Farm Manager Jobs
Become a Farm Manager or Supervisor Today!
In the agricultural field, those in senior farming positions – like Farm Managers and Supervisors – often
begin their careers in junior roles. The title of Farm Manager or Supervisor typically represents more than a
decade of experience in the farming industry and countless lessons learned.
What’s the difference between a Farm Manager and a Supervisor?
Farm managers oversee the work of Farm Supervisors, as well as matters involving finances, budgets and labour; however, the role structures can vary slightly by industry. For example, while a horticulture Farm Manager has two direct reports – the Farm Supervisor and the irrigation manager – a broadacre Farm Manager has a Farm Supervisor / 2IC (or Assistant Farm Manager) as a direct report for each property they manage.
What are the roles and responsibilities of a Farm Manager?
How about a Farm Supervisor?
- Sustainability recommendations for farm operations (i.e. soil and plant health).
- Ensure farm / crop best management practice establishment and delivery.
- Build a cohesive and productive team where safety, quality and continual improvement are a constant.
- Travel from site to site (where applicable / if multiple) to provide advice, guidance and implement growing strategies including irrigation and fertigation.
- Manage communications with other departments to deliver product on time and to specification.
- Equipment maintenance.
- Manage all Farm Workers within area of responsibility.
- Own and ensure timely and thorough cross functional post-season reviews and pre-season planning.
- Establish opportunities for teams to actively engage in reducing “downtime”.
- Compliance with all quality procedures and policies.
- Ensure team understands HACCP, GAP and GMP for incorporation into daily activities (Horticulture).
- Support and contribute to the operational budget.
- Manage expenses, budgets, forecasts and investigate variances.
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Complete our quick and easy job description application form for farm manager jobs in Australia and we’ll be in touch.
What type of facilities and farms do they work on? And in what industries?
Facilities depend on the type of farm. Broadacre farms typically include facilities for producing cotton, sugarcane and mixed cropping such as wheat, barley, canola and sorghum, among other grains. This work requires a more specialised skill set than other sectors of Australian agriculture.
By comparison, horticulture farms, which typically range in area from 400 to 1000 hectares or more, employ Farm Managers to oversee a large range of produce, including citrus fruits, avocados, beans, corn and nuts such as almonds, macadamias and walnuts.
What qualifications does a Farm Manager need?
Due to the practical nature of the work, Farm Managers are often hired based on experience rather than qualifications. The best way to start is by taking on a farm hand position and gaining transferable skills in fields like management, safety, maintenance and operations. Depending on factors such as property size and crop coverage, it can take up to 10 years for farm hands to climb the ranks and become Farm Managers.
The desired skills and qualifications also vary by the type of farm; for example, on broadacre and cropping farms, maintenance and operation experience is valued highly, whereas horticulture farms favour irrigation experience.
For candidates on the corporate side of agriculture, a Bachelor of Agribusiness can be advantageous, leading to roles managing aspects of a farm or corporate portfolio. This would however be more so on the commercial side as opposed to on site, so it’s hard to get into this role without direct experience on-farm.
What can a Farm Manager expect to earn?
On average, Farm Managers earn between $100,000 and $130,000 plus superannuation. They also often receive complimentary accommodation and access to a private vehicle. While remuneration is subject to size of property and corporate vs private status, this is considered fairly standard across horticulture and broadacre.
What’s the usual career progression for a Farm Manager?
Within their ecosystem, Farm Managers are at the top of the chain, but there are always opportunities for further career development. Pathways typically lead to roles in operations or General Management.
Where does Agri Talent provide Farm Manager roles?
While Agri Talent recruits for Farm Manager roles across Australia, the bulk of these roles exist on the east coast, from Cairns to the border of New South Wales and Victoria. On the horticulture side, opportunities are particularly plentiful in the Murray River region in towns like Renmark, Griffith and Narrandera, whereas broadacre and cotton tend to be located more regionally.
Find your next role through Australia’s leading
agricultural recruitment specialists
At Agri Talent, we work with some of the most experienced farm manager and successful agribusinesses in Australia and New Zealand. This
enables us to provide our candidates with an attractive salary package and advanced opportunities for career progression.
If you are qualified for and interested in an exciting senior position like Farm Manager or Supervisor role, register your interest today.
Register your interest today
Complete our quick and easy job description application form for farm manager jobs in australia and we’ll be in touch.