Do you love animals? Want to work outside with a lovely herd of dairy goats? We want your help!
Job: Dairy Goat Milker OR Diary Herd Manager
Description: Our small, family owned goat dairy is currently hiring for a dairy goat milker and/or our next dairy herd manager.
We are looking for a hard working individual to help us during our 2025 milking season. This position is available starting immediately and will last until December with potential to continue on through winter for the right candidate. We will also be looking for candidates who would like to join us for our busy 2026 kidding season and milking season down the road. If you love animals, working outdoors and are looking for a job that is self-guided and dynamic, this could be the right fit for you.
16-40 hrs/week depending on the season and employee preference.
Starting wage $17.50, higher starting wage negotiable with direct experience. The diary herd manager wage starts at $26/hour and goes up from there depending on experience. Please see the link listed below to learn more about that position.
Shifts generally start at 8 AM. Depending on employee preference and company needs, shifts can be either 4 hours or 8 hours.
Commitment: Mid-June through November 2025.
Requirements: The right candidate must love animals, have a positive attitude, be hard working and extremely reliable. They must be able to lift 50 pounds and be able to work both independently and as a team. They must be able to work their scheduled shifts and have reliable transportation. Due to the nature of animal husbandry we have a firm schedule and do not have a lot of flexibility to offer extended time off during the milking season.
Experience: No experience required for the milking position- we are willing to train the right applicant. Animal handling / husbandry experience preferred. Must have a good attitude and be able to work hard with demonstrated efficiency. Experience is required for the herd manager position.
Schedule: 4-8 hour shifts (morning, weekend and holiday availability required). We may be able to work around school and secondary job schedules for the right candidate.
Duties include:
Feeding animals (goats, livestock guardian dogs)
Performing milking shifts as scheduled adhering to highest standards of hygiene and sanitation
Safe and responsible use of chemicals for the sanitation and cleaning of the milking line and related equipment
Monitoring herd health and communicate updates to manager
Weekly deep clean of the milking parlor
Ability to access email regularly to ensure you have the latest information before each shift worked
Occasional bottle-feeding of goat kids
Maintaining a high level of awareness to ensure herd health, personal safety, and product quality
Helping the dairy management team with miscellaneous tasks as needed
Great communication skills
Cleaning/mucking pens, working in dusty environments
Loading bales of hay in the back of an RTV
Occasionally feed/care for other animals on the farm (pigs, cows, cats, fish)
The dairy herd manager position requires all of the above listed duties and skillsets as well as hands-on previous experience with goats. If you would like to learn more about the herd manager position, please view our posting on our website:
https://stepladdercreamery.com/blogs/now-hiring-customer-service-specialist/assistant-herd-manager-dairy-goat-herd
About our farm: Stepladder Ranch and Creamery is a small farmstead goat dairy and creamery located in the hills of Cambria, California. We specialize in small-scale, handmade cheeses with milk from our pasture-raised herd of Lamancha goats. We also make artisan cow's milk and mixed milk cheeses using milk from a local herd of Holstein and Jersey cows. All the goat milk used to make our cheeses comes exclusively from our herd on the property.
To apply: Please email Whitney with a bit about yourself, a resume, and your availability.