Nature’s Paradox Farms (NBF): Nature’s Best Farms (NBF) is a privately owned Limited Liability Company registered under the Companies code, 1963 (ACT 179) and certified to Commence Business in August 2017. Nature’s Best Farms is a 20,000 bird capacity midsize commercial poultry farm that engages in a primary activity of layer poultry farming, where egg laying poultry birds are raised for the purpose of commercial egg production, poultry meat and processed poultry products. The eggs are sold directly to vendors who make their purchases on the farm, as well as, in the farm’s retail stores.

NBF also transforms eggs into egg powder and packages the powder for household consumption and for commercial entities such as bakeries, restaurants, hotels and educational institutions. The farm also owns several acres of land which it uses for agricultural farming purposes. The store is located at Kasoa (New Market) in the Central Region of Ghana and the farm is located at Ojobi, in the Awutu Bereku District of the Central Region of Ghana.

Position Reports Directly To: Production Manager

Nature’s Best Farms seeks to employ an experienced Assistant Production Manager, who is dependable; detail-oriented; self-motivated; has excellent communication skills (oral and writing), a strong work ethic, as well as an extraordinarily impeccable sense of integrity and honesty.

The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring that the birds are kept in ideal living conditions, that they are healthy, that the right quantity and quality of feed and water is given to them, and that their production levels are optimal.

The applicant will assist the Production Manager in coordinating, supervising and managing the day-to-day activities of Production Assistants and temporary workers hired to work on the farm from time to time.

The Assistant Production Manager will also ensure that the right inventory levels of feed are maintained at all times to prevent any shortages, as well as maintain proper security protocols on the premises.

Key Responsibilities

Management and Administrative Duties

• Analyze operational costs for the supply of feed and equipment for production.
• Ensure that Production Assistants keep the area around the poultry houses clean, including weeding of the compound and picking up of all trash;
• Keep daily records of feed intake, mortality, weight of birds, and any other information necessary for the operational efficiency of the farm.
• Monitor health conditions of birds and seek veterinary advice when necessary.
• Recruit, train and supervise farm hands.
• Work closely with General Manager to identify ways to improve efficiency in the job performance of Production Assistants by keeping productivity levels for all workers at the highest possible level.
• Organize Production Assistants to take delivery of birds at the airport and arranging for birds to be transported safely from the airport to the farm.

Animal Husbandry Duties

• Walk through the poultry houses several times a day to check on the general health conditions of the birds and to ensure that the proper lighting, temperature and ventilation are being maintained.
• Ensure that the daily animal husbandry duties and animal welfare responsibilities are diligently carried out by Production Assistants.
• Adopt appropriate integrated biosecurity and disease control measures to minimize the incidence of mortality among birds.
• Ensure that the egg processing room is kept clean and well-sanitized.
• Ensure that sick birds are promptly removed and placed in isolation.
• Ensure that birds in isolation are given the proper medication and treatment to nurse them back to health.
• Supervise the preparation of the brooder house to receive day-old-chicks. This includes thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting the brooder house and ensuring that there is adequate supply of feed, water, medications, heating facilities, equipment, needed for the brooding of the birds.
• Prepare medication programmes for chicks, growers and layers.
• Provide daily information on egg collection, the quality of the eggs, and mortality to the General Manager.
• Prepare vaccination schedules and implement the schedule for birds on the firm.
• Ensure that egg production targets are kept at the highest possible levels and when there is a drop in the quantity of eggs produced, identify the reason and take the necessary measures to rectify the situation.
• Take the necessary steps to keep egg damages at an absolute minimum.
• Periodically debeak birds to prevent pecking and cannibalism
• Supervise the daily egg collection and grading activities.

Compensation and Benefits

• Direct Reports: Position will have supervisory responsibilities over the following employees: Production Assistants (4 employees) and Temporary Workers (as needed).
• A competitive salary package commensurate with experience and qualifications will be negotiated for the right applicant.
• Room and Board will be provided.
• Mobile phone with access to the internet and equipped with WhatsApp messaging application will be provided.
• Residential Requirement: All applicants must be willing to live within 3 kilometers of the farm.

Qualification Required & Experience

• BSc. in Agriculture or related courses.
• Three (3) or more years working experience in a poultry farm with a minimum of 2 or more years as Assistant Production Manager;

or

• Certificate from an Agricultural Training College
• Six (6) or more years working experience in a poultry farm with a minimum of 3 or more years as Assistant Production Manager;

or

• Higher National Diploma (HND)
• Six (6) or more years working experience in a poultry farm with a minimum of 3 or more years as Assistant Production Manager;

Required Skills and Expectations

• Thoroughly familiar with taking care of birds through the milestones of the chicken’s growth stages.
• Willingness to adhere to all health and safety, bio-security and disease control procedures and operational requirements.
• Experience with running/managing a Poultry Farm.
• Knowledge of modern poultry farming methods.
• Proficiency in the administration of medications.
• Experience in the Vaccination of birds.
• Proficient in the use of communication applications, such as WhatsApp.
• Willingness to work reasonable overtime to meet operational demands.
• Proficient in the preparation of feed for birds from Day Old through the laying stage.
• Proficient in identifying symptoms of illnesses and taking the appropriate steps to treat the illness promptly or refer the case to the Veterinarian consultant for immediate action.
• Ability and willingness to assume the role of Production Manager, if necessary.
• Strong inter-personal skills, able to work co-operatively with internal and external contacts.
• Ability to read, write and speak fluent English.
• Must be reliable, punctual and motivated.
• All other duties as assigned by the Production Manager and the General Manager.

Desired Skills and Expectations

• Experience or knowledge in poultry feed manufacturing.
• Good organizational and time management skills, with the ability to carry out a range of different tasks.
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills.
• Ability to take a strictly business view of the operation of the farm.
• Computer literacy in MS Office, MS Excel and internet skills for research purposes

Location: Ojobi, Central Region

How To Apply For The Job

If you are interested in this position and have the required experience and qualifications please follow the guidelines below to submit your application:

• In your email, please insert the position, Assistant Production Manager on the subject line along with the website where you found the job listing. Example: Assistant Production Manager – Ghanacurrentjobs.com
• Send your Resume to the attention of the Director of Human Resources at the following email address: naturesbestfarmsgh@gmail.com
• Very Important (Any Application without this Document will be Rejected): Send a two page write-up explaining how you intend to comply with and or implement each bullet point under: Management and Administrative Duties; Animal Husbandry Duties; Required Skills and Expectations; Desired Skills and Expectations.
• Very Important (Any Application without this Document will be Rejected): Provide a one page write up of why you think that you are the best qualified candidate for this job.
• Very Important (Any Application without this Document will be Rejected): Include an active email address and a telephone number where you can be reached in case you are shortlisted for this position.

Please Note: With every due respect, you will be wasting your time if you apply for this position without the required experience and qualifications and if you don’t comply with all the requirements under “How To Apply for this Position”.

Closing Date: 19 June, 2018