Breeding Unit Manager
Salary: £50,000 per annum + up to 10% bonus
Accommodation: Company 3-bedroom property
Benefits: Company car scheme, 29 days' annual leave, pension, healthcare, life assurance and more
Working Pattern: Two-week rota with alternate Friday, Saturday and Sunday off
Location: Lincolnshire
About the Role
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Breeding Unit Manager to take responsibility for a well-established sow breeding unit in Lincolnshire.
The successful candidate will take ownership of the day-to-day operation, leading the team and managing livestock while driving high standards of welfare, production, compliance and financial performance.
Reporting to the Directors, you will turn agreed business objectives into clear daily routines and standards, identify areas of underperformance and deliver sustainable improvements.
This role would suit a confident and practical pig professional who enjoys leading people, managing livestock and taking responsibility for unit performance.
Key Responsibilities:
Pig Production & Welfare
- Overall management of the sow breeding unit across service, gestation, farrowing and weaning.
- Maintain high standards of animal welfare, handling and husbandry.
- Monitor production against targets and identify and address areas for improvement.
- Organise pig movements from the unit, ensuring weaners are moved efficiently and penning arrangements are maintained.
- Work with other farm teams to coordinate livestock movements and resources.
Herd Health & Biosecurity
- Work with the Company Veterinary Surgeon to implement the herd health plan.
- Manage vaccination, preventative health, treatment and medicine-use protocols.
- Maintain accurate medicine, health and treatment records.
- Manage isolation and disease-control procedures.
- Maintain high standards of biosecurity across the unit.
Team Leadership
- Lead, motivate and develop the team.
- Set clear daily standards, routines and expectations.
- Organise staff rotas, weekend cover, holidays and alarm calls.
- Run weekly team meetings to plan workloads, address issues and identify improvements.
- Coach staff in good pig handling and welfare practices.
- Manage and report staff issues where required.
Compliance & Administration
- Maintain accurate weekly production records, stock counts and monthly reconciliations.
- Use herd-management software, spreadsheets, email and routine reporting systems.
- Ensure compliance with Red Tractor standards and relevant welfare requirements.
- Facilitate annual audits and customer inspections.
- Contribute to production meetings and monitor performance against agreed targets.
Feed, Maintenance & Resources
- Order feed in line with the feeding programme and pig numbers/weights.
- Monitor feed usage, bin stocks and feed hygiene.
- Manage on-farm feed trials where required.
- Contribute to annual budgeting and manage resources within agreed budgets.
- Place monthly veterinary and sundry orders.
- Maintain the site, machinery, equipment and biosecurity standards, arranging contractors where required.
- Liaise with other farm teams regarding straw, slurry and manure removal and machinery requirements.
Health & Safety
- Take responsibility for health and safety across the unit.
- Ensure safe working practices are followed by employees and contractors.
- Identify and address risks promptly.
Business Contribution
- Attend management and production meetings.
- Contribute to the wider pig production strategy and investment planning.
- Work closely with senior management and other departments to achieve business objectives.
About You
You will be an experienced pig professional with strong practical knowledge and the ability to lead an established team.
Ideally, you will have:
- Excellent experience across all breeding stages, including service, gestation, farrowing and weaning.
- Previous experience managing or supervising a pig breeding unit.
- Proven leadership and team-management skills.
- Strong knowledge of pig welfare, behaviour and humane handling.
- Experience with herd health plans, vaccination, treatments and disease control.
- Excellent biosecurity standards.
- Accurate record-keeping skills and confidence using herd-management software and Microsoft Office.
- Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
- The ability to make confident decisions, prioritise effectively and deal with issues promptly.
- Excellent communication skills and a collaborative approach.
- A proactive attitude towards problem-solving and continuous improvement.
What We Offer
- £50,000 salary
- Bonus of up to 10% of salary
- Company 3-bedroom property
- Company car scheme
- 29 days' annual leave, including bank holidays
- Up to 5 additional days' holiday with length of service
- Company phone and laptop
- Two-week rota with alternate Friday, Saturday and Sunday off
- Fully funded in-house and industry training
- Staff discounts
- Healthcare scheme
- Life assurance
- Workplace pension
- Excellent opportunity for career development within a progressive agricultural business
Pay: Up to £50,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
