Position: Horticultural Manager
Location: Brighton
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 larger, evolving site and is currently undergoing a significant refit and expansion across multiple departments. They are seeking a Horticultural Manager to take full responsibility for the plant area. This role is ideal for a strong people manager with a genuine interest in plants who enjoys a hands-on environment and wants real ownership within a growing operation.

Formal horticultural qualifications are desirable but not essential for the position.

The role

As Horticultural Manager, you will lead and develop the plant department, managing a team of approximately 10 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 team of around 10 staff within a large plant department.
• 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, particularly during the ongoing refit and expansion, 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 garden retail or DIY environment, ideally in a management or supervisory role.
• Strong leadership skills, with the ability to manage, motivate, and support a larger team.
• Good plant knowledge and a strong interest in horticulture. Formal horticultural qualifications are beneficial but not essential.
• Commercial awareness with an understanding of stock management and sales performance.
• A hands-on, proactive mindset, comfortable working in a large-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 within a large and expanding centre.
• Work closely with senior decision-makers and have a real influence on standards and future direction.
• Competitive salary package, dependent on experience.
• Friendly, supportive team and a stable working environment.

This is a superb opportunity for a strong manager who enjoys autonomy, responsibility, and being 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.