POSITION OVERVIEW
As part of the Native Plants Department, the Native Plant Sales Manager drives native plant sales and manages Oxbow's Plant Stand, a hub for all things Oxbow that welcomes visitors to the site and sells native plants, branded merchandise, and products from partners. This position works in close collaboration with the Native Plant Nursery team to track inventory management and sales planning. The ideal candidate will have a passion for conservation, native plants, customer service, and working as part of a collaborative team.
CORERESPONSIBILITIES
- Manage and develop external relationships and contacts to grow native plant sales, explore and expand partnership opportunities, and support Oxbow's efforts to increase regional knowledge about the importance of native plants.
- Coordinate native plant sales inquiries and help track inventory availability with the NPN team.
- Develop a deep working knowledge of the native plant species grown at Oxbow, including their individual attributes and ideal growing conditions.
- Manage the Plant Stand budget, product assortment, and track revenue and expenses.
- Manage the Plant Stand team, including assessing and developing staff capacity, hiring and training staff, delegating responsibilities and load-balancing tasks, and regularly prioritizing work.
- Ensure that the Plant Stand is visually appealing, welcoming to visitors, and promoting all Oxbow programs with current marketing materials (fliers, posters et all).
- Ensure vehicles, products, POS system, and display materials are organized and ready for all Plant Stand program participation in retail sales opportunities and outreach events.
- Partner with the marketing and communications team to engage the public through Oxbow's website and social media channels.
- Plan and implement native plant sales at the Plant Stand.
- Support operational reporting relative to native plant sales, Plant Stand sales, projections, and related planning.
- Work cross-functionally with program teams to ensure efficient and effective communication and operations.
- Participate in and support Oxbow public events on occasional weekend days.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Passion for native plants.
- A minimum of three years' experience in nursery sales, business management, or a related role in the horticulture, conservation, landscaping or natural resources fields.
- Exceptional organizational skills, with an ability to manage multiple projects and tasks simultaneously.
- Strong management skills, balanced strategic and tactical focus, with a demonstrated ability to deliver program results while maximizing individual development and well-being.
- Excellence in influence and leadership - a team player who focuses on building a healthy and productive culture, is skilled at building trust and strong relationships, who models desired behaviors and nurtures them in others.
- Proven ability to mobilize and motivate teams, set direction and approach, resolve conflict, coach performance, deliver tough messages with grace, and make decisions to advance the work with limited information or ambiguity.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to interact at all levels of an organization and to provide excellent customer service.
- Patient, flexible, diplomatic, creative, resilient, pragmatic, with a sense of humor and an ability to stay grounded in diverse conditions and under pressure.
- Oversee sales operations, including accurate cash handling, POS transactions, and reconciliation in accordance with financial controls.
- Valid driver's license and ability to maintain an insurable driving record. This role may require operation of organizational vehicles.
- Successful completion of a background check in accordance with Oxbow's policies.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS & WORKING CONDITIONS
This position requires the ability to:
- Regular onsite work in both retail and nursery production environments.
- Ability to work outdoors in varying weather conditions including heat, cold, rain, smoke, and wind.
- Ability to stand, walk, bend, kneel, crouch, and move continuously for extended periods of time.
- Ability to lift, carry, and move materials up to 50 pounds regularly.
- Ability to perform repetitive physical tasks including lifting plants, loading vehicles, setting up displays, and assisting with nursery operations.
- Exposure to high-traffic public environments during peak sales and event periods.
- Ability to safely work around nursery tools, materials, and equipment in a production setting.
- Schedule flexibility required, including weekends, evenings, and seasonal peak periods.
COMPENSATION
This is a full-time, exempt (salaried) position paying $82,000 - 84,000, depending on experience. Oxbow offers employer-paid health benefits, a retirement match, paid holidays, and competitive sick and vacation time.
