Manager, Field Station

General Summary:

The Florida Field Station Manager provides regional technical leadership and oversees all station operations, encompassing research project management, biological trial supervision, facility operations, EHS compliance, and personnel development.  As a premier site within Scott's network, the Florida Field Station in Apopka, FL drives research for warm-season consumer lawn and garden portfolios, including brands like Scotts, Miracle-Gro, Ortho, and Roundup. Collaborating with cross-functional teams and internal experts, the Manager helps to direct major research programs to deliver innovative, cost-reduced, or improved consumer products. Additionally, this role champions continuous operational improvements and effectively communicates scientific results to diverse internal and external stakeholders, from R&D teams to business leaders and regulators.

In This Role, You Will:

• Oversee Daily Operations & Compliance: Manage all field station activities, site maintenance, logistics, and equipment while strictly enforcing EHS protocols, safety audits, and environmental compliance.

• Lead Teams & Foster Collaboration: Directly supervise, train, and develop a team of 3–5 research specialists and technicians (plus 1–3 seasonal staff), while planning and executing site Field Days and tours for stakeholders.

• Manage Budgets & Resources: Direct the station's budget, track expenditures, allocate resources, and secure capital funding to support ongoing and future operations.

• Drive Project Coordination & Trial Management: Partner with Corporate Marysville, OH research teams to plan, monitor, and execute fieldwork. Conduct biological trials utilizing standard software (ARM or Minitab) in strict alignment with Good Research Practices (GRP).

• Facilitate Communication & Reporting: Serve as the primary site liaison, delivering operational and project updates to diverse audiences, including R&D teams, business leaders, and external visitors.

• Provide Regional Technical Leadership: Apply high-level original thinking to design experimental research plans, analyze data, and translate results into actionable recommendations for warm-season lawn and garden portfolios, leading to innovative product development, cost reductions, and compelling consumer claims.

What you will need to be successful:

• Education: Minimum of an M.S. degree (Ph.D. preferred) in a biological science such as Horticulture, Agronomy, Plant Pathology, Entomology, or Soil Science.

• Experience:

  • With an M.S.: 5–7 years of relevant research and managerial experience.

  • With a Ph.D.: 2–4 years of relevant research and managerial experience.

• Technical Expertise: Strong practical knowledge of general horticultural principles for cultivating warm-season turf, ornamentals, tropical foliage, and vegetables. Specialized expertise in areas such as plant nutrition, soil science, growing media, or weed/pest management is required.

• Research & Tools: Strong command of experimental design, statistics, and Good Research Practices (GRP). Proficient in Agricultural Research Manager (ARM), Google Workspace, and MS Office, with familiarity in Minitab or SAS. Knowledgeable in smart/IoT technologies and GIS-based programs applied to consumer Lawn & Garden research. 

• Leadership & Communication: Proven ability to manage projects, motivate teams, and drive career development for station personnel. Must possess excellent verbal and written communication skills (English fluency required; Spanish language skills are a plus) to influence product strategy and present to diverse audiences.

• Core Attributes: A genuine passion for the consumer lawn and garden industry, paired with an innovative, well-organized mindset and a commitment to continuous operational improvement.

The starting budgeted pay range for this role will generally fall between $111,500.00 - $131,200.00 per year. Scotts will consider various factors in determining the actual pay including your skills, qualifications, experience, and geographical location.In addition to the determined base salary, this role is also incentive eligible under our corporate bonus programs.For remote roles where the final candidate resides in Alaska, California, Colorado, Illinois, New York, Oregon or Washington, state required pay thresholds will be factored into base salary.

Here at ScottsMiracle-Gro, we believe providing an enriching and engaging employee experience is what sets us apart from other organizations. We recognize our employees are so much more than just their job title so we offer programs and benefits that support them in all aspects of their lives. Wondering how we do it? Below is a glimpse of our highlight reel…

• Our Live Total Health program provides you with options to align to your personal needs.  Selections range from medical, dental and visioncoverage for you, your spouse/domestic partner and dependents to an outstanding wellness reimbursement program to an unbelievable 401K match (up to 7.5%)as well as a 15% discount on company stock and much more

• We know ourtalent is our most precious asset and your unique development contributes to our organization’s success now and in the future.  Career growth at our company is not always a ladder.  It’s much more like a rock climbing adventure.  Grow through exploration and experiences rather than a predictable linear path.

• We value the importance of family. We provide access to Maven Family Planning and up to $30,000 to accommodate for adoption, fertility and surrogacy.

• Be part of something bigger by joining one of our Employee Resource Groups focusing on diversity and inclusion, family, education and sustainability: Scotts Women’s Network, Scotts Black Employees’ Network, Scotts Veterans Network, Scotts Young Professionals, Scotts Pride Network (GroPride), Scotts Associates for a Greener Earth (SAGE), Scotts Family TREE and our Associate Boards.

• Join a company with a strong belief in giving back to the communities where we live and work.  We have a shared passion for service and volunteerism and believe participating in community service benefits our communities and strengthens our team. 

Not interested in this role? Stay up to date on future opportunities by joining our and Hawthorne Gardening talent communities.