Lead Farm Maintenance Technician

About the Company

Just 50 miles outside of Chicago in the village of Wauconda, IL up the picturesque tree-line driveway is Golden Oaks Farm. Golden Oaks Farm was founded by the Crown family of Chicago, IL in 1948, the passion for dairy is lustrous as John Crown's love for Holsteins. John would spend his time at the farm fueling his passion and laying the building blocks to achieve an over 70-year reputation for outstanding Holsteins in an urban location.

Today, the Crown family relies on a team of 16 dedicated full-time and several part-time employees to make Golden Oaks Farm successful both in the Dairy and Genetic markets. Our team is driven by the mission statement: To efficiently and profitably produce quality dairy product and superior cattle genetics while maintaining the integrity of agriculture in a suburban setting.

Golden Oaks Farm is known for breeding sound, well-balanced cows that have the combination of dairyness and strength needed to be highly productive while creating bloodlines with a strong maternal and paternal side to breed in the future. Our herd consists of roughly 720 milking females and 680 young stock, with about 99% of these animals registered. We aim to produce 19,000,000 pounds of milk every year with solid components. We classify several times each year and currently have 45 Excellent and 200 Very Good cows.

Most of our 1,600 crop acres are planted each spring and harvested by custom harvesters in the fall. Alfalfa haylage, dry hay, corn silage, high moisture corn and oatlage are produced on the farm to feed the cows. Winter wheat is also grown to provide both straw for both feed and bedding. Additional dry hay, straw, corn gluten feed and a protein-mineral mix are purchased to fill out the ration.

Responsibilities

• Schedule and perform daily preventive maintenance on equipment, systems, and facilities
• Coordinate and Conduct oil changes, lubrication, and related equipment servicing
• Operate farm equipment and machinery as needed
• Perform welding and fabrication for repairs and new builds
• Assign daily tasks to the Maintenance Assistant and monitor work quality
• Prioritize maintenance requests and determine repair vs. replace actions
• Manage parts inventory, ordering, and vendor relationships
• Power wash and clean farm equipment regularly
• Maintain and repair farm structures and assigned maintenance areas
• Track and order parts as directed; maintain clean and organized work areas
• Follow all farm safety protocols and assist in training others when needed
• Troubleshoot equipment issues and coordinate external service vendors
• Submit receipts to office staff for documentation
• Read and interpret manuals and work orders for service tasks
• Maintain and repair barn components (e.g., gates, posts, waterers, headlocks, grates)
• Make repair/replacement decisions based on condition and functionality
• Oversee and support maintenance assistant in daily tasks and scheduling
• Collaborate with the Herd Team on cross-functional maintenance projects
• Assist with farm and livestock operations when needed
• Unload trailers and truck deliveries
• Respond to after-hours equipment breakdowns, perform emergency repairs and participate in on-call rotation
• Serve as a backup equipment operator
• Perform backup scraping duties
• Assist with Assist with farm operations during peak workload periods
• Assist with forage hauling and storage operations
• Support Farm team with special projects as assigned

Qualifications

• Education: High School Diploma or GED required, trade school certification preferred or equivalent hands-on mechanical experience may be considered
• Certifications/Licenses: Valid driver’s license required; certifications such as: ASE, Diesel engine, Electrical, Pneumatics, Hydraulics preferred
• 3-5 years of work experience with preventive maintenance of equipment (trucks, tractors, skid steers, etc.)
• 2-years of Mechanical experience
• 2-years Welding and fabrication experience

Required Skills

• Strong mechanical aptitude with the ability to troubleshoot and repair electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and mechanical systems
• Ability to follow directions, multitask and meet deadlines
• Ability to work independently and with a team
• Ability to perform welding, fabrication, and preventive maintenance skills
• Knowledge of basic safety procedures and farm equipment operation
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities
• Basic computer skills, with knowledge of Microsoft office (word, excel, outlook)
• Training will be provided for specific techniques and computer programs utilized at Golden Oaks Farm
• Must be able to pass pre-employment physical
• Physical ability to perform labor include lifting, bending, climbing, and working under equipment