Calf Supply Development Manager

Key Responsibilities

• Identify and engage potential calf suppliers across designated regions.
• Develop and maintain a pipeline of prospective contract calf suppliers.
• Conduct farm visits to assess suitability, production standards, and supply potential.
• Negotiate and establish calf supply agreements in line with company requirements.
• Build long-term relationships with farmers, livestock producers, and industry stakeholders.
• Represent the business at agricultural events, livestock markets, and industry meetings.

Supply Chain Coordination

• Cooker procurement activities to ensure continuity of supply.
• Maintain accurate supplier records, contracts, and procurement data.
• Work closely with operations and logistics teams to align supply with demand.
• Assist in forecasting supply requirements and identifying supply risks.

Quality & Compliance

• Ensure suppliers meet company animal welfare, health, and biosecurity standards.
• Support implementation of supplier compliance programmes.
• Monitor market trends, calf availability, and pricing movements.
• Identify opportunities for supply chain improvements and efficiencies.

Relationship Management

• Act as the primary point of contact for assigned suppliers.
• Resolve supplier issues promptly and professionally.
• Provide regular updates and reports to management on supplier activities and procurement performance.

Skills & Experience

• Essential Skills & Experience:
• Strong understanding of dairy and calf production systems.
• Good knowledge of calf genetics, breeding programmes, and sire selection within dairy beef supply chains.
• Ability to assess calf quality, genetic potential, and suitability for customer and market requirements.
• Understanding of dairy breeding trends, including the use of beef-on-dairy genetics and their impact on calf performance and value.
• An established network of dairy farm contacts and industry relationships that can be leveraged to support supplier acquisition and development.
• Highly Desirable:
• Experience working with breeding programmes, genetic evaluations, or livestock procurement.
• Knowledge of leading dairy and beef genetics, breeding indexes, and performance traits.
• Understanding of how genetics influence calf health, growth rates, feed efficiency, carcass performance, and overall supply chain value.

Personal Attributes

• Driven and target-focused.
• Confident engaging with farmers and industry stakeholders.
• Professional and trustworthy.
• Praactical problem solver.
• Resilient and adaptable.
• Passionate about agriculture and livestock production.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary.
• Hybrid working environment.
• Opportunities for career progression within a growing agricultural business.
• Ongoing training and professional development.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Number of new contracted calf suppliers onboarded.
• Weekly and monthly calf supply volumes secured.
• Supplier retention rates.
• Compliance with quality and welfare standards.
• Supply chain continuity and fulfilment targets.
• Growth of supplier network within target regions.