About CERES

CERES Community Environment Park is an award-winning, not-for-profit, environment park and urban farm located by the Merri Creek in East Brunswick, Melbourne. Once a landfill site and wasteland, today CERES is a thriving, vibrant community. With over 400,000 visitors a year, CERES is the most visited environmental centre in Australia.

About the Nursery

CERES Nursery is recognised as a highly professional and innovative social enterprise offering a memorable experience to CERES visitors with its’ personal and caring approach to customer service. The Nursery is extremely popular within the community and is setting a standard in providing a sustainable alternative to the mainstream nursery industry.

The Nursery aims to create a beautiful and inspiring space where people feel welcome and can access the information and materials they need to become organic food gardeners. The Nursery aims to support people to grow their own food and sources ethical, sustainable products for use in the garden. The Nursery is a professional and financially strong enterprise that delivers education in sustainable, holistic food cultivation.

Excellent customer service and horticultural integrity are at the core of the Nursery’s value proposition. CERES Nursery is committed to sustainable horticulture guided by the ethics and principles of Permaculture and works within the broader ethos of CERES at all times.

Aim of this position

The Nursery manager role has both operational and strategic requirements. The Nursery Manager’s key responsibility is to work with the Nursery staff to lead and oversee the continued development of the Nursery. Key roles include being responsible for hiring, training, delegating and supervising all Nursery staff; coordinating purchasing and stock management; managing and reporting against the Nursery’s annual budget; supervising daily operations and rostering. This position sits within the CERES Enterprise Team, reports directly to a Group Manager and the CEO, and is ultimately accountable to the CERES Board.

Duties & responsibilities

1. Manage Nursery operations

• Oversee all facets of the Nursery’s operations.
• Work with the Nursery staff on the maintenance, display and visual merchandising of all Nursery stock.
• Selection stock for sales and composition of product mix including plants and sundries purchasing and ordering.
• Research trends and new / alternative products for inclusion in nursery’s product mix
• Monitor and assist with daily watering regimes.
• Monitor and assist with organic pest control and fertilising programs.
• Ensure Nursery hygiene and cleanliness.
• Assist customers with garden advice and horticultural knowledge, sales and service.
• Work with the Nursery staff to develop operations and procedures for the Nursery.

2. Manage Nursery staff, finance and promotion

• Lead and manage the Nursery team, including personnel management, rosters for permanent and casual staff, duty allocation, professional development and training.
• Organise and facilitate Nursery staff meetings.
• Lead the Nursery team in continuously considering the Nursery’s offering in the context of the market and customer needs to ensure the nursery continues to evolve and maintains its dynamic, responsive and innovative edge
• Prepare and present the Nursery’s annual operational plan
• Be accountable for the Nursery’s financial performance.
• Prepare and present the Nursery’s annual budget in consultation with CERES Finance Manager.
• Promote the Nursery in internal and external communications, including social media, advertising and marketing as required.

3. Participate in CERES management processes

• Work in alignment with CERES purpose, vision and strategic plan.
• Deliver on the CERES Environmental Management Plan as it relates to the Nursery.
• Foster collaborative and productive relations with the other areas of CERES.
• Work with other CERES Managers and the CERES CEO on policy development and forward strategic planning.
• Attend Area Managers’ meetings, budget and finance meetings and other CERES meetings as
  required.
• Attend monthly supervision meeting with Group Manager.
• Prepare monthly reports as required by the CERES CEO, Board or Group Managers.

4. Workplace Health, Safety & Wellbeing

CERES is committed to providing a safe working environment, and enhancing the well-being of the CERES community. Staff and volunteers are responsible for each other's safety and wellbeing, including their own. They actively participate in WHS&W consultation processes, comply with safe work instructions or procedures, and identify and report hazards, incidents and 'near misses'.

LEAD

• Model good health, safety and wellbeing practices
• Demonstrate visible and pro-active leadership
• Provide resources to manage health, safety and wellbeing

UNDERSTAND

• Understand the CERES health, safety and wellbeing management system
• Understand health, safety and wellbeing risks posed to employees under your supervision
• Identify health, safety and wellbeing hazards
• Identify health, safety and wellbeing required by employees
• Consult with employees on matters of health, safety and wellbeing

ACT

• Implement the CERES health, safety and wellbeing system
• Resolve identified health, safety and wellbeing risk
• Actively consult in respect of health, safety and wellbeing
• Manage contractor safety
• Require consideration of health, safety and wellbeing in work planning
• Facilitate sustainable return to work

IMPROVE

• Monitor compliance with the health, safety and wellbeing management
• Monitor health, safety and wellbeing performance
• Monitor progress against health, safety and wellbeing plans
• Report health, safety and wellbeing performance

Essential skills and experience

• Extensive skills and experience in business management within the retail Nursery industry.
• Excellent skills and experience in customer service.
• Demonstrated ability managing finances and setting and meeting budget targets.
• Experience working in a collaborative way, preferably in a community organisation or similar.
• Demonstrated skills in leadership, delegation, supervision, training and interpersonalcommunication.
• Experience in and commitment to the sustainable and organic garden practices.
• Knowledge and interest in permaculture principles (preferably to have completed a Permaculture Design Certificate).
• Relevant horticultural qualifications, extensive horticultural knowledge and skills that would allow the successful applicant to mentor other staff.
• Exceptional general and broad range plant knowledge, including; food plants, indigenous and Australian native food plants.

Hours of work and salary

• Ongoing permanent part-time position at 8 hours per day, 4 days a week.
• Paid at CERES pay rate EM5PMF $36.12 per hour plus super, workcover and 4 weeks annual paid leave.
• Further conditions are described in the CERES Enterprise Agreement 2010. This position is subject to a probationary period of three months.