Hatchery Supervisor - PA

Position Title: Hatchery Supervisor - PA

Status: Full-time, Non-Exempt
Department: Hatchery
Reports To: Hatchery Manager - PA


About Us

At Hoover's Hatchery, we don't just hatch chicks - we support farmers, homesteaders, feed stores, and families across the country. From our Quakertown, Pennsylvania location our team serves customers nationwide while staying rooted in the values of hard work, accountability, and community.

As a stable and growing agricultural business, we operate in an industry that continues to thrive. Our hatchery operations team is at the heart of everything we do - ensuring every chick is hatched, processed, and delivered with the care and precision our customers count on.

Unlike large corporate environments where roles can be narrow and repetitive, our hatchery supervisors have the opportunity to lead a dedicated floor team, develop their production expertise, and play a visible role in the daily success of the operation. From incubation and hatching to chick processing and fulfillment, no two days look exactly the same - and your leadership makes a direct difference.

At Hoover's Hatchery, every role contributes to a business that supports customers across the country while staying grounded in the values of hard work and reliability that defines our team. If you're someone who leads by example, thrives in a hands-on environment, and takes pride in running a tight, well-functioning operation, we want to hear from you.

Why Join Our Team?

• Stable and growing company with national reach
• Hands-on leadership role with real impact on daily operations
• Collaborative environment with direct access to management
• Structured processes and clear expectations
• Competitive compensation and full-time benefits
• Located in Pennsylvania with a strong sense of community and quality of life

Job Summary

The Hatchery Supervisor is responsible for the hands-on, day-to-day supervision of the hatchery production and order fulfillment activities and floor-level staff. Working under the direction of the Hatchery Manager, this role ensures that hatchery operations, including egg handling, incubation, hatching, chick processing, sanitation, and order fulfillment are carried out safely, efficiently, and in accordance with company standards. The Hatchery Supervisor serves as the primary point of contact for Production and Order Fulfillment employees during their shift and acts as a key liaison between floor staff and the Hatchery Manager.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Daily Operations

• Supervises and directs Production and Order Fulfillment staff during assigned shifts, ensuring all tasks are completed on time and to standard.
• Monitors egg room activities, incubation, transfer, and hatching processes to ensure proper procedures are followed.
• Performs and oversees machine readings on schedule, reporting irregularities to the Hatchery Manager promptly.
• Ensures transfer crews have all necessary information including correct incubator assignments, hatcher placements, and vaccine schedules.
• Supports chick processing activities including sorting, vaccinating, and staging for fulfillment.
• Assists the Hatchery Manager in coordinating production flow to meet daily and weekly order requirements.
• Monitors equipment operation and immediately reports maintenance needs to the Maintenance Manager and Hatchery Manager.
• Performs all other duties as assigned by leadership.

Sanitation and Biosecurity

• Enforces and maintains hatchery sanitation standards including cleanliness of incubators, hatchers, processing areas, and common spaces.
• Ensures fumigation of hatchers and the hatchery is completed according to schedule.
• Monitors and reinforces biosecurity protocols among all floor staff.
• Ensures compliance with NPIP guidelines and company sanitation procedures.

Staff Supervision

• Provides direct supervision, task direction, and real-time guidance to Production and Order Fulfillment employees and temporary workers.
• Assists the Hatchery Manager with onboarding and training of new staff.
• Communicates performance observations and concerns to the Hatchery Manager in a timely manner.
• Promotes a positive, productive, and respectful work environment on the floor.
• Enforces company policies, safety rules, and standards of conduct consistently and fairly.
• Coordinates with sexing crews to ensure accurate staffing alignment and completing of sexing sheets.

Order Fulfillment Support

• Supports Order Fulfillment activities by ensuring chick processing is completed accurately and staged for shipping on schedule.
• Monitors departmental inventory of supplies (e.g., boxes, gro-gel, chick box pads, paper liners, vaccination materials, etc.) and notifies the Hatchery Manager when replenishment is needed.
• Coordinates with Order Fulfillment staff to ensure orders are packaged and prepared in accordance with quality and biosecurity standards.
• Communicates any order or production issues that may impact Order Fulfillment timelines to the Hatchery Manager immediately.

Reporting and Communication

• Maintains accurate daily production records including hatch data, machine readings, vaccination records, and any incidents or irregularities.
• Reports InOvo/Embrex numbers and other required data to the Hatchery Manager as scheduled.
• Provides clear communication throughout departments and shifts to ensure continuity of information.
• Communicates employee attendance, performance, or safety issues to the Hatchery Manager promptly.

Job Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent preferred.
• Two or more years of hatchery, poultry production, or agricultural operations experience preferred.
• One or more years of supervisory or lead experience preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.) preferred.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Must be fluent in reading, writing, and understanding English.
• Ability to count and record numbers accurately.
• Must be willing to handle live poultry and push/move heavy equipment.
• Ability and desire to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Competencies

• Ethical conduct
• Customer servitude
• Tenacity
• Strong computer skills
• High level of confidentiality
• Problem solving/analysis
• Ability to adapt to change
• Ability to work well with others and lead effectively
• Great organization skills
• Able to successfully meet deadlines
• Strong communication skills
• Motivated and self-directed
• Able to prioritize and multi-task
• Effective in a team environment

Travel Requirements

• This role typically does not travel.

Physical Demands

• Work is performed in a consistently changing environment - hot and humid to air-conditioned rooms
• Work is performed indoors and outdoors
• Requires the ability to tolerate unpleasant odors associated with eggs and poultry of various quality
• Normal corrective vision range, ability to see color and distinguish letters, numbers, and symbols
• Frequently required to sit, walk, talk, hear, bend, and reach
• Requires full range of body motion including handling, lifting, and moving heavy boxes and equipment
• This position may require heavy lifting, over 50 lbs.