Free Position Description (Farm Manager) Template

Purpose of the Free Position Description (Farm Manager) Template

Defining roles and responsibilities is a cornerstone of a safe and efficient agricultural operation. A clear position description (PD) sets expectations, outlines performance metrics, and, most importantly, assigns accountability for work health and safety.

Our Free Position Description (Farm Manager) Template provides a structured starting point for agricultural businesses to formalise the duties of this critical leadership role. It helps ensure the person in charge understands their obligations for managing risks, supervising staff, and championing a culture of safety across the property.

By clearly articulating WHS duties within the PD, you integrate safety into the core of the management function, rather than treating it as an afterthought. This document helps ensure that leadership is actively involved in safety management, from overseeing training to ensuring regular safety checks are completed. Formalising these duties is a key step in demonstrating due diligence and can form part of regular WHS inspections for agricultural sites.

How to use the Free Position Description (Farm Manager) Template

This resource is available for download as a DOCX file for easy editing and a PDF for straightforward printing and distribution. To use the template effectively, you must adapt it to the unique context of your farm.

The document includes sections covering primary purpose, key responsibilities, qualifications, and specific WHS duties, all of which should be reviewed and customised.

Important: This is a template, not a finished document. We strongly recommend you customise it to reflect your specific operational needs, state or territory WHS laws, company policies, and the unique hazards present at your workplace (e.g., specific machinery, chemicals, or livestock). Part of this customisation may involve adding responsibilities for delivering training on specific topics, such as through regular livestock handling safety toolbox talks.

When to use it

A well-drafted position description is a versatile document used throughout the employment lifecycle. Its primary use is during the recruitment and hiring process to attract suitable candidates and provide clarity on the role's expectations.

Once an employee is onboarded, the PD serves as a foundational document for setting performance goals and conducting reviews. It can also be a valuable reference tool during incident investigations to determine if responsibilities were understood and met, or if the role's duties require revision.

For example, ensuring the manager oversees the completion of a daily pre-start checklist for a chaser bin or other key plant should be a specified duty.

Who should use it

This template is designed for anyone responsible for defining roles and managing staff in an agricultural business. This includes:

• Farm Owners and Directors: To establish clear lines of authority and accountability for safety and operational performance.
• Agribusiness HR Managers: As a foundational tool for recruitment, onboarding, and performance management processes.
• Senior Managers: To delegate responsibilities and ensure their direct reports have a clear understanding of their duties.

Using a structured PD like this is a fundamental part of building comprehensive WHS management systems that are effective and auditable.

Key Responsibilities in a Farm Manager PD

While you must customise the details, a robust Farm Manager PD should always cover several key areas. Ensure your final document clearly outlines responsibilities for:

• WHS Leadership: Actively promoting safety, leading by example, and chairing safety meetings.
• Risk Management: Identifying hazards, assessing risks, and implementing effective control measures for all farm activities.
• Staff Training & Supervision: Ensuring all workers, contractors, and visitors are inducted, trained, and supervised appropriately for the tasks they perform.
• Incident Reporting & Investigation: Establishing and managing a system for reporting all incidents and near misses, and leading investigations to find root causes.
• Emergency Preparedness: Developing and testing emergency plans for events like fire, medical emergencies, or chemical spills.

These responsibilities demonstrate that safety is not just a policy, but an active, managed part of the business. For organisations aiming for the highest standards, embedding these duties is crucial for achieving ISO 45001 certification.

If you operate a large or complex agricultural business, defining these roles with precision can be challenging. In these cases, seeking advice from specialist WHS consulting services can provide clarity and ensure your management structure effectively addresses all relevant risks.

Spire Safety has a wide range of documents available in our free WHS resources library to support your safety goals.