By Nick Marchant, Director, March Talent Partners · Published 16 June 2026 · 5 min read
TL;DR. To hire a farm manager worth keeping, accept that the best already run someone else’s operation. Six of our seven placements in the past six months came through a direct approach or our network, not an ad. They span horticulture, livestock and cotton. Allow about ten weeks from search to start.
Key takeaways
- Six of our last seven farm manager placements, all in the past six months, came through headhunting or our network, not an advertisement.
- The seven span horticulture, livestock and cotton. Four went to corporate operators and three to large family operations.
- Two of the seven stepped up from an assistant farm manager or similar role. The rest were proven managers moving across.
- Allow about ten weeks from search to start. Australia’s agricultural workforce sits near 255,500 people with a median age of 50 (ABARES, 2025), and the layer that can run a whole operation is thinning.
How do I hire a farm manager in Australia?
Start from the fact that the farm manager you want already runs someone else’s place. Across our last seven placements, all in the past six months, six came through a direct approach or our network rather than an advertisement. A workable process runs in order. First, be specific about the operation and the sector, because a cotton enterprise in northern Australia asks different things of a manager than a stone-fruit operation in the southern valleys, and experienced operators screen hard on that detail. Second, decide early that you’ll approach people, not just advertise, since the strong ones aren’t looking. Third, target proven managers at comparable operations, and know your feeder tier, the assistant farm manager or overseer ready to step up. Fourth, do the alignment work on package, location and the reason to move before you make an offer. Fifth, allow about ten weeks once notice and relocation are in. Hire a farm manager any faster and you’re usually choosing from whoever happens to be free.
Why won’t the best farm managers answer your ad?
Because the capable ones already run an operation, usually for a corporate or a large family business, and they aren’t scrolling job boards. Farm management in any district is a small, well networked world, so the strong operators are known and their results travel ahead of them. Six of our last seven placements came through a direct approach or our network for that reason. Advertising reaches the people between jobs, rarely the ones holding a successful season together. The operators doing most of the permanent hiring compete for the same short list, and farm businesses report steady difficulty hiring skilled people (NFF, 2025). Better to know which manager you would approach before the seat falls vacant. Reaching them is exactly what a specialist’s network buys, which is why choosing the right agricultural recruiter matters as much as choosing the candidate.
| What our last seven farm manager placements show | Result |
|---|---|
| Farm manager placements, last six months | 7 |
| Direct approach or network vs advertising | 6 of 7 off-market |
| Ownership of the hiring business | 4 corporate, 3 large family |
| Sectors placed across | horticulture, livestock, cotton |
| Stepped up vs moved across | 2 of 7 stepped up from an AFM |
| Average time, search to start | about 10 weeks |
What does “farm manager” actually mean for your operation?
It depends on the business, and getting the definition right is half the hire. On one operation a farm manager runs the whole enterprise; on another the business titles the same seat by sector. A horticulture business may call it an orchard manager, a broadacre operation a cropping manager, a cotton enterprise a cotton manager. The remit, the scale and the reporting line matter more than the label. Our last seven placements sat across horticulture, livestock and cotton in several states, and each brief turned on what the operation needed the manager to own, not on the word in the advertisement. If you’re hiring for a tree-crop operation, the detail in how to hire an orchard manager applies; for a cropping operation, the brief shifts again. Define the role by the operation first, then go and find the person who has run one like it.
Six of our last seven farm managers never saw the job advertised. They were already running someone else’s operation.
Where do farm managers come from?
Mostly from other operations. Five of our last seven were already managing somewhere and moved across, which means for an established enterprise the hire is usually lateral, not a promotion. Two of the seven stepped up from an assistant farm manager or similar role, and that step-up tier, the AFM, the overseer, the 2IC who has carried real responsibility, is your longer pipeline rather than your quick fill. It pays to build that bench early. Knowing who is ready to step up, and keeping the relationship warm, is how you avoid a cold search when the seat opens. Almost 30% of people working in agriculture, forestry and fishing are aged 60 and over, against 11% across all industries (ABS, 2021 Census), so the experienced layer is ageing out and the pipeline you build now is the hire you make in three years.
How long does it take to hire a farm manager?
Plan for about ten weeks from the start of the search to the first day, and treat it as a floor. Roughly three to five weeks goes to running the search and meeting the field, then four to six weeks to notice and relocation once you have your person. A recognised operation with a fair package can move faster, because proven managers will take the call. Push to fill the seat in a fortnight and you’re usually choosing from whoever is free, which is rarely who you want running the place. Build the timeline in and use it to confirm the fit, the cheapest insurance you will buy on the hire.
Hiring a farm manager well turns less on the advertisement and more on knowing which proven operators are quietly open to a move, then giving them a specific reason to make it. Offer real scale, a package that matches the role and a genuine say in how the place runs, and the right manager will back themselves to take it on. Offer a title and a set of keys, and you’ll be back in the market inside a year.
March Talent Partners works with farming businesses and agribusinesses across Australia on permanent placements, from operational roles through to senior management. If you have a farm manager seat to fill and you would rather approach the right people than wait for the wrong ones to apply, get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
Should you advertise or headhunt for a farm manager?
Headhunt. Six of our last seven farm manager placements, all in the past six months, came through a direct approach or our network, not an advertisement. The strongest managers already run an operation and are not looking, so a specific, credible conversation reaches them where a listing will not.
How long does it take to hire a farm manager in Australia?
Plan for about ten weeks from search to start. Roughly three to five weeks runs the search, then four to six weeks covers notice and relocation. A strong package moves faster, but building the timeline in beats rushing the hire and replacing them within a year.
Where do the best farm managers come from?
Mostly from other operations. Five of our last seven placements were already managing elsewhere and moved across, so the hire was lateral. Two stepped up from an assistant farm manager role. The longer-term feeder tier is the AFM and overseer ready to step up, which is where to build your pipeline early.
