For almost 30 years Vermont Compost has produced composts, potting soils, and eggs year-round and currently employs approximately twenty humans, a couple of hundred chickens, and a half dozen equines. If you are interested in joining our workforce as our business continues to grow and evolve, please send your résumé and a brief cover letter to Kurt Ericksen: kurt@vermontcompost.com
Current Job Openings:
Equipment Service Manager, Herd Manager, Farm Chore Person
*** Equipment Service Manager ***
The Equipment Service Manager plays a critical role at Vermont Compost Company and must have excellent communication and organizational skills, with a working knowledge of, or an interest in, biofuels and non-toxic fluids, combined with experience in heavy machinery maintenance and repairs. This individual does not need to know how to repair everything, so it is important that they know when to utilize a sub-contracted mechanic.
Major Areas of Responsibility:
- Perform or oversee all equipment maintenance and repairs
- Maintain service logs for all equipment
- Complete fluid changes and fluid samples as scheduled
- Ensure inventories of all fluids and replacement parts are adequate
- Provide General Manager and other relevant staff with regular status updates on all equipment
- Maintain healthy relationships with equipment shops we work with
Qualifications:
- Previous experience working in a professional shop setting
- Ability to perform basic maintenance and repairs on front end loaders and excavators
- Verbal and written communication skills; adequate to track and communicate maintenance and repair needs
- Proven track record of working autonomously
- Clean and highly organized
Location and Schedule: Based out of our location in Montpelier, VT - this position will typically be Monday - Friday, 8AM - 4PM. Some hours outside of that may be needed, depending on equipment repair needs.
Compensation and Benefits: Compensation is commensurate with experience. This is a full-time, year-round, position. Additional benefits include: health insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, 3% matching IRA, paid time off, and more.
*** Herd Manager ***
The Herd Manager works directly with the Owner of Vermont Compost Company in the continued care and development of our seven American Mammoth donkeys and one mule. The primary goals of this program are to maintain the traditional skill sets required to engage in work with these animals while taking them into Montpelier to collect food residuals from homes and businesses. A positive attitude, flexibility, attention to detail and the ability to work independently are essential for success in this position. The current Herd Manager is leaving in late August and we would like to bring someone in to work with him for several weeks before his departure.
Major Areas of Responsibility:
- Animal care: engaging in the daily chores and care of the equines, scheduling visits from the ferrier and veterinarian as needed, ensuring appropriate levels of hay are available, maintaining access to pasture and more.
- Training: work with the equines to continue to develop their ability to engage in work, maintain the equipment needed to perform these various tasks and work with Ownership in putting together training goals for each equine.
- Food Residuals Collection: when weather and skills permit, take the appropriate equines into town to collect food residuals, ensuring material, equipment and animals are all cared for responsibly before and after.
- Interdepartmental Support: as seasonal variation of responsibilities shifts, provide support to other departments as appropriate.
Qualifications:
Candidates with strong combinations of qualifications listed below will be considered
- Experience in handling and driving equines (donkeys in particular)
- Experience completing various livestock chores and care
- Good communication skills
- A calm demeanor
- Ability to be perform some very basic carpentry and maintenance tasks
Location and Schedule: This position is based out of our main site in Montpelier, VT. The schedule is typically Monday through Friday, 8AM to 4PM, with some occasional evening, weekend and holiday coverage needed.
Compensation and Benefits: This is a full-time, year-round, hourly position with compensation commensurate with experience. This position includes paid time off, health, dental, and disability/life insurance, 3% matching IRA, and some additional benefits.
*** Farm Chore Person ***
Our poultry operation provides the foundation for our composts and the Farm Chore Person’s primary responsibility will be to perform the day to day tasks necessary for this operation to be successful. In addition to these daily responsibilities, the Farm Chore Person will routinely provide support for the equine, food residuals collection, and compost departments.
Major Areas of Responsibility
- Perform routine tasks for the successful management of our poultry operation. This would include but is not limited to egg collection and cleaning, managing the floor bedding, cleaning out nesting boxes, feeding out compost forage and more.
- Coordinate with Herd Manager to support equines when appropriate. This may include cleaning out stalls, feeding hay and watering.
- Support the Food Residuals Program Manager in the cleaning and maintenance of food residuals totes - potentially driving the route from time to time.
- Engage in various components of Compost Operations such as; operating a front end loader or excavator, blending food residuals as they arrive, and more.
Additional Responsibilities:
- Grounds Maintenance: snow plowing, mowing, weeding.
- Equipment Maintenance: greasing, checking fluids, cleaning.
- Maintaining appropriate inventories of needed materials: hay, egg cartons, etcetera.
Qualifications:
- Experience with poultry is highly desirable, but not required
- Loader, tractor and or other farm experience is highly desirable but not essential
- Comfortable working weekends and holidays
- Desire to learn about and engage in Vermont Compost Company’s composting process
- Ability to lift 50lbs and perform all other necessary physical tasks
- Proven track record of working autonomously
Location and Schedule: The Farm Chore Person will work most weekends and some holidays, typically working 7:30-3:30. A schedule for the ideal candidate may be negotiated.
Compensation and Benefits: This is a full-time, year-round, hourly position with compensation commensurate with experience. This position includes paid time off, health, dental and life insurance, 3% matching IRA and more.
