Milk Supply Director Job Description

This Milk Supply Director job description sets out the main duties, qualifications, skills and measures of success for the role, which is also known as Milk Procurement Director, Head of Milk Supply, Member Relations Director or Agricultural Director. Download it free as a Word or PDF template and adapt it for your own vacancy.

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Job title	Milk Supply Director
Also known as	Milk Procurement Director, Head of Milk Supply, Member Relations Director, Agricultural Director
Department	Dairy leadership and board
Reports to	Chief Executive Officer
Direct reports	Head of milk procurement, field team managers, the milk pricing and member services manager, and the milk collection manager

What does a Milk Supply Director do?

Leads the sourcing of raw milk for a dairy processor or co-operative, so that the business has the right volume and quality of milk at a fair and competitive price. Manages relationships with farmers or members, milk contracts and pricing, the field team and on-farm standards, and balances milk supply with demand.

Milk Supply Director duties and responsibilities

Milk supply strategy

Set the milk supply strategy in line with processing capacity and sales plans
Forecast milk volumes by season, region and supplier
Plan whether to grow, hold or reduce milk supply as markets and capacity change
Advise the executive team and the Board on milk supply risks and opportunities

Farmer and member relations

Build trusted relationships with farmers, members and their elected representatives
Explain milk price, market conditions and business plans clearly and promptly
Lead farmer and member meetings, councils and liaison groups
Handle disputes and complaints fairly and in line with contracts and co-operative rules
Recruit new suppliers and retain existing ones

Milk contracts and pricing

Design milk contracts and pricing schemes, including base price, quality and seasonality payments
Recommend the milk price with finance, based on market returns and the business's finances
Make sure milk payments are accurate, on time and transparent
Keep contracts in line with company and co-operative law, competition law and any codes of practice

Field team and on-farm standards

Lead the field team that supports farmers on milk quality, animal welfare and sustainability
Set on-farm standards and audits covering hygiene, welfare, medicines use and the environment
Support farmers to cut emissions, use water well and meet customer requirements
Act quickly and firmly on milk quality failures, antibiotic residues and welfare concerns

Supply and demand balancing

Balance daily and seasonal milk supply against plant capacity and sales
Arrange sales or purchases of surplus or shortfall milk with other processors
Work with logistics to plan efficient milk collection routes and tanker capacity
Prepare contingency plans for peak milk flows, plant breakdowns and disease outbreaks

Milk Supply Director qualifications and experience

Essential

Degree or equivalent qualification in agriculture, agricultural economics or a related field
Extensive senior experience in milk procurement, dairy farming or agricultural supply chains
Strong understanding of dairy farm economics and milk pricing
Proven record of building relationships with farmers or co-operative members
Experience of leading field-based teams
Good knowledge of milk quality, animal welfare and on-farm sustainability standards

Desirable

Experience in a farmer-owned co-operative
Knowledge of dairy commodity markets and how they drive milk price
Experience of milk collection and logistics
Experience of farm assurance or sustainability programmes

Skills and attributes

Building relationships and trust
Negotiation
Clear communication, including to large farmer audiences
Commercial and financial acumen
Planning and forecasting
Leadership of field-based teams
Calm and fair handling of conflict

How success is measured

Milk volume against plan and plant needs
Milk price competitiveness against market benchmarks
Milk quality, including cell count, bacteria and residue failures
Farmer or member retention and satisfaction
On-farm audit compliance and sustainability targets met
Milk collection cost per litre

Working conditions and safety

Combines office work with frequent travel to farms, member meetings and plants, following biosecurity rules on farm. Some evening meetings with farmers and members are expected.

Lead by example on health, safety, food safety and animal welfare
Uphold the code of conduct and all legal and compliance requirements
Raise concerns and report incidents promptly

Milk Supply Director interview questions

Use these questions to assess candidates for a Milk Supply Director role. Each one includes what a good answer shows.

How would you design a milk pricing scheme that is fair to farmers and sustainable for the business?
What a good answer shows: Balances market returns, quality and seasonality incentives, transparency and affordability, and explains the trade-offs clearly.
How do you forecast milk supply over the next three years?
What a good answer shows: Uses supplier intentions, herd trends, weather, farm economics and market signals, and tests several scenarios.
How would you help farmers reduce emissions without harming their businesses?
What a good answer shows: Uses farm data, practical advice, incentives and shared learning, and focuses on changes that also improve efficiency.
How do you balance milk supply with demand during the seasonal peak?
What a good answer shows: Plans plant capacity, surplus milk sales, seasonal pricing incentives and contingency arrangements with other processors.
Milk prices must fall sharply because of weak markets. How do you explain this to members?
What a good answer shows: Communicates early and honestly, explains market drivers clearly, listens and shows what the business is doing to recover.
A competitor offers a higher price to a large group of your suppliers. What do you do?
What a good answer shows: Understands the offer, reviews total value and relationships, responds with facts and avoids short-term price wars.
A field adviser finds a serious animal welfare problem on a supplier farm. How do you handle it?
What a good answer shows: Acts quickly and firmly, involves vets and authorities where required, follows contract terms and supports improvement.
How do you make sure milk pricing and contracts comply with competition law and co-operative rules?
What a good answer shows: Understands the legal limits, takes legal advice, keeps processes transparent and treats all suppliers consistently.
How would you lead a field team that works mostly alone across a wide area?
What a good answer shows: Sets clear goals, keeps in regular contact, uses data to track work, and supports and develops each person.
How do you build trust with farmer-member representatives who challenge management?
What a good answer shows: Listens, shares information openly, follows through on commitments and treats challenge as useful rather than hostile.

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Frequently asked questions

What does a Milk Supply Director do?

What qualifications does a Milk Supply Director need?

Employers usually look for: degree or equivalent qualification in agriculture, agricultural economics or a related field; extensive senior experience in milk procurement, dairy farming or agricultural supply chains; strong understanding of dairy farm economics and milk pricing.

Who does a Milk Supply Director report to?

A Milk Supply Director usually reports to the Chief Executive Officer. Direct reports typically include head of milk procurement, field team managers, the milk pricing and member services manager, and the milk collection manager.

Can I use this Milk Supply Director job description for my own vacancy?

Yes. Download the free Word template, add your location, contract and salary details, and adapt the duties to your site. You can then advertise the role on Dairy Jobs.