Poultry Farm Manager (7410)

Chestnut Grove Farm is seeking an experienced poultry professional to lead our 10,000-hen certified-organic egg operation. This is a leadership role for someone passionate about animal welfare and organic agriculture, committed to compliance and innovation, and motivated to adapt as climate and markets evolve.

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and grow the egg-production crew: hiring, training, scheduling, safety, and performance.
• Own daily production operations: flock care, feeding/watering systems, lighting programs, egg collection/handling, washing/grading/packout, and cold-chain readiness.
• Flock health & biosecurity: vaccination schedules, mortality tracking, pest & predator control, sanitation/clean-out plans, and emergency response protocols.
• Organic compliance & records: track all inputs (feed, bedding, health products), maintain NOP-compliant logs (inputs, treatments, lot codes, audits), and prepare for inspections.
• Regulatory & food-safety adherence: maintain SOPs for egg handling and labeling; coordinate with Maryland Dept. of Agriculture/inspectors; ensure staff adherence and documentation.
• Infrastructure & equipment: oversee nest/collection systems, ventilation, waterers, feeders, conveyors, coolers, generators, mobile coops or houses; schedule preventive maintenance and repairs.
• Production planning: pullet sourcing/placement, flock rotations and replacement, molt decisions, lay-rate forecasting, and supply planning to meet sales goals.
• Data & budgets: monitor KPIs (lay %, feed conversion, breakage, shrink), manage budgets for feed, inputs, and repairs; negotiate with vendors and service providers.
• Cross-farm teamwork: coordinate with ownership/management on sales, deliveries, inventory, and capital projects; contribute to grant proposals and funded projects when applicable.
• Professional development: track industry best practices; represent Samarah at workshops/conferences; bring back learnings to improve systems.

Qualifications

• Proven 3+ years managing commercial or pasture-based egg production (scale of several thousand layers or more).
• Strong grasp of poultry nutrition, welfare, lighting, and environmental management; adept at troubleshooting mechanical systems.
• People leadership: clear communicator who can set priorities, delegate, coach, and build culture.
• Excellent recordkeeping (digital spreadsheets/farm software) and compliance mindset (organic audits, inspector visits).
• Organized, data-driven problem solver comfortable with weather, seasonality, and evolving market needs.

Position

Schedule: Monday–Friday, 7:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (seasonal flexibility; weekend/holiday chores on rotation).
Compensation: $60,000 annually, with performance-based bonus opportunities.
Location: On-farm in Frederick, MD.

Position Benefits

• Housing available (or housing stipend).
• Health insurance subsidy, paid lunch break, PTO + sick time
• Farm egg/produce share.
• Retirement option (e.g., Maryland Saves) after eligibility period.
• Budget for professional development (workshops/conferences).