Job Description

Job Title: Flock Service Technician

Department: Live Operations

Reporting to: Flock Service Technician Manager

Location: Nashville, NC

POSITION SUMMARY: Braswell Family Farms in Nashville, NC has an opening for a Flock Service Technician. The Flock Service Technician functions as a consultant and technical adviser to bird growers and egg producers. This individual will monitor the flock records, provide poultry health services, and advise the producer regarding BFF's feeding program and general flock management. Driving Braswell Family Farm’s Mission, Vision and Values by ensuring contract growers are practicing good animal husbandry and producing quality product in an efficient and safe manner. The individual must possess our core values: In This Together, Do the Right Thing, Eggcited About Agriculture, I’m Third, and Grow Where You’re Planted. 

WHO WE ARE: Braswell Family Farms is a fourth-generation family owned, vertically integrated company producing and marketing quality, and value-added feed and egg products for American families for over 80 years. Today, four generations of the Braswell family have been committed to innovation and have received national recognition for their operating level of excellence. The Braswell’s, the leadership staff and 175+ team members across several locations, take pride in providing the highest quality egg and feed products to both consumers and customers every day of the year. 

At Braswell Family Farms, we believe that our jobs are a gift from God, which provide us with a platform to serve our customers and each other. We also believe that our business is the Lord’s and that He has placed us in a position of stewardship over the business through which we have an opportunity to honor and glorify Him. This means that He has given us everything we need to fulfill our calling and that we are accountable for how we steward His resources. 

It’s incredibly motivating to know each day that we are not just providing the safest and highest quality eggs and feed to our customers, but we ultimately do that so we can have opportunities to make an impact for good in the lives of those we meet. We strive to foster a culture of kindness and generosity that drives us to do things for our team members, like providing Chaplaincy services, sponsoring marriage conferences, leading lunch and learn devotions, and offering fun-filled family-focused events throughout the year.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Performs bird health functions. Ensure growers have set up houses correctly, prior to layers arriving at contract houses.
• Reviews weekly records. Monitors and responds to bird weight and uniformity, mortality, feed consumption, and blood sampling. Creates lighting programs for each flock.
• Works with labs to diagnose and address flock health concerns.
• Monitors and responds to house cleanliness, ventilation, feeding and water system, and fly and rodent control problems including monitoring of the applicable animal welfare programs.
• Identifies problems or potential problems and work through possible solutions.
• Diplomatically makes recommendations on house maintenance and bird health to house management and/or ownership and creates an environment for positive change.
• Follows the philosophy of BFF’s feed program in coordination with flock health. Recommends and orders various feeds and treatments - sending full feed loads with no returns.
• Stays informed of recent developments in the poultry industry through literature and training sessions.
• Performs all other duties as directed by the Flock Service Technician Manager.
• Takes supplies to growers to include vaccines, wormer, chick paper, rodent control, etc. 
• Ensures growers are using supplies properly.
• Checks behind crew work by examining beak trimming and vaccinations.
• Sprays/vaccinates several times during each flock.
• Keep accurate records - ensuring growers are keeping accurate records: mortality, outside access log, sanitation sheets, etc.
• At the end of each flock, take blood and litter samples. Process and send to appropriate lab.
• Take blood samples to Raleigh if AI testing is required.
• Work closely with other flock service technicians and proactively look for innovative ways to improve the flock health and production.
• Helps drive all of BFF’s Environment Management Systems (EMS) in an impactful manner to include monitoring/reducing operationally related negative effects on the environment as well as pollution prevention.

 QUALIFICATIONS: 

• College degree in Animal Science and at least 3 years in flock management preferred
• Knowledge of bird health and house management
• Current driver’s license and good driving record 
• Good organization and communication skills
• Flexibility to assist in other areas of service as needed
• Ability to schedule and prioritize duties, and work with minimal direct supervision
• Basic computer skills to include Microsoft Office products and Outlook
• Ability to lift 50 pounds, climb ladders, and work in dusty environments
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities 

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization. 

MATHMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure – using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but involved written and oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations.

COMPUTER SKILLS

MS Office proficiency

CERTIFICATIONS/LICENSES

Must have a valid driver’s license and good driving record for insurability purposes

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Must be able to adapt to farm work environments which could include cold, heat. Individual will be exposed at times to varying noise levels. Physical expectations include regular walking; using hands and fingers to handle, feel; or reach with hands and arms; stoop and kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk or hear; and taste or smell. Required standing and climbing or balancing. The job occasionally required sitting. The incumbent must frequently lift and/or move up to 20 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

ANIMAL WELFARE COMMITTMENT:

Braswell Family Farms is fully committed to providing our animals with a safe and healthy environment, free from abuse and treated humanely in all aspects. All employees are obligated by moral duty, Braswell Family Farms requirements (refer to Animal Welfare Policy), and legal obligation to uphold the strictest animal welfare-structured environment and are obligated to report any incidents of abuse, neglect or breach of biosecurity for the health and welfare of our animals.

FOOD QUALITY AND SAFETY

All employees play a crucial part in ensuring compliance with food safety regulations and maintaining the highest standards of food quality. You must always support food safety initiatives and contribute to a culture of food safety excellence.

NON-SMOKING WORK ENVIRONMENT

No smoking allowed in workplace, break areas, or on any company property. No smoking in company provided vehicles.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT: Braswell Family Farms is an equal opportunity employers and will not discriminate against anyone with regard to race, sex, national origin, color, religion, age or any disability, in compliance with Title VII of Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, as amended, or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Disclaimer: Although this job description lists and identifies the primary duties of the listed position, it is not an exclusive list. As with all positions at Braswell Foods, the very nature and diversification of an agribusiness requires that all employees remain flexible to cover a wide variety of duties that may need covered.

The Information contained in this job description is not only to inform you of the requirements of this position but will also be used to evaluate your work performance. This will include assisting in a determination of whether or not you will be entitled to certain bonuses and/or raises, and whether or not performance related disciplinary action would be taken against you.