Assistant Nursery Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Position Overview

The Assistant Nursery Manager works directly with the Nursery Manager to coordinate daily nursery operations, supervise employees, maintain plant quality, and ensure efficient production and order fulfillment.

This is a hands-on leadership position requiring active participation in nursery work alongside the employees being supervised. Responsibilities include plant production, irrigation, fertilization, pest and disease monitoring, inventory management, selecting orders for shipment, loading trucks, and receiving and unloading deliveries.

The successful candidate will demonstrate sound horticultural knowledge, strong organizational skills, initiative, and the ability to lead employees effectively. The Assistant Nursery Manager will serve as the Nursery Manager's primary operational backup and assume additional responsibilities as experience and capabilities develop.

We welcome both experienced nursery professionals and promising horticultural candidates who demonstrate the technical knowledge, work ethic, and leadership potential necessary to succeed.

Key Responsibilities:

Nursery Production and Plant Care

• Coordinate daily nursery production activities and work assignments in conjunction with the Nursery Manager.
• Direct and participate in planting, propagation, transplanting, potting, pruning, fertilization, and other plant production activities.
• Monitor plant growth, health, irrigation, and overall production quality.
• Identify pest, disease, irrigation, and maintenance concerns and coordinate timely corrective action with appropriate personnel.
• Assist in scheduling and prioritizing production activities based on seasonal requirements and operational needs.
• Prepare nursery plants for overwintering, including covering greenhouses in the fall and uncovering them in the spring.
• Maintain organized, clean, and productive nursery growing areas.

Employee Supervision and Leadership

• Supervise and work alongside nursery employees to complete daily assignments safely and efficiently.
• Communicate production priorities, assign responsibilities, and monitor work quality.
• Train employees in horticultural practices, equipment operation, safety procedures, and company standards.
• Promote a positive, respectful, and accountable workplace.
• Identify opportunities to improve employee productivity, skills, and teamwork.
• Coordinate daily operations and provide leadership when the Nursery Manager is unavailable.

Inventory, Shipping, and Order Fulfillment

• Assist with accurate plant inventory counts, product identification, and inventory recordkeeping.
• Coordinate pulling, staging, loading, and preparation of plant material for customer orders.
• Support accurate and timely shipping and order fulfillment.
• Communicate plant availability, quality concerns, and order requirements with nursery sales personnel.
• Ensure proper truck loading procedures are followed, including safe handling and secure placement of plant material
• Inspect and maintain plant quality before and during truck loading to ensure orders meet company standards.
• Help minimize inventory discrepancies, plant losses, and unnecessary handling.

Equipment, Facilities, and Safety

• Coordinate the daily availability and proper use of nursery equipment, tools, and supplies.
• Operate or supervise the operation of forklifts, tractors, and other nursery equipment as trained and authorized.
• Identify equipment and facility maintenance needs and report or coordinate corrective action.
• Assist with opening and closing nursery grounds according to company procedures.
• Ensure employees follow established safety practices and proper equipment operating procedures.
• Maintain safe and orderly working conditions throughout the nursery.

Operational Improvement

• Assist the Nursery Manager in improving production efficiency, plant quality, inventory accuracy, and workflow.
• Support the implementation of standardized operating procedures and inventory management systems.
• Identify opportunities to reduce waste, prevent plant losses, and improve resource utilization.
• Communicate operational challenges and recommended improvements to nursery management.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications

• Practical knowledge of horticulture, nursery production, plant care, or a closely related field.
• Understanding of basic plant health, irrigation, fertilization, and production practices.
• Strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to supervise, motivate, and work effectively alongside employees.
• Dependability, attention to detail, and a willingness to take ownership of assigned responsibilities.
• Ability to work outdoors in varying weather conditions and perform physically demanding nursery activities.
• Availability for occasional weekend work and seasonal schedule adjustments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a wholesale nursery, commercial greenhouse, ornamental plant production, or related horticultural operation.
• Previous supervisory, crew leadership, or team coordination experience.
• Education or training in horticulture, plant science, agriculture, or a related field.
• Experience with nursery irrigation systems, plant nutrition, pest management, and production scheduling.
• Familiarity with plant inventory systems, order fulfillment, and shipping operations.
• Experience operating forklifts, tractors, or other agricultural equipment.
• Relevant horticultural or pesticide applicator certifications.

A college degree is not required. We place significant value on practical experience, demonstrated horticultural knowledge, leadership potential, and a willingness to learn.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

This position involves regular outdoor work in varying weather conditions and exposure to typical nursery operations, including equipment, machinery, dust, noise, and agricultural materials.

Employees must be able to stand and walk for extended periods, bend, kneel, crouch, reach, and perform repetitive physical tasks. The position also involves lifting and moving materials weighing up to 75 pounds when required.

Compensation and Benefits

• $23.00–$27.00 per hour , depending on experience and qualifications.
• Full-time employment with opportunities for professional development.
• Opportunities for overtime based on seasonal demands and operational needs.
• Health insurance.
• 401(k) retirement plan.
• Paid vacation and company holidays.
• Opportunities to develop supervisory and nursery management skills.
• A collaborative working environment within an established and growing company.

Why Join Piedmont Carolina?

Piedmont Carolina is a growing, fully integrated nursery and landscaping company serving the Triad through our nursery, landscape installation, and landscape maintenance operations. We are building a positive, team-oriented culture where people communicate honestly, take pride in quality craftsmanship, serve customers well, and are recognized for their contributions. As a locally owned company committed to long-term growth, we offer the stability of an established business along with opportunities for employees to learn, take on greater responsibility, and build lasting careers as we grow together.

Piedmont Carolina Nursery and Landscaping is an established, vertically integrated horticulture and landscape company headquartered in Colfax, North Carolina, serving the Piedmont Triad and surrounding markets.

Our business brings together four complementary divisions: Wholesale Nursery, Landscape Design & Installation, Landscape Maintenance, and Retail Garden Center. From growing quality plant material to designing, installing, and maintaining exceptional landscapes, our teams take pride in their craftsmanship, professionalism, and customer relationships.

We believe that great businesses are built by great people. Our commitment is to create a workplace where employees are respected, supported, challenged to grow, and given opportunities to build meaningful, long-term careers.

As we invest in the next chapter of Piedmont Carolina, we are focused on strengthening our leadership team, developing our employees, improving our operations, and building a company known for quality, integrity, and exceptional service.

We welcome individuals who take ownership of their work, value teamwork, care about customers, and want to contribute to a company with a long-term vision.

Company Description

Piedmont Carolina Nursery and Landscaping is an established, vertically integrated horticulture and landscape company headquartered in Colfax, North Carolina, serving the Piedmont Triad and surrounding markets.\r\n\r\nOur business brings together four complementary divisions: Wholesale Nursery, Landscape Design & Installation, Landscape Maintenance, and Retail Garden Center. From growing quality plant material to designing, installing, and maintaining exceptional landscapes, our teams take pride in their craftsmanship, professionalism, and customer relationships.\r\n\r\nWe believe that great businesses are built by great people. Our commitment is to create a workplace where employees are respected, supported, challenged to grow, and given opportunities to build meaningful, long-term careers.\r\n\r\nAs we invest in the next chapter of Piedmont Carolina, we are focused on strengthening our leadership team, developing our employees, improving our operations, and building a company known for quality, integrity, and exceptional service.\r\n\r\nWe welcome individuals who take ownership of their work, value teamwork, care about customers, and want to contribute to a company with a long-term vision.