Marwood Hill Gardens: Plant Sales Assistant
This role has now been filled.
About Marwood Hill Gardens
Nestled in the heart of North Devon, Marwood Hill Garden is a hidden gem. Home to four National Plant Heritage collections, several Champion trees, Marwood Hill Garden was the winner for two prestigious awards at Hampton Court in 2022. We are a private valley garden which spans over 20-acres and showcases three stunning lakes, rare trees & shrubs, and colourful surprises throughout each season.
The role
Working alongside the nursery manager who has overall responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of plant sales and the nursery to ensure that it runs efficiently, and to budget. This is the perfect role someone who has:
- A good and broad knowledge of ornamental plants.
- Excellent administrative skills and record keeping.
- A confident user of IT – POS and online website sales.
- Good customer facing skills; comfortable with advising & recommending plants to customers.
The role is split into two main parts – helping to maintain and keep our onsite plant nursery up-to-date and looking after online plant sales including the updating and maintenance of the Marwood Hill Garden Plant Sales website.
The ideal candidate would be a hard-working, plant and photography enthusiast, who has great attention to detail, is very organised, as well as being a tech/ computer savvy individual, with a good grasp of social media. The role is ideal for someone who is happy to work alone, and as part of a team.
A knowledge of horticulture, excellent managerial skills, a passion for customer service, and aim to maintain a healthy nursery ecosystem and ensure the success of the business would be preferable.
Main Duties
Work alongside the Nursery Manager to ensure that staff maintain stocks of compost, pots, labels and other sundry materials needed for plant production and dispatch. Arrange the purchase of these materials in the most cost-effective way.
Ensure that each plant to be sold has suitable label, bed card and poster images for use on POS.
Regularly review the production database to establish that plans can be fulfilled, in coalition with the garden team and nursery manager.
Aim to constantly satisfy or exceed all customer expectations in terms of plant quality, count and transport arrangements.
Maintain accurate and traceable records for an annual Plant Passport DEFRA inspection
Day to day tasks could include:
- Opening the nursery in the morning and closing at the end of the business day
- Growing and maintaining plants, creating attractive plant displays (in partnership with the garden team).
- Responding to customer queries, liaising with our courier, and sending out customer plant orders.
- Ordering stock, managing accounts, and updating the Marwood Hill Garden website with existing and new stock and ensuring it is up to date.
- Working on marketing material alongside the Business Manager and Nursery Manager.
- Assisting the garden staff.
- Managing the recruiting and staffing of the plant sales team.
Personal skills required include:
- Excellent communication skills
- Responsible, highly organized and attentive to details
- Ability to motivate and inspire a team to hit goals
- Team player, with a professional and friendly demeanour
- Excellent interpersonal skills and a passion for customer service
- Happy to go the “extra mile” to meet sales quota and facilitate future sales
Benefits include:
- Beautiful and nature setting
- Free onsite parking
- Nest pension
- Birthday day off
- 21 day holiday pro rata (+ bank holidays)
- Free entry to you and a guest to the Gardens
- 20% off in the tearoom and plant nursery
- Join an experienced garden team, which provides the perfect environment to learn.
- Work alongside an amazing team of volunteers.
Role reports to the Nursery Manager.
Salary depends on experience.
Start date: Ideally asap – March 2025
Please send applications and a cover letter to Georgia Taylor-Smart at info@marwoodhillgarden.co.uk or call on 01271 342 528.
