Assistant Farm Maintenance Technician (7428)

Perform preventive maintenance on equipment, machinery, and facilities
Respond to after-hours breakdowns and participate in on-call rotation
Assist with conducting oil changes, lubrication, and related equipment servicing.

Operate equipment and machinery as assigned.

Just 50 miles outside of Chicago in the village of Wauconda, IL up the picturesque tree-line driveway is Golden Oaks Farm. Golden Oaks Farm was founded by the Crown family of Chicago, IL in 1948, the passion for dairy is lustrous as John Crown's love for Holsteins. John would spend his time at the farm fueling his passion and laying the building blocks to achieve an over 70-year reputation for outstanding Holsteins in an urban location.

Today, the Crown family relies on a team of 16 dedicated full-time and several part-time employees to make Golden Oaks Farm successful both in the Dairy and Genetic markets. Our team is driven by the mission statement: To efficiently and profitably produce quality dairy product and superior cattle genetics while maintaining the integrity of agriculture in a suburban setting.

Golden Oaks Farm is known for breeding sound, well-balanced cows that have the combination of dairyness and strength needed to be highly productive while creating bloodlines with a strong maternal and paternal side to breed in the future. Our herd consists of roughly 720 milking females and 680 young stock, with about 99% of these animals registered. We aim to produce 19,000,000 pounds of milk every year with solid components. We classify several times each year and currently have 45 Excellent and 200 Very Good cows.

Most of our 1,600 crop acres are planted each spring and harvested by custom harvesters in the fall. Alfalfa haylage, dry hay, corn silage, high moisture corn and oatlage are produced on the farm to feed the cows. Winter wheat is also grown to provide both straw for both feed and bedding. Additional dry hay, straw, corn gluten feed and a protein-mineral mix are purchased to fill out the ration.

Perform preventive maintenance on equipment, machinery, and facilities
Respond to after-hours breakdowns and participate in on-call rotation
Assist with conducting oil changes, lubrication, and related equipment servicing
Operate equipment and machinery as assigned.
Perform welding and fabrication for repairs and new projects
Power wash and clean farm equipment regularly
Maintain and repair farm structures and assigned maintenance areas
Track and order parts as directed; maintain clean and organized work areas
Follow all farm safety protocols and assist in training others when needed
Support the Lead Technician in troubleshooting equipment issues
Complete maintenance tasks according to established priorities set by the Lead Technician
Serve as a backup equipment operator
Perform backup scraping duties
Assist with forage hauling and storage operations
Assist with farm operations during peak workload periods
Support maintenance and farm team with special projects as assigned
Unload trailers and truck deliveries

Education: High School Diploma or GED required, trade school certification preferred, or equivalent hands-on mechanical experience may be considered
Certifications/Licenses: Valid driver’s license required
1 – 2 years of previous mechanical experience required
Welding and fabrication experience preferred

Required Skills

Strong mechanical aptitude with ability to service and repair equipment
Ability to follow directions, multitask and meet deadlines
Ability to work independently and with a team.
Ability to perform welding, fabrication, and preventive maintenance tasks
Knowledge of basic safety procedures and farm equipment operation
Good problem-solving and decision-making abilities
Physical ability to perform labor include lifting, bending, climbing, and working under equipment
Basic computer skills for maintenance records and reporting
Must be able to pass pre-employment physical.

Job Title: Assistant Farm Maintenance Technician (7428)
Start Date: ASAP
Salary Range: $25.11 - $27.24/Hour