Assistant Hatchery Manager

Assistant Hatchery Manager at Grove Turkeys

Grove Turkeys are seeking an enthusiastic, motivated and experienced individual to join our Hatchery Team as Assistant Hatchery Manager. The successful candidate will support the Hatchery Manager in the day-to-day management of hatchery operations, ensuring high standards of poult quality, animal welfare, biosecurity, food safety, health and safety, productivity and staff performance.

Purpose of the role:

Reporting directly to the Hatchery Manager, the Assistant Hatchery Manager will help manage and coordinate all hatchery activities to ensure the efficient production and dispatch of high-quality day-old poults. The role will provide hands-on operational leadership and will deputise for the Hatchery Manager when required. The successful candidate will be expected to maintain compliance with company procedures, animal welfare standards, Bord Bia requirements, customer standards and all relevant health and safety and biosecurity requirements.

Key responsibilities:

· Support the Hatchery Manager with the daily planning, organisation and supervision of all hatchery operations.

· Deputise for the Hatchery Manager during periods of absence and take responsibility for the effective running of the hatchery when required.

· Supervise, support and motivate hatchery operatives, ensuring staff are appropriately allocated to tasks and daily production targets are achieved.

· Coordinate key hatchery processes including egg receipt and storage, egg unboxing, setting, candling, transferring, hatching, poult processing, counting and dispatch.

· Monitor hatch performance, poult quality and operational results, identifying issues or trends and escalating or implementing corrective action where appropriate.

· Ensure poults are handled, processed and dispatched in accordance with company animal welfare standards and customer requirements.

· Maintain high standards of biosecurity throughout the hatchery, including control of personnel, equipment, vehicles, cleaning and disinfection procedures.

· Ensure all cleaning, washing and hygiene programmes are completed effectively and that hatchery areas and equipment are maintained to the required standard.

· Assist with the management of hatchery equipment, including incubators, hatchers, ventilation, temperature and humidity controls, alarms and other critical systems.

· Respond to hatchery alarms and breakdowns as part of the agreed call-out rota and assist in coordinating corrective action where necessary.

· Monitor equipment performance and report maintenance requirements promptly, liaising with maintenance personnel and external contractors where required.

· Ensure accurate completion of hatchery records, production records, traceability documentation, quality checks and other required paperwork.

· Support compliance with Bord Bia, customer, company and regulatory standards and assist with internal and external audits.

· Promote and enforce safe working practices, ensuring staff comply with health and safety procedures, PPE requirements and risk assessments.

· Assist with staff training, induction and development, ensuring employees are competent in the tasks they are required to perform.

· Help manage staff attendance, shift cover, rotas, holidays and workload requirements in conjunction with the Hatchery Manager.

· Communicate effectively with breeder farms, farm operations, transport, technical staff and other departments to ensure smooth movement of eggs and poults.

· Assist with stock control and ensure adequate supplies of hatchery consumables, PPE, cleaning materials and other essential items are available.

· Support continuous improvement initiatives aimed at improving hatchability, poult quality, efficiency, hygiene, welfare and overall hatchery performance.

· Investigate operational problems, non-conformances or quality issues and support the implementation of corrective and preventative actions.

· Maintain a strong hands-on presence within the hatchery and be prepared to undertake operational duties when required.

· Work flexible hours in line with hatch requirements, including early starts (from approximately 5:00am), weekends and alarm call-outs on a rota basis.

· Carry out any other reasonable duties required to support the effective operation of the hatchery.

Key behaviours and attributes:

· Strong team player with the ability to lead and motivate others.

· Highly motivated, reliable and enthusiastic with a practical, hands-on approach.

· Good organisational skills and the ability to prioritise work in a fast-paced environment.

· Strong attention to detail and commitment to producing high-quality poults.

· A proactive 'can do, will do' attitude with the ability to identify and resolve issues.

· Good communication skills and the confidence to work with employees, managers and other departments.

· Strong awareness of animal welfare, biosecurity, hygiene and health and safety.

· Ability to remain calm and make sensible decisions when responding to operational problems or alarms.

· Flexible approach to working hours and operational requirements.

Experience and requirements:

· Previous hatchery, poultry, agricultural or food production experience is desirable.

· Previous supervisory or team-lead experience would be an advantage.

· An understanding of hatchery processes, incubation and poult quality would be beneficial; full training will be provided where required.

· Ability to use basic computer systems and maintain accurate production records.

· Own transport and ability to travel to the hatchery for early starts and emergency call-outs.

· Willingness to undertake relevant training and develop a detailed understanding of the complete turkey hatching cycle.

Career development: This role provides an excellent opportunity for an individual who wishes to progress within the poultry industry and develop towards future hatchery management responsibility. The successful candidate will receive training across the complete hatching cycle and will work closely with the Hatchery Manager and wider agricultural team.

Benefits:

• Bike to work scheme
• On-site parking

Work Location: In person