Nursery Operations Manager

Salary Description: $61,600 - $69,300 Annually

Classification: Exempt

Organization Description

Naples Botanical Garden is a 170-acre world-class paradise, featuring the flora and cultures of the tropics and sub- tropics including Brazil, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and Florida. The Garden's mission is to connect people and plants through display, education, conservation, and applied science. The Garden has beautifully restored native habitats, cultivated gardens, walking trails, and public programming that offer education and enjoyment for people of all ages. Naples Botanical Garden is a 501(c)3 organization.

Position Summary: The Nursery Operations Manager oversees all production of plants in the Garden’s nurseries. The role will develop and implement all new growing protocols and will work closely with Collections experts across the Garden as well as the Director of Horticulture Operations, Brian Holly Curator of Living Collections, and Horticulture Operations Coordinator to ensure success.

The Nursery Operations Manager will maintain all of the Garden’s grow spaces and greenhouses. Schedule and maintain all collection, rotational plants, finishing dates, and programmatic plantings. Direct Lab & Nursery Propagation Associate on what propagations are needed to schedule for Greenhouse operations. Direct nursery team to maintain collections within the nursery and backup collections for the Garden based on Collections Policy and overseen by direction from Garden Leadership.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

The Nursery Operations Manager will manage the grow operations for both Horticulture and Conservation teams, including overseeing and training nursery staff, and managing orders with the Horticulture Administration Coordinator. This role will track budget priorities for the team, collaborating with Plant Health Lead to track pest control and fertilization schedules, and responding to the Garden’s staff requests. The role will also be required to grow and maintain trees, shrubs, and flowers and all collection plants. Ultimate destination for plant material will be the Naples Botanical Garden, Collier County projects, and partnerships with partners throughout the Caribbean. To ensure success in this role, the Nursery Operations Manager should be organized, have excellent managerial skills, a passion for horticulture, be able to maintain a healthy nursery ecosystem and ensure the success of the Evenstad Horticulture Campus. 

• Develop and continuously improve procedures and practices.
• Oversee and train Nursery Team: Nursery Leads, Nursery Associates, Nursery Gardeners.
• Track and delegate FMX Work orders for operations, maintenance, and production schedule.
• Open the nursery in the morning and close at the end of the business day.
• Monitor nursery stock including soil, fertilizers, and pots.
• Grow plants, trees, and shrubs from seed or seedlings and stepping up to appropriately sized containers. Prepare plants for their final use.
• Monitor watering times, soil conditions, and plant positions.
• Monitor weather conditions and paying special attention to hot or cold temperatures.
• Wadsworth controller training and daily monitoring of pedestal system.
• Monitor greenhouse operation system and adjust as needed, including remotely during non-work hours.
• Monitor the following systems: Irrigation controls, Fertigation controls, IPM Spray logs, etc.
• Greenhouse management of maintenance.
• Stay up to date on all restrictions. Maintain records of restrictions on plants and pest restrictions.
• Production calendar for grow schedule through Monday.com.
• IrisBG training for record keeping of inventory. Ability to learn and use.
• Cross department planning.
• Oversee nursery budget and staffing.
• Cuttings and air layering as directed by Horticulture Leadership. 

Requirements/Qualifications:

• Associate or bachelor’s degree and 5+ Years of Experience in Nursery Operations.
• Excellent managerial and communication skills. Bilingual is a plus.
• Detailed knowledge of plant production, soil, fertilizers, and growing techniques.
• Florida or tropical plant knowledge required.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work with cross-functional teams.
• Must have a valid driver’s license.
• A pre-employment background check required.

Benefits:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance
• Retirement Plan with matching
• Short-Long Term Disability
• PTO
• Paid Holidays
• Garden Perks

Naples Botanical Garden is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Garden has a long-standing policy of employment and advancement based solely upon qualifications to perform the essential elements of a position without regard to age, creed, gender, national origin or ancestry, race, color, religion, veteran status, pregnancy, marital status, HIV status, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, handicap or mental or physical disability.