Plant Buyer/Nursery Manager

Plant Buyer/Nursery Manager

Big Tree Landscaping, owned & operated by Sunrise Landscape, is excited to offer the opportunity for a professional bi-lingual Plant Buyer/Nursery Manager. We are proud that we have achieved the Lawn & Landscape Top 100 honor and are continuing to build a great place to work! Our vision to deliver excellent customer service in the areas of landscape design, installation and maintenance to our clients is only through the hard work of our 1,000 employees. For more than 40 years, our services focus on meeting the customer’s needs with a commitment to landscape and service excellence. In prioritizing the importance of this vision, we are excited this role to join our team in Ft. Myers, FL. The right candidate is someone who is innovative and bring new ideas on how we focus on a client-first culture with an emphasis on procurement of commercial nursery and plant products.

This role will be located in Ft Myers and will report to the local General Manager while serving various clients in that area.

Your Role

The Plant Buyer / Nursery Manager is responsible for the efficient and effective production, acquisition, and care of quality plants through proper horticultural practices and team management. This individual will work closely with the landscape operations team and oversee the nursery crew to ensure that quality plants are provided for landscaping projects. You will have direct responsibilities in the following areas:

Plant Acquisition

• Evaluate suppliers by considering price, quality, availability, and schedule
• Request pricing and specifications from vendors and respond to similar inquiries from customers
• Identify, quote, and create plant material purchase orders as needed for landscape projects
• Coordinate with accounting, estimating, and landscape departments to confirm accuracy in plant cost and availability
• Schedule plant arrivals and deliveries in a manner that optimizes costs and plant availability for projects
• Identify and engage potential new nursery partners to maintain competitive plant pricing and quality
• Maintain positive working relationships with nursery suppliers

Nursery Operations

• Responsible for all aspects of growing, including watering, fertilizing, spraying, pruning, propagation, etc.
• Develop and implement production plan in sync with landscape project requirements
• Monitor, care for, and organize all plants in nursery
• Proactively identify and control pest and disease pressure
• Maintain spray program, certification, and records
• Support and participate in the development, implementation, and refinement of nursery processes and innovations
• Maintain updated plant inventory and landscape project allocations
• Various tasks and projects, as required

Team Management

• Create, distribute, and track written work orders, ensuring work is planned and completed in a timely and effective manner
• Train crew on best practices and desired techniques for plant growth and quality. Supervise as needed
• Maintain a safe and clean working environment through incorporation of best practices, regular safety meetings, and safety policy enforcement
• Manage crew schedule, timecards, and projects to optimize and track labor costs

What You Bring To Us:

• 1-3 years’ hands-on professional experience managing in commercial nurseries
• High School Diploma or equivalent. B.S. in Agronomy, Plant Science, or Horticulture preferred
• Very strong organizational and planning skills; ability to manage changing priorities and workflow
• A dedication to learning and improving company standards, procedures, and goals
• Exercises good judgment and is accountable
• Competent verbal and written communication skills in English and Spanish
• Committed to continual skill enhancement for top level industry performance
• Cost conscious and effective at cost control
• Good judgement as related to all job functions; eye for detail, strong work ethic, punctual, ethical
• Proficient in Microsoft Office
• Valid Florida driver’s license for 3+ years
• Possess pertinent physical requirements commensurate with the job

What We Offer:
Competitive Salary: Attractive compensation package commensurate with experience.
Benefits: Health, dental, and vision insurance; 401(k) with company match; paid time off; and professional development opportunities.
Work Environment: Collaborative and supportive team culture with opportunities for career growth and advancement.
Work-Life Balance: Flexible work arrangements and a commitment to maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Additional Information:

We are excited to review your qualifications for the Plant Buyer/Nursery Manager role. Please note, if you do not submit a resume outlining the details of your previous roles & responsibilities, we are unable to move forward with considering your candidacy.

No outside recruiters please.