure quality results
• Learn to operate and maintain incubators, hatchers, and environmental systems (ventilation, water, and controls)
• Track and report key metrics such as hatchability, fertility, poult quality, and environmental conditions
• Participate in sanitation, biosecurity, and safety practices to support a clean, disease-free operation
• Shadow hatchery leadership to develop skills in scheduling, communication, and team leadership
• Help identify operational issues, troubleshoot challenges, and support continuous improvement efforts

Requirements

• Supervisory background with a college degree in business or poultry science or equivalent experience in agriculture, production management, or a related field is preferred.
• Leadership experience and strong written and verbal communication skills
• Organizational skills, and problem-solving skills
• The ability to work safely in a fast-paced, biologically controlled environment.
• Computer literacy, including the ability to learn hatchery software and reporting tools
• Maintenance experience and/or the capacity to learn
• Must maintain a valid driver's license.

Summary

Cooper Farms consistently works to be more than a workplace to our team members. We provide...

• Generous paid vacation immediately after hire
• Six (6) paid holidays, plus two (2) floating holidays
• Same Day Pay Available
• Medical, Dental, Vision and Life Insurance
• FREE healthcare clinics
• 401(k) plan with company match
• $300 yearly wellness reimbursement
• Great deals on Cooper Farms deli and turkey products

and so many more opportunities to earn and grow with the company.