Lead Farm Associate - Accelerator Farms

Finding the right place to grow your career isn’t (over) easy, so we’re here to help by sharing a few reasons why the grass is greener at Vital Farms. We think you’ll appreciate our focus on Conscious Capitalism, which drives business decisions that benefit all our stakeholders (leading to even better business results). You might be drawn to our innovative approach and refusal to settle for the “way things have always been done.” Or you could find it exciting to grow your skills while working for an industry-leading brand. Whether you’re into our values, our brand, or our egg-cellent puns, we hope you’ll join our Crew and help us change the world 108 square feet at a time!

At Vital Farms, we’re proud of the diverse communities we serve and the stakeholders who help bring our purpose to life. We’re committed to fostering an inclusive and collaborative environment where every crew member feels valued. We see this as one of our greatest strengths - and your role is key to helping us build on it.

Your Role:

We are seeking an Lead Farm Associate to lead the day-to-day operation of an assigned company-owned farm. This role owns farm execution and outcomes, including egg production, egg quality, animal welfare, compliance, biosecurity, pasture management, and facility readiness. The Farm Lead sets priorities, leads problem-solving, and works alongside the Farm Associate to share the farm workload evenly while ensuring work is completed safely, accurately, and on time.

What You'll Do:

• Lead day-to-day operations of the assigned farm and take ownership of farm performance, execution, and results.
• Set daily and weekly priorities, coordinate work, and work alongside the Farm Associate to share duties evenly while ensuring clear accountability.
• Provide on-the-job direction, coaching, and task follow-up to the Farm Associate; promptly elevate employee-relations, performance, scheduling, or other people matters to the Accelerator Farm Supervisor.
• Monitor production, egg quality, animal welfare, bird health, feed and water consumption, environmental conditions, and equipment performance; act promptly when results fall outside expectations.
• Lead the resolution of farm issues identified through routine work or visits by Farm Support, documenting corrective actions and verifying that the issue remains resolved.
• Own corrective action for findings identified by Compliance or during audits, working with the appropriate partners to restore compliance, document the resolution, and prevent recurrence.
• Work cross-functionally with the internal veterinarian, internal nutritionist, Farm Support team, and Director of Live Production to diagnose technical challenges, determine an appropriate course of action, and implement solutions.
• Keep the Accelerator Farm Supervisor informed of material operational risks, staffing concerns, incidents, and barriers to execution.
• Maintain audit readiness and represent the assigned barns during audits and compliance visits.
• Ensure proper egg collection, mortality removal, feed ordering, supply availability, required testing, and completion of all farm paperwork and protocols.
• Enter accurate data into UNITAS and submit required paperwork on schedule; use farm data to identify trends and drive improvement.
• Monitor pasture conditions, predation, biodiversity, and species counts; lead paddock rotation, pasture care, auxiliary livestock care, pest control, fence maintenance, and site security.
• Assist with required testing and monitoring, including manure testing, swabbing, and bloodwork.
• Perform euthanasia when needed in accordance with American Veterinary Medical Association guidelines.
• Respond to barn alarms, utility interruptions, technology failures, and other urgent farm needs, including nights, weekends, and holidays as scheduled.
• Perform hands-on farm work and other duties needed to keep the farm safe, compliant, productive, and ready for visitors or audits.

What You Bring to the Table:

• Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Science, Poultry Science, Animal Science, Agricultural Business, or a related field preferred.
• 3+ years of poultry or farm operations experience preferred, including experience leading work, coordinating others, or taking ownership of operational outcomes.
• Must be willing to work nights, weekends and holidays
• Ability to participate in scheduled weekend coverage and respond to territory or farm emergencies.
• Schedule subject to change, ability to work a flexible/adaptable schedule as needed  
• Located within commutable distance (approx. 45 mins) to assigned farm in Southern Indiana.
• Ability to travel 10% for company events, team meetings and other business needs  
• Strong communication, collaboration, coaching, and conflict-escalation skills.
• A valid driver’s license 
• Comfortable standing or sitting for long periods of time  
• Comfortable outdoors and in high/low temperatures
• Comfortable working in dusty environments
• Comfortable pushing, pulling, bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out.
• Comfortable lifting up to 50 lbs
• Manual dexterity and hand and eye coordination to work in farming operations
• Able to work on unlevel surfaces or uneven surfaces
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to set priorities, delegate work, and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Demonstrated ownership and follow-through, including the ability to lead corrective actions to completion and verify sustained results.
• Ability to manage multiple, time sensitive, priorities and deadlines
• Sound judgment and creative problem-solving ability, including knowing when and how to engage technical or people-support partners.
• You’re no hero – You know the power of teamwork and celebrate the work of others before your own.
• You give a sh*t – You believe in acting like an owner and making Vital Farms a place to be proud of.
• You raise the standards – You know growth can be hard, but you strive to improve yourself and others each day.
• You can walk in someone else’s boots – You seek to understand other’s viewpoints and think that you get to better answers by sitting on the same side of the table.
• You don’t walk on eggshells – You’re not afraid to leave the bullsh*t behind and have honest conversations.
• We recognize that talent comes in many forms. Even if you don’t meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. You may have strengths we haven’t yet considered!

What We Bring to the Table:

• A fast-paced, energetic, remote environment with passionate people who are leading a movement to bring ethically produced food to the table.
• Competitive pay and benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, and Paid Parental Leave, just to name a few).
• Generous retirement contributions: 401(k) + 3% Contribution from Day 1.
• Free eggs, along with friends and family discounts.
• Fun team SWAG that will make you the talk of the town.
• Professional development opportunities and an amazing team dedicated to your growth.