Hatchery Manager at Hire Resolve

Job Description

• A leading poultry production company is looking for an experienced Hatchery Manager with strong experience in commercial hatchery management, production planning, incubation processes, biosecurity, and team leadership to join their team in Pietermaritzburg. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing all hatchery operations, ensuring optimal chick quality and production efficiency, controlling operational budgets, overseeing capital expenditure projects, and maintaining the highest standards of animal welfare, biosecurity, and operational excellence.

Responsibilities:

• Manage all hatchery operations to ensure optimal production performance and chick quality.
• Oversee incubation, hatching, grading, vaccination, and chick dispatch processes.
• Manage egg-bank planning, chick placements, and egg and chick sales activities.
• Ensure production targets are achieved through effective operational planning and scheduling.
• Monitor and maintain incubation equipment, ventilation systems, generators, chillers, compressors, and other critical infrastructure.
• Analyse hatchery performance data and implement operational improvements where required.
• Prepare and review production, hatchability, fertility, and performance reports.
• Manage hatchery budgets, CAPEX projects, and operational expenditure.
• Oversee stock control, asset management, and procurement activities.
• Ensure compliance with biosecurity, hygiene, animal welfare, and quality standards.
• Coordinate laboratory testing and health monitoring programmes.
• Lead, coach, develop, and performance-manage hatchery personnel.
• Manage employee relations, training initiatives, leave management, and disciplinary processes.
• Ensure accurate data capture, reporting, and administrative compliance.

Requirements:

• Degree in Agriculture.
• Valid Code EB driver's licence.
• Minimum 10 years' experience in a similar production environment.
• Minimum 5 years' management experience within a commercial hatchery environment.
• Strong hatchery management experience.
• Project management experience.
• Advanced computer literacy.
• Strong production planning and operational management skills.
• Experience managing budgets, CAPEX projects, and cost controls.
• Knowledge of biosecurity, animal welfare, and poultry production best practices.
• Strong leadership, people management, and reporting skills.