Manager, Milk Operations and Farm Relationships

Description

Ready for more than just a job? Build a career with purpose.

At Lactalis in the USA, we’re committed to providing meaningful opportunities for our people to learn, grow, and thrive-whether you’re just starting your journey with us or looking to take the next step in your career. From day one, we offer the tools and support to help you succeed.

As the world leader in dairy, Lactalis is a family-owned company with over 85,000 pragmatic and ambitious professionals across the globe. Each day, we’re proud to produce award-winning dairy products that bring people together.

In the US, we proudly offer an unrivaled house of beloved brands, including Galbani Italian cheeses and ricotta, President specialty cheeses and butters, Kraft natural and grated cheeses, Break stone's cottage cheese, Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond cheddar, and Parmalat milk. Our yogurt portfolio includes siggi's, Stonyfield Organic, Brown Cow, Oui, Yoplait, Go-Gurt, :ratio, Green Mountain Creamery, and Mountain High, along with a growing family of ethnic favorites like Karoun, Gopi, and Arz.

At Lactalis, we live by our core values‑Ambition, Engagement, and Simplicity. We foster a workplace where innovation thrives, diverse perspectives are celebrated, and everyone’s unique background and ideas are valued.

Even if you don’t meet every qualification, we encourage you to apply. We want to hear about your PASSION, your STORY, and how your EXPERTISE can help us shape the future of dairy.

Lactalis USA, part of the Lactalis family of companies, is currently hiring a Manager of Milk Operations and Farm Relationships, based in Nampa, .

The Dairy Operations & Farm Relationship Manager will oversee Lactalis USA's direct milk supply chain, balancing strategic farm relationships with day-to-day operational execution. This role manages the flow of raw milk, cream, skim, and other fluid milk into plants, while fostering strong relationships with dairy producers to ensure sustainable, high-quality, and cost-effective supply. The position plays a key role in implementing sourcing strategies, supporting sustainability initiatives, coordinating with internal supply chain functions, and driving adoption of digital tools such as Ever.ag

Milk+.

This hybrid role requires regular interaction with dairy producers, haulers, suppliers, and internal teams, with occasional travel to plants and farms.

Key responsibilities for this position include:

• Contribute to the delivery of Lactalis USA's milk sourcing strategy, ensuring alignment with milk quality, sustainability, cost, and service goals.
• Lead recruitment and onboarding of new direct milk producers across Organic, Conventional, and NGMO, aligning with sourcing priorities.
• Act as a liaison with producers on topics including animal welfare, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility initiatives.
• Identify and cultivate relationships with prospective farmers; support transitions from conventional to organic systems.
• Coordinate farm-level programs that enhance profitability, sustainability, and milk quality, including technical assistance and third-party services.
• Support PR, Marketing, and Communications in promoting direct farm supply programs, including farm tours and virtual events.
• Obtain and maintain certifications as a F.A.R.M. evaluator (Animal Welfare, Environmental Stewardship, Workforce Development) and Cow Signals training.
• Ensure on-farm compliance with federal PMO requirements and plant quality protocols.

• Manage the daily flow of raw milk, cream, skim, and other dairy inputs from suppliers to plants.
• Partner with S&OP and plant scheduling to align supply with operational needs.
• Execute milk and cream buying/selling transactions to optimize supply balance and returns.
• Coordinate with haulers, suppliers, and plant teams to troubleshoot delivery, quality, or capacity issues.
• Drive adoption and utilization of Ever.ag Milk+ scheduling platform across procurement and operations.
• Maintain accurate records of loads, transactions, and variances; generate daily/weekly reports and market…