Production Operations Manager

Variegated NYC is a growing interior landscaping company that designs, installs, and maintains stunning interior plantscapes and provides exquisite floral arrangements for a diverse clientele across New York City. Our mission is to create vibrant, healthy environments that elevate the spaces where people live and work. We're looking for a Production Operations Manager to own everything between “the design is approved” and “the install is done”: our plant studio and warehouse, the install calendar, the production team, and the ordering and vendor relationships that keep projects moving.

This role is equal parts operations management, scheduling, and team leadership. You'll run the day-to-day of our studio and warehouse, build and manage the company-wide install calendar, lead a blended team of full-time staff and freelancers, and own inventory and ordering so projects never stall waiting on materials. This is a working leadership role, in-studio five days a week. You'll be the person who keeps the engine room of the business running clean.

Responsibilities

Studio & Warehouse Operations

• Own the day-to-day of the plant studio and warehouse: layout, organization, cleanliness, and flow.
• Receive inbound deliveries of plants, planters, soil, hardware, and supplies. Inspect quality and quantity, reconcile deliveries against orders, and resolve discrepancies with vendors.
• Build and enforce systems for staging, labeling, and tracking materials by project.

Install Scheduling & Planning

• Own the company-wide install calendar end to end: sequencing concurrent projects, assigning crews, and coordinating with design, care, and client timelines.
• Translate signed proposals into executable production plans: site surveys, access requirements, material lists, labor plans, and timelines.
• Coordinate directly with clients and building management on install windows, freight elevators, loading dock access, and COI requirements.
• Handle schedule disruptions in real time: weather, delivery delays, site access issues, crew callouts, and quick-turnaround projects.
• Hand every completed install off to the care team with documented plant specs, watering requirements, and site access notes.

Plant Prep & Project Readiness

• Coordinate with designers and install leads on what each upcoming project needs and by when.
• Direct the prep team to ensure plants are cleaned, potted, conditioned, and staged ahead of every install.
• Oversee pre-build work on planter assemblies, irrigation components, and other install materials.
• Inspect staged jobs before load-out against design specs, and hold a clear staging area so crews load out with no confusion.

Team Leadership & Hiring

• Manage studio, prep, and install staff day to day: scheduling, task assignment, training, and accountability.
• Forecast labor needs 4 to 8 weeks out from the project pipeline, and plan staffing to prevent bottlenecks in peak weeks.
• Build and maintain a deep bench of vetted freelance installers and prep crew, with current rates and availability.
• Drive hiring for production roles end to end: job descriptions, sourcing, screening, working interviews, and recommendations to ownership.
• Own onboarding for production hires, set and uphold standards for plant handling and safety, and run regular team syncs on the pipeline and prep priorities.
• Provide regular feedback, complete performance reviews, and address underperformance directly.

Ordering, Procurement & Vendor Management

• Own the full ordering lifecycle for plants, planters, soil, hardware, and consumables: requisition through purchase order, confirmation, and delivery.
• Maintain a live tracking system for every open order so nothing arrives late or unaccounted for, and build ordering timelines backward from install dates.
• Manage special orders and custom fabrication, including deposits, production timelines, and delivery logistics.
• Own vendor relationships: negotiate pricing and terms, track reliability and quality, and maintain backup suppliers for critical categories.
• Manage production subcontractors, including scope, scheduling, COI collection before site work, and quality acceptance.

Inventory, Fleet & Equipment

• Maintain accurate, real-time inventory of plants, planters, tools, and consumables, with par levels and regular cycle counts.
• Own scheduling, maintenance, and compliance for cargo vans and box trucks, keeping vehicles clean, stocked, and road-ready.
• Maintain a tool and equipment inventory with a check-out system for field crews.

Install Support & Field Leadership

• Oversee major, complex, or high-volume installs on-site, ensuring execution to design intent and running punch lists to close out deficiencies.
• Step in on installs when crews need additional capacity, particularly on larger jobs.
• Drive cargo vans and small box trucks for material runs, and help with loading, on-site staging, and breakdown as needed.

Reporting, Quality & Safety

• Track material and labor costs against project budgets, flagging overruns early.
• Deliver a weekly production report covering the install calendar, open orders, labor utilization, and upcoming risks.
• Build and maintain SOPs for prep, staging, load-out, install, and handoff so quality doesn't depend on any single person.
• Enforce safe practices for lifting, ladder work, vehicle loading, and client site conduct, and document any incidents.

Requirements

• 3 years of experience managing operations, production, or install teams in a production, horticulture, events, fabrication, or trades environment.
• Experience owning a schedule across multiple concurrent projects, crews, and deadlines.
• Experience managing or supervising a team: assigning work, reviewing output, giving direct feedback, and holding people accountable.
• Strong organizational skills and a process-oriented mindset. You build systems, track details, and don't let things fall through the cracks.
• Highly self-directed and solutions-oriented. You spot inefficiencies and fix them at the root rather than working around them.
• Valid driver's license with a clean record. Comfortable driving cargo vans and small box trucks in NYC.
• Physically capable of lifting 50 lbs and moving plants, planters, and materials throughout the day.
• A genuine interest in plants, horticulture, or how physical spaces come together. You don't need to walk in as a plant expert. We'll train you on species and handling. But you should be someone who's curious and picks things up quickly.
• Comfortable with the realities of a working studio: dirt, water, plants, deliveries, vehicles.

Nice To Haves

• Any existing knowledge of plants, horticulture, or landscape design. This will accelerate your ramp-up but is not required. We have a strong team that can teach you the plant side.
• Direct experience in interior landscaping or a closely related field (exterior landscape, floral, nursery, greenhouse).
• Experience with purchasing, vendor management, or logistics coordination.
• Familiarity with inventory management software and Google Workspace.
• Experience coordinating across design, install, or care teams in a multi-functional operation.

Benefits

• Generous PTO: Holiday, Vacation, & Sick Pay
• Health Coverage: Company-sponsored health, dental, and vision insurance
• Employee Discount: Discounts on plants and planters for personal use.
• Team Culture: Frequent team dinners, happy hours, fun events, and an annual holiday party.