Assistant Dept Manager

Assistant Department Manager 

Location:  Retail Stores (Overland Park, Shawnee, and Liberty) Farm Locations (Wolcott and Donahoo

Reports to:  Department Manager, Location Manager

Works With:  Assistant Department Managers, Department Managers  

Leads:  Receiving Lead, Department Supervisors, Buyers, Team Members  

The Assistant Department Manager  leads the teams within the department assigned, working directly with the team to deliver a high level of service, a core value of Family Tree Nursery. Through hands-on leadership, the Assistant Department Manager is expected to collaborate closely with their team, managing processes and products effectively. This role also requires assisting in onboarding, training, and holding team members accountable to Family Tree Nursery’s mission, core values, and expectations. The Assistant Department Manager must be innovative, creating new strategies and taking calculated risks in buying decisions to propel the company towards growth. Clear and consistent communication among team members, guests and external venders is vital to this role, with the ultimate goal of ensuring the success of the entire store, not just the department.

The following job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of the duties and responsibilities of the position, and the duties and responsibilities may change without prior notice.

Required Qualifications:

• 1-3+ years of professional and leadership experience in: Horticulture, greenhouse production, green industry sales, garden center management, retail management or other plant-based industry.
• Demonstrate strong product knowledge.
• Demonstrate professional and strong sales proficiency.
• Understand and direct processes in department as directed.
• Understand and direct integrated pest management techniques, which may involve the use of chemicals.

Essential Functions: 

• Work in varying weather conditions including hot, humid, cold, wet, or dry environments.
• This position routinely requires employees to individually lift, carry, and maneuver heavy or awkward items that may exceed 50 pounds. Employees must use proper lifting techniques, follow all training and safety procedures, and exercise sound judgment when determining whether a load can be handled safely. When an item is too heavy, bulky, or unstable to lift alone, employees are expected to request assistance or use available mechanical aids to prevent injury.
• Work on a variety of surfaces including, but not limited to, gravel, concrete, mud, or dirt.
• Be available to work weekends, evenings, early mornings and holidays.
• Be prepared to work six days a week for at least four months per year. This timeframe includes, but is not limited to, March, April, and May, as well as additional 'flex' months: September and/or November.
• Stand and walk on your feet for multiple hours at a time with breaks as required by law.
• Operate effectively in a high paced setting involving various individuals and teams.
• Possess a strong technological acumen, with Microsoft products and point of sale system (POS).
• Be willing to work in other areas of the business such as front-end, store operations, receiving and production.

Key Expectations:

• Leadership-  Lead the department team to achieve the common goals of excellent guest service and a unique shopping experience, aligning the vision, oversight, and leadership of the department while supporting the company’s mission statement, vision, and core values.
• Management-  Manage core processes and tasks involving the department, as directed by the Department Manager.
• Accountability - Hold team members accountable to core processes, procedures, and core values.
• Guest Experience-  Cultivate a strong culture of guest experience, ensuring they are greeted, understood, engaged with, their problems are solved and presented with sound solutions, and they are thanked.

Additional Expectations:

• Open and close the location.
• Support and communicates with General Manager, Location Manager, Department Managers, and Department Team.
• Assess and oversee the schedule for staffing needs based on needs of the Department Manager.
• Manage execution of departmental daily task lists with the oversight of the Department Manager.
• Foster a culture of commitment, urgency and accountability.
• Manage processes and lead team members involving guest relations and services.
• Onboard and train team members.
• Maintain cleanliness and safety as a point of attention throughout the department.
• Communicate with Department Manager regarding call-ins and schedule changes.
• Oversee all communication, ensuring it is done in a timely and professional manner.
• Operate a pallet jack, forklift, skid steer, cart tug or other equipment and vehicles with a clean driving record.

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