Garden Center Assistant Store Manager

Assistant Store Manager (Assistant Garden Center Manager) 

Classification: Exempt
Salary Grade/Level/Range: Assistant Manager
Reports to: Garden Center Manager
Direct Reports: Garden Center Sales Associates and Cashiers 

Summary/Objective 

The Assistant Garden Center Manager supports the Garden Center Manager in ensuring outstanding guest service and effective day-to-day operation of the store. This role helps drive sales and profitability through excellence in merchandising, inventory control, expense management, staff training, and shift leadership. The Assistant Manager acts as manager-on-duty when the Garden Center Manager is unavailable. 

Essential Functions 

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

Guest Experience & Service 

• Ensure each guest receives outstanding service (greet, acknowledge, assist; maintain standards and product knowledge). 
• Resolve customer concerns and conflicts promptly and professionally; escalate issues as needed. 
• Model a friendly, knowledgeable, and solution-oriented environment. 

Sales, Merchandising & Presentation 

• Execute floor moves, displays, signing, pricing, and promotional set-ups to company standards. 
• Maintain adequate selling-floor stock levels and compelling adjacencies; ensure daily recovery/housekeeping. 
• Monitor business trends; recommend actions to maximize sales and meet/exceed goals. 

Inventory, Shrink & Loss Prevention 

• Provide efficient support in vendor management, including ordering, receiving, processing, replenishment, and re-wraps, ensuring accuracy and a sense of urgency throughout all tasks. 
• Support inventory accuracy, cycle counts, and shrink controls; enforce loss prevention standards. 
• Partner with the Nursery Manager/Garden Center Manager to restock retail yard from wholesale and communicate material quantities and future needs. 

Horticultural Care 

• Ensure proper plant care in retail areas (watering, pruning, scouting for insects/disease, rotation). 
• Maintain product integrity and presentation in alignment with seasonal priorities. 

People Leadership, Training & Performance 

• Lead shifts, delegate tasks, and ensure safety guidelines and company policies are followed. 
• Train and coach associates in guest service, product knowledge, POS, merchandising, and plant care. 
• Provide ongoing performance feedback; recognize strong performance and address gaps. 

Operations, Compliance & Administration 

• Serve as manager-on-duty for opening/closing and daily operational execution. 
• Maintain POS standards: cash handling accuracy, media accountability, and resolution of register issues. 
• Support scheduling, communication, meetings, audits, and safety procedures; assist with price checks/comparison shopping as directed. 
• Prepare and deliver weekly progress updates to the Garden Center Manager and support reporting to the President as needed. 

Competencies 

• Customer/Client Focus 
• Leadership & Team Development 
• Communication Proficiency 
• Organizational Skills 
• Ethical Conduct 
• Financial/Business Acumen 
• Problem Solving & Decision Making 
• Learning Orientation 
• Basic Horticultural Knowledge 

Supervisory Responsibility 

Supervises Garden Center Sales Associates and Cashiers during assigned shifts; responsible for: 

• Delegating tasks and monitoring completion 
• Enforcing safety and policy compliance 
• Elevating issues and communicating Garden Center needs 
• Assisting with recruiting, onboarding, and training as directed

Requirements

Work Environment 

This role operates in a retail garden center environment and frequently works outdoors in varying weather conditions. The employee may occasionally work near moving mechanical parts; exposure can include wet/humid conditions, vibration, elevated spaces, airborne particles, and chemicals used in horticulture. Noise levels range from moderate to loud. 

Physical Demands 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear; stand, walk, bend, kneel, stoop, crouch, crawl, and climb throughout the day. The employee must frequently lift and/or move items over 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.  

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time position, and work days are Sunday through Saturday. Work hours fluctuate. This position regularly requires long hours and frequent weekend work.

Travel

Travel for this position is rare. The maximum amount of expected travel is 10% annually. 

Required Education and Experience

1. High school diploma or GED.
2. At least 5 years of experience in retail store.
3. At least 2 years in supervisory or lead role.

Preferred Education and Experience

1. Experience specifically managing a staff of retail workers.
2. Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association Garden Center Certification.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications

None.

Work Authorization/Security Clearance

U.S. Citizen, Permanent Resident

AAP/EEO Statement

It is the policy of The Company to ensure equal employment opportunity in accordance with the Ohio Revised Code 125.111 and all applicable federal regulations and guidelines. Discrimination against employees and applicants due to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, military status, veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law, is illegal.  

Employees or applicants who believe that The Company has discriminated against them should report it immediately to The Company President. It is important to note that employees and applicants may raise such concerns without fear of reprisal or retaliation.

All employees will comply with state and federal equal employment laws, rules, regulations and guidelines. Any employee that deliberately violates this policy will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.