Plant Nursery & Garden Centre Jobs

Hiring: Outdoor Supervisor
Company: Ontario Native Plants
Location: Dundas ON / near Hamilton, Burlington, Guelph, Cambridge & Milton

Do you thrive in a friendly team environment and enjoy being outdoors? Are you interested in learning about over 100 different species of native plants?

If so, this job may be the right fit for you.

About Us

Ontario Native Plants (ONP) is a division of Verbinnen’s Nursery. We sell native plants to the public through our website (onplants.ca) via a mail order system. The business began in 2017 and has been growing steadily each year. Verbinnen’s Nursery is a team-oriented workplace built on Christian foundations of integrity.

Job Overview

Our store opens for pre-orders in March and we begin shipping trees and shrubs mid-April, followed by perennials in May. We are looking for an Outdoor Supervisor to oversee an outdoor crew of 6 or 7 people whose main goal is to efficiently pick orders and prepare plants to be packed by our indoor crew.

Monthly Schedule

• March - 37.5-40 hours/week
• April - 45 hours/week
• May - 50-55 hours/week
• June - 45-55 hours/week
• July - 45 hours/week
• August, September, October - 40-45 hours/week

When working 55 hours/week, the work hours are Monday to Friday 7:00 am - 5:30 pm, and Saturday 7:00 am – 12:30 pm. This schedule may continue into June, depending on order volumes. September and October work will be dependent on candidate’s schedule and ONP’s business needs.

Location

ONP is run out of a greenhouse on the property of Verbinnen’s Nursery, a wholesale nursery located 20 minutes north of Hamilton, Ontario. We have an indoor packing area, office, and an outdoor hoophouse where our plants live. As our Outdoor Supervisor, you would mainly work in our outdoor hoophouse.

Plant Shipping

We ship our packages within the province of Ontario with Canada Post and we will ship 5 days a week during the 2024 season. During our peak season, we will be shipping around 100-150 boxes per day, and we will be shipping from mid April until the end of September.

Responsibilities

The Outdoor Supervisor will be working with a crew of 6 or more staff in the polyhouse or outdoors. They will work directly with the Shipping Supervisor to manage the workflow and ensure enough plants are available for packing throughout the day.

Main Tasks

• Training the crew on picking and preparing plants
• Ensuring the crew is well hydrated and has a comfortable work area (shade, etc.)
• Organizing the crew’s daily task schedule and ensuring that they are meeting daily metrics
• Keeping the crew well stocked with materials, tools, etc.
• Maintaining our plant inventory system, including tracking inventory via Google sheets
• Stocking plants in picking area and sourcing from larger crops
• Stocking tag containers and printing plant tags
• Assessing plant quality daily for pests, issues, watering (AM and PM)
• Keeping on top of plant maintenance, such as pruning, spacing, etc.
• Assisting with picking and prepping plants when time (this is a good time to work with your team)

Qualifications

• A High School Diploma
• 1-2 years of leadership or supervisory experience is preferred
• Valid driver’s license
  • Please note that this position will involve driving a golf cart around the nursery daily, so a comfort with driving is essential
• Strong communication and organizational skills
• A physical ability to keep up with tasks that involve a lot of walking and standing
  • Please note that this position does not include any sitting tasks
• Attention to detail to properly care for plants and notice any issues
• Adaptability and ability to work effectively in a team
• A friendly and approachable personality
• A willingness to work in all weather environments

Assets to the position include:

• A post secondary education in Environmental Science, Biology, or a similar subject
• Knowledge of and experience with native plants in the outdoor landscape
• Knowledge of and experience with WordPress and/or Google Suite

Wage: $21.00/hour, with overtime pay after 46 hours

Start Date: Mid-March or April 2025 (exact start and end date to be determined based on candidate’s schedule and needs of the business)

To Apply:

Please send your resume and cover letter (of no more than one page) to Rachel Reeves Chambers at office@onplants.ca . Please mention you saw this at GoodWork.ca. Please use the subject line: "Outdoor Supervisor - Your Name."