Lead Propagator
From horticruitment
Our client is a part of a leading horticultural business in the UK, which operates multiple nurseries that collectively produce over 10 million plants annually for garden retailers nationwide – and is now in search of a Lead Propagator.
The business is committed to sustainability and innovation in horticulture, including the use of recyclable pots and peat-free growing media trials. They foster a supportive work environment, providing training opportunities and encouraging staff development, while actively contributing to the advancement of the ornamental horticulture industry.
The Role:
Responsible for the timely production of over ½ million young plants each year, the role holder will have a passion for plant propagation in a commercial environment, and be keen to seek, learn and develop propagation techniques and know how. They will keep up to date with the latest thinking and apply this to ensuring the highest quality outcomes, whilst ensuring the team are motivated to deliver those outcomes in an environment of continual improvement.
Accommodation:
For candidates relocating, short-term accommodation is available if required, in the shared Nursery House right next to the nursery, providing a convenient base while you find permanent housing. The weekly rent is reasonable and all-inclusive, making your move as smooth and stress-free as possible.
Additional Benefits:
- Pension scheme to help plan for the future
- Life assurance (eligible after 1 year’s service)
- Uniform provided after completing a 3-month probation period
- Free on-site parking for convenience
- Nursery Sick Pay (eligible after 1 year’s service, up to 12 weeks per year)
Specific Tasks and Responsibilities
Capable of undertaking personally the tasks listed below, and ensuring allocated team can carry out all tasks to the agreed quality standard:
Propagation
Achieving propagation targets in a timely manner. This will involve:
- Accurate collection, preparation and sticking of cutting material, and seed sowing
- Planning daily and weekly work and priorities, communicating staffing requirements to Production Operations Manager
- Checking plants needs daily, and as necessary, carrying out watering, weaning, venting, covering and adjusting environmental controls as required
- Ensuring cultural activities are carried out to stated timescales and agreed standards, including trimming, cleaning, feeding, moving, spacing
- Ensuring batches are correctly labelled to the standard required by OHAS
- Carrying out pest and disease monitoring through regular Crop Walks and sticky trap monitoring and recording, communicating issues, trends and requirements to your Line Manager and Crop Protection team
- Ensuring work areas are left clean and tidy at the end of each working day or session and all equipment returned in good working order
- Investigating and assessing innovative methods, equipment and materials to develop and improve outcomes
- Assisting in the planning, development and amendment of crop plans
- Encouraging good crop hygiene practices and regular crop walking to maintain crops weed, pest and disease free, and clear of dead and diseased plants and debris
Health & Safety
- Ensuring you and your team are working safely, complying with relevant legislation and established Nursery procedures
- Actively contributing to Risk Assessment reviews and Best Practice Workshops
- Distributing and record keeping of sharps, and arranging servicing, repair and replenishment of stocks
- Ensuring that Health & Safety concerns are reported promptly to your Line Manager
Team Working
- Undertaking weekend duties and covering for other staff during holidays and sickness
- Attending weekly Crop Grower Meetings to share knowledge and information and keep up to date with business-wide crop work
- Communicating issues promptly to Line Manager and other area of the business as necessary
- Liaising with the Maintenance team to ensure that work equipment is in safe and efficient working order
- Being available for overtime to suit the needs of the business
- Assisting other teams when own tasks have been completed, or a higher priority is assigned to other teams’ work
- Actively contributing to meetings and communicating with other areas of the business as necessary
- Developing, motivating, informing and supporting the team in a culture of continual improvement
- Providing on the job training for new or inexperienced staff and monitor progress
Productivity:
- Determining work rates, planning accordingly, communicating expectations to the team and monitoring
- Maintaining quality and work practices at all times
- Seeking to improve work rates, quality and effectiveness of all tasks
Paperwork
- Undertaking weekly stock check, reviewing future requirements and reporting to Line Manager
- Passfield and other Crop Production record keeping and paperwork to agreed timescales and in compliance with accreditation schemes
- Daily updating of batch production information
- Completing daily Labour Hours records, and Crop Production related paperwork in a timely fashion
Authority
As delegated by your Line Manager, in addition:
- Instructing and directing the team in tasks
- Timekeeping for breaks and work periods
- Disciplining within the team, respect for others, helping to maintain company policies and procedures
- Maintaining work rate and output and quality
Training Expectations
- Relevant Team Leader training or experience
- Manual Handling
- Basic plant growth knowledge (e.g. Plant Growth & Development)
Key Skills and Attributes Required
- Proven experience in ornamental plant propagation preferable
- A literate, numerate and accurate completer finisher with excellent attention to detai
- Professional, reliable and a good communicator
- A good leader, team builder and motivator of people, with proven Supervisory experience
- Excellent record keeping skills
- Excellent organisational skills with the ability to keep several tasks live at any one time
- Logical and methodical
- PA1 preferable (but trainable)
- Horticultural qualification preferable
Working Hours:
This role operates on an annualised hours basis (2,028 hours per year) with seasonal variations to match workload of nursery operations:
- Low Season (17 weeks) Beginning November to end of February : Monday to Friday, 08:30–15:45
- Mid Season (13 weeks) Beginning August to end October: Monday to Thursday, 08:00–16:45; Friday, 08:00–15:45
- Peak Season (22 weeks) Beginning March to end July: Monday to Thursday, 07:30–17:15; Friday, 07:30–16:15. Weekend work is required on a rotating watering schedule (Between March and September)
Flexible working hours reflect seasonal demands, providing variety and the chance to experience all aspects of nursery operations.
If you have a passion for making a difference, strong leadership skills, and a proactive mindset, we’d love to hear from you!
If this Lead Propagator is of interest, please click ‘Apply Now’ above or contact Sophie Sharpe on 01233 733510 or email sophie@horticruitment.com
To apply for this role you will need a Candidate Registration.
To find out where and how your personal data is used whilst using our work finding services please view our privacy policy.
Thank you for the interest you have shown in this Horticultural Manager vacancy. Unfortunately, due to the high volume of applications that we receive, it is not possible to respond to every one. Therefore, unless you hear from us within the next 14 days, your application for this vacancy has been unsuccessful.
We are proud to work with: