Nursery Manager Role Overview

Title: Nursery Manager

Overview: The Cornerstone Nursery Manager is responsible for leading our Nursery department while managing a mix of crew leaders, individual contributors, and vendors. The Nursery Manager plays a critical role in the overall operation and success of the Nursery. This position involves a combination of horticultural knowledge, business acumen, and leadership skills to effectively manage the Nursery's operations, staff, and resources.

Reporting Structure: Reports to Director of Support Services

Key Accountabilities:

· Tree and Plant Care: Oversee the health and growth of all tree and plant material within the Nursery. This includes a deep understanding of the specific needs of various species, particularly those that thrive in Central Florida's climate.

· Inventory Management: Keep track of inventory levels and coordinate with our Purchasing team to meet demand without overstocking.

· Staff Supervision: Hire, train, and supervise Nursery staff, ensuring they are knowledgeable about the tree and plant materials we produce.

· Subject Matter Expert: Provide expert advice and assistance to other internal teams regarding tree and plant selection, care, and potential substitutions suitable for job site conditions.

· Business Operations: Handle the day-to-day operations of the Nursery, including managing the Nursery budget, leading multiple Nursery crews, managing our greenhouse, working with vendors, and strategy development to increase profitability.

· Quality Control: Ensure tree and plant material remain healthy and meet a high standard of quality.

· Safety and Compliance: Coordinate with the Cornerstone Safety Manager to maintain a safe working environment for employees, adhering to all relevant safety guidelines and regulations. Ensure the Nursery complies with environmental regulations and reporting practices.

· Market Awareness: Stay informed about trends in horticulture and landscaping while coordinating with internal teams to adjust inventory strategies accordingly via the Nursery annual Growth Plan.

Our Core Values:

· Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing: Know your mission, know your goal, and prioritize accordingly

· Think Long Term: Don’t cut corners, do the right thing, build trust

· Be Willing to Help: Put others first, provide value before expecting anything in return

· Pursue Mastery: Desire to learn and grow, achieve exceptional ability, and “wash the car”

· Be Fearless: Don’t fear challenges, don’t be afraid to ask for help, become the resource

Required Technical Knowledge:

· Greenhouse Operations: Experience and understanding of propagation and greenhouse management.

· Plant Identification: Knowledge of a wide range of tree and plant species and their specific care requirements.

· Soil Science: Understanding of different soil types, pH levels, and amendments needed to improve soil health.

· Pest and Disease Management: Coordinate with vendors to identify and treat common pests and diseases that affect plants in the Central Florida area, using both chemical and organic methods.

· Tree and Plant Nutrition: Knowledge of the nutritional needs of various trees and plants and how to meet these needs through fertilization and soil management.

· Local Climate Knowledge: Familiarity with the local climate and how climate factors affect Nursery care.

· Water Management: Expertise in irrigation systems and water conservation techniques.

· Sustainability Practices: Understanding of sustainable nursery practices, such as eco-friendly pest and weed control methods.

· Microsoft Office: Familiarity with Outlook, Word, Excel

Regular Execution:

· Annual – Nursery fertilizer and pest applicator certification(s)

· Annual – Coordinate with internal Cornerstone teams to adjust the annual Nursery Growth Plan

· Semi-annual – Schedule and oversee tree pruning operations

· Quarterly – Conduct reviews with direct reports

· Monthly – Budget review and management

· Monthly – Manage plant and tree propagation selection based on the Growth Plan

· Monthly – Submit well meter readings to SWFWMD

· Weekly – Attend Support Services Level 10 Meeting

· Weekly – Conduct one-on-one meetings with direct reports

· Weekly – Inventory verification of scheduled tree and plant deliveries

· Weekly – Performance monitoring and reporting via KPI(s)

· Weekly – Attend Safety meeting

· Weekly – Review and submit Safety Training to Safety Manager

· Weekly – Landscape maintenance and office landscaping at Dade City Farm location

· Weekly – Review and approve payroll for Nursery team

· Daily – Collaborate with Nursery crew leads to guide operations

· Ongoing – Source equipment, materials, and chemicals needed for Nursery operations

· Ongoing – Storm and severe weather preparedness

Required Outputs:

· Annual – Nursery team annual compensation adjustments

· Annual – Annual Nursery Growth Plan

· Quarterly – Direct report review(s)

· Monthly – Tree propagation schedule developed in accordance with company grow plan

· Weekly – KPI(s) reported in Ninety.io

· Weekly – Tree and plant material boosting plan (input from Nursery crew leaders)

· Ongoing – Development and continual improvement of Nursery processes

· Ongoing – Utilize the Method CRM platform to maintain an accurate inventory of tree and plant material

Effective and Ongoing Stakeholder Communication:

· Director of Support Services

· Nursery crew leaders

· Purchasing team (inbound and outbound material needs and deliveries)

· Logistics team (material loading and unloading)

· Fleet team (equipment maintenance and repair)

Hidden Maintenance:

· Vendor relationships

· FNGLA Membership and involvement

· Coordinate with outside resources to diagnose and manage Nursery pests and diseases

· Assess market trends for supply and material availability to inform growth plan decisioning

· New community onboarding schedule to inform material need forecast

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $60,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 10 hour shift
• Day shift
• Monday to Friday

Ability to Relocate:

• Dade City, FL 33525: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person