Farm Manager

Job Summary

Hawkeye Community College is seeking a full-time Farm Manager to join our team. If you enjoy all aspects of farming and want to share your farm knowledge to help students be successful, then Hawkeye Community College has a great opportunity for you!

At Hawkeye our Agriculture programs are very progressive and innovative and the farm is an essential educational tool that is an extension of our classroom. The farm consists of tillable row-crop and pasture acres, swine, cow/calves, and ewe sheep flock. Additionally, the farm includes a meat lab (Iowa’s only community college meat lab), farmhouse and student herd persons which all provide tremendous hands-on learning opportunities for our Ag Business, Animal Science, Veterinary Assisting and Natural Resource students.

As the Farm Manager, you will be responsible for the daily, weekly, and annual care of our farm animals, maintenance of our farm facilities and equipment, cropping plans including planting and harvesting, maintaining pastures and hay, and record keeping. You will also be working with faculty to promote the Agriculture and Natural Resources programs to students and local businesses. Seeing students being successful makes this job fulfilling.

Hawkeye Community College is a comprehensive community college focused on meeting the needs of the community by providing quality, affordable learning experiences for a diverse student body through our Adult Learning Center, Business and Community Education Department as well as through more than 50 career and technical programs and liberal arts transfer programs. Hawkeye Community College’s mission is about empowering students, strengthening businesses and enriching communities with a vision to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve.

Essential Job Functions

Important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Oversees and manages the daily care and well-being of the school’s cow/calf herd, swine herd, and sheep flock.

• Manages all the facilities located at the laboratory.

• Partners with the maintenance department to ensure a safe environment for students, faculty, and staff as well as a safe environment for livestock.

• Hires, trains, and supervises student herd persons for safe operation of farm and equipment.

• Establishes the acres to be planted and harvested for corn, beans, and hay each year.

• Purchases seed, fertilizer, chemicals, insecticide, and fungicide necessary for agricultural crops planted on the farm laboratory acreage.

• Secures necessary feed needs for all livestock and formulates a diverse set of rations.

• Develops and manages farm operational budget.

• Prepares, maintains, and performs preventative maintenance on farm equipment. Machinery and equipment to include grain bins, augers, dryers, tractors, wagons, trailers, grinders/mixers, scales, gating, skid steers, mowers and hay/forage equipment.

• Partners with local dealerships and co-ops to rent equipment and/or perform necessary operations needed to enhance student’s educational hands-on experience.

• Manages and updates record-keeping system software to ensure accurate records that track all income and expenses of the farm laboratory profit centers and enterprises.

• Ensures proper storage techniques and monitors stored grain for quality control.

• Monitors grain markets and is responsible for marketing the corn and soybeans harvested.

• Maintains Farm Service Agency (FSA) certification for planted crop acreage.

• Monitors sign-up deadlines and programs with FSA. Maintains FSA paperwork, sales, and judging contests.

• Maintains building livestock entry and bio security records to include an active Veterinary Feed Directive.

• Secures and maintains necessary tools and uses proper safety when handling tools, i.e., saws, ladders and other construction tools and equipment.

• Manages contracts with landlords and other cropping partnerships.

• Makes minor repairs of plumbing, electrical, HVAC in agricultural buildings and equipment.

• Serves as Chairperson for Farm Council.

• Develops and maintains positive relationships with industry stakeholders.

• Schedules mowing operations with the student herd persons.

• Performs all snow removal for farm laboratory.

• Prepares and delivers reports to faculty as needed.

• Assists with development of tour schedule as needed.

• Assists faculty in lab portion of classroom training as required.

• Participates in campus committees as assigned.

• Performs other duties as assigned.

• Unless otherwise approved under Hawkeye’s remote work policy, regular on campus and/or onsite attendance is considered an essential function of the position.

Minimum Qualifications

• Associate Degree in Agriculture or related field and five (5) years in livestock and grain production experience or equivalent combination of education and experience to total seven (7) years.

• Must possess a current driver’s license valid in the State of Iowa and a driving record insurable by the College’s insurer. Must be able to obtain additional endorsements as needed.

• Working knowledge of modern farm livestock and grain operation.

• Working knowledge and understanding of timeliness of planting, harvesting, and forage harvest.

• Working knowledge in the operation, repair and maintenance of farm equipment and machinery.

• Knowledge of budget preparation and fiscal monitoring.

• Demonstrated ability to read and follow complex instructions and instructional manuals.

• Must possess supervisory skills.

• Demonstrated ability to work with a culturally diverse student population, faculty, staff, and the general public.

• Ability to demonstrate strong interpersonal communication.

• Skilled in Microsoft Office Suite, Google applications, and video conferencing technology.

• Demonstrated ability to execute organization and department policies and procedures.

Preferred Qualifications

• CDL licensure

• Knowledge of precision farming technology

Working Conditions

Work schedule is dependent on farm and livestock activities with typical hours between 8am – 4:30pm. Due to the nature of farm production, weekend and evening hours are on an as needed basis.

Work is performed in a combination of an office, classroom, and outdoor setting using technology. Requires good hand-eye coordination including visual acuity to use a keyboard and read technical information; arm, hand and finger dexterity, including ability to grasp. Sit, stand, bend, lift and move frequently during working hours. Outdoor environments may become susceptible to inclement weather conditions. During the course of the day, interact with students, faculty and staff in person, by telephone and computer.

Employment Status

Full-time, exempt position with comprehensive or competitive benefits program including health, dental, vision, life, and LTD insurance, a Section 125 plan for medical and dependent care expenses; holiday, personal, sick, and vacation leave; tuition reimbursement; and a choice of retirement programs—IPERS (defined benefit) or TIAA (defined contribution).

Application Procedure

• Complete an online application at www.hawkeyecollege.edu/employment

  • Submit/upload a cover letter addressing the following:

    • Describe your knowledge and familiarity with precision hardware/software.

    • Share your knowledge of USDA farm programs.

    • Describe your crop and livestock background and how it qualifies you for the Farm Manager position.

    • Explain your equipment operation skills including the various types of equipment you have operated.

  • Submit/upload a resume.

  • Submit/upload 3 professional references with a minimum of 1 being from a current/past supervisor.

• All required documents must be submitted in order for your application to move forward.

• Priority screening is set to begin on Monday, April 10, 2023. Completed applications, along with the required materials received after the priority screening date will be considered at the discretion of the college.

All application materials must be submitted by Sunday, April 9, 2023 by 11:59 PM CST.

Apply Online

Hawkeye Community College is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, committed to equity and diversity in its educational services and employment practices: hawkeyecollege.edu/about/diversity-inclusion/equal-opportunity. The College does not discriminate on the basis of sex; race; age; color; creed; national origin; religion; disability; sexual orientation; gender identity; genetic information; or actual or potential parental, family, or marital status in its programs, activities, or employment practices. Veteran status is also included to the extent covered by law. Any person alleging a violation of equity regulations shall have the right to file a formal complaint. Inquiries concerning application of this statement should be addressed to: Equity Coordinator and Title IX Coordinator for employees, 319-296-4405; or Title IX Coordinator for students, 319-296-4448; Hawkeye Community College, 1501 East Orange Road, P.O. Box 8015, Waterloo, Iowa 50704-8015; or email equity-titleIX@hawkeyecollege.edu, or the Director of the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, Citigroup Center, 500 W. Madison, Suite 1475, Chicago, IL 60661, phone number 312-730-1560, fax 312-730-1576, email: OCR.Chicago@ed.gov.

If any applicant is in need of a reasonable accommodation in completing the application process, please notify a member of Human Resource Services.