Position: Horticultural Manager
Location: South / South East
Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience

This is an excellent opportunity to join a successful, long-standing independent garden centre group with a strong reputation for quality, customer service, and horticultural standards.

The business operates a small, well-run site and is seeking a Horticultural Manager to take full responsibility for the plant area. This role is ideal for an experienced horticultural professional who enjoys a hands-on environment and wants real ownership within a close-knit operation.

Horticultural qualifications are a necessity for the position.

The role

As Horticultural Manager, you will lead and develop the plant department, managing a small team of 3-4 staff while maintaining high standards across plant quality, presentation, and customer engagement.

Key responsibilities include:

• Full management of the plant area, ensuring excellent standards, strong availability, and commercial performance.

• Leading, motivating, and developing a small team within a compact garden centre environment.

• Stock control, ordering, and replenishment, with careful planning around seasonality and space constraints.

• Providing knowledgeable, professional horticultural advice and delivering outstanding customer service.

• Working closely with the owners / senior management to maintain standards and identify opportunities for improvement.

• Ensuring compliance with all health, safety, and operational requirements.

• Taking a practical, hands-on approach to day-to-day operations.

What we're looking for

• Proven experience in a horticultural retail role such as Horticultural Manager, Plant Area Manager, or Plant Supervisor.

• Formal horticultural qualifications are essential for this position.

• Strong plant knowledge and a genuine passion for horticulture.

• Confident leadership skills, suited to managing and supporting a small team.

• Commercial awareness with an understanding of stock management and sales performance.

• A hands-on, proactive mindset, comfortable working in a small-site environment.

• Flexibility to work weekends and peak seasonal trading periods.

Why join?

• Join a respected, independent garden centre group with a long and successful trading history.

• Take genuine ownership of the horticultural department in a small, well-supported centre.

• Work closely with senior decision-makers and have a real influence on standards and direction.

• Competitive salary package, dependent on experience.

• Friendly, close-knit team and a stable, supportive working environment.

This is a superb opportunity for a qualified horticultural professional who enjoys autonomy, responsibility, and being truly embedded in the day-to-day success of a garden centre.

Apply now
To apply, send your CV to leo@morepeople.co.uk or call 01780 480530 for a confidential discussion.