Careers at the Nursery

Job Summary:

The General Manager (GM) is an employee of and reports to the Ferguson Forest Centre Corporation Chief Executive Officer. The GM is hired by the board of directors of the corporation in consultation with the CEO and maintains their position at the discretion of the board. The CEO having day-to-day responsibility for the position and has the right to suspend pending final board decision.

The GM provides day- to-day direction of the Ferguson Tree Nursery (FTN) including but not limited to production, planning and support, personnel and human resource management, facilities management, strategic planning, cost management and reporting as well as input into budget preparation.

Organization:

The Ferguson Forest Centre Corporation is a non-profit corporation operating the Ferguson Forest Centre.

The Ferguson Forest Centre is comprised of 1100 acres of multi-use forested land located in Kemptville, in the Municipality of North Grenville, 50 kilometers south of Ottawa. The Centre is governed by the not-for-profit Ferguson Forest Centre Corporation and operates on 360 acres of land leased from of the Municipality of North Grenville, and 740 acres of Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources land, comprised of forest and trails. The 300-acre Ferguson Tree Nursery manages the Centre and provides funding for its operation and maintenance. The Centre boasts walking and hiking trails, an arboretum, dog park, snowmobile and skiing trails, a children’s walking trail with animal displays and a shaded picnic area with a canoe and kayak launch adjacent to the South Branch of the Rideau River.

The nursery produces native forest tree seedlings predominantly for Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. Our customer base consists of forest industry companies, public and private forest managers, provincial and federal research institutes, Conservation Authorities, municipalities, private landowners and other nurseries. Seedling planting results in something for everyone: clean air through carbon sequestering, clean water through intact forest systems, enhanced wildlife habitat with increased biological values, stable healthy soils and end products for revenue generation.

Work Performed:

The GM is responsible for the financial health of the nursery through:

  1. Ensuring nursery operations are efficiently, profitably and safely operated;
  2. Maximizing/optimizing revenue derived from the operation of the Ferguson Tree Nursery;
  3. Developing budgets, capital needs and work plans for CEO and FFCC Board approvals;
  4. Operating within the overall Board of Director’s approved budget for the nursery, while retaining the ability to redirect nursery resources as required for the successful operation of the nursery;
  5. Investigating and recommending new products and production options to the CEO.

The GM is responsible for Staff Management through:

  1. Day-to-day supervision of the Propagation Manager, Seed Technician, Greenhouse Head Grower, Retail Sales Manager and the Maintenance Coordinator, as well as, the general management and overall administration and operations of the Corporation’s assets;
  2. Establishing and administering the contracts for the Bareroot Propagation Manager, Seed Technician, Greenhouse Head Grower, Retail Sales Manager, the Maintenance Coordinator and the Operations Staff;
  3. Providing direction and managing the performance, including annual performance reviews, of the Bareroot Propagation Manager, Seed Technician, Greenhouse Head Grower, Retail Sales Manager and the Maintenance Coordinator;
  4. Human Resources, Health and Safety, Benefits and Payroll support for staff and the Corporation as required.

The GM is responsible for Nursery Operations through:

  1. Ensuring the nursery’s administration and operations are effectively and efficiently undertaken in a sustainable manner compliant with all applicable laws;
  2. Design operations to meet corporate targets;
  3. Sets production targets in consultation with the CEO;
  4. Overseeing and approving the operation of the Ferguson Tree Nursery with the assistance of senior staff;
  5. Developing and maintaining a procedures manual, with the assistance of the Senior staff, for the operation of the nursery;
  6. With the assistance of the senior staff, ensures compliance to all applicable laws and regulations, and adherence to high ethical standards.

The GM is also responsible for:

  1. Signing authority for nursery operational requirements (within Board approved budgets and guidelines and audited periodically by the Board);
  2. Managing the leased lands and OMNRF properties in accordance with provincial agreements and as directed by the CEO;
  3. With the support of the Maintenance Manager, manages recreational, educational and conservation activities on the total FFCC facilities.

Consequence of Error/Judgment

This position has a high level of autonomy and discretion. The Chief Executive Officer is not involved in the day-to-day operations of the nursery.

The GM is responsible for executing the CEO’s and Board’s direction and ensuring the overall success of the corporation in meeting its mandate and its ability to manage the resources of the corporation.

The consequence of error for this position is considered high.

Supervision Received

The GM is expected to seek advice and guidance from Chief Executive Officer as required.

Supervision Given

The GM position directly supervises the Bareroot Propagation Manager, Seed Technician, Greenhouse Head Grower, Retail Sales Manager and the Maintenance Manager.

Education/Work Experience

Post secondary degree from a recognized educational institution in forestry, horticulture or agriculture with five (5) years of business management experience in a growing facility and five (5) years of practical horticultural or forestry experience is preferred;

A combination of relevant alternative education, training and or experience may be deemed acceptable at the sole discretion of the Board of Directors . The Board of Directors may or may not adjust the position's compensation based on any accepted education, training and or experience alternatives.

Related experience seen as an asset;

  • Ten (10) years work experience in nursery/forestry operations
  • Experience in financial management
  • Experience reporting to a Board of Directors
  • Experience with various software packages such as QuickBooks and MS Office

Skills

  • Proven leadership ability
  • Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
  • Proven ability to manage people
  • Capacity to build and maintain effective working relationships
  • Proven ability to manage significant financial resources
  • Proven problem solving ability
  • High standard of ethical behaviour

Apply by e-mail to careers@fergusontreenursery.ca

Job Description:

The Sales and Merchandising Associate is responsible for delivering outstanding customer service in the outlet store, including answering questions, finding product for customers, and processing sales, as well as merchandising the plant and product displays, replenishing stock and maintains the store’s cleanliness and appearance.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Ensure outstanding service by creating a friendly environment. This includes greeting, acknowledging and re-approaching every customer, and being knowledgeable about products
  • Determine customer’s needs by asking open-ended questions
  • Assist customers in locating merchandise in store
  • Merchandise displays and keep up store cleanliness
  • Replenish merchandise and monitoring floor stock
  • Process purchases at the cash register
  • Care for, weed and water the plants in a timely manner to ensure their ongoing health
  • Package orders for delivery as required
  • Assist at greenhouse complex when workload in store allows

We are looking for some who has the following skills, abilities and training:

  • High School graduate or equivalent
  • Sales training is an asset
  • A minimum of 2-years retail or customer service experience preferably in a nursery or garden centre environment
  • Experience understanding retail operation concepts such as maintaining to store standards, cash handling, and merchandise presentation
  • Demonstrated self-starter and uses good judgment in all situations
  • Demonstrated presentation skills in a retail environment
  • Demonstrated exceptional organizational ability, high attention to detail, and ability to multitask
  • Upbeat, optimistic, passionate and friendly
  • Works well autonomously and in a team
  • Good mathematical skills
  • Creative abilities for making attractive in-store displays.
  • Able to learn quickly and retain a large amount of specific product knowledge
  • Ability to stand for extended periods
  • Ability to move, lift and handle boxes of merchandise and fixtures throughout the store (weighing up to 50 pounds)

This position is seasonal full-time with regular hours from 9:00am to 5:00pm Tuesday to Saturday and will run from April to November.

If interested, please forward your cover letter and resume in a single document (preferably as a pdf or Word document) by email to admin@fergusontreenursery.ca

Application deadline: 2020-08-21 Expected start date: 2020-08-31

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: $14.00-$15.00 per hour