Assistant Retail Nursery Manager

Job Description

Position Summary
Tohono Chul seeks a team-oriented Retail Nursery Assistant Manager who will thrive in a fast-paced environment and can work collaboratively with staff and volunteers. Responsible for overseeing the Desert Corner Nursery at Tohono Chul. The Desert Corner Nursery sells plants from the Sonoran Desert and the US-Mexico Borderlands. The nursery is open seven days a week 9am-5pm in the winter and 9am-3pm in the summer. Working conditions include outdoor environments, extreme temperatures, and carrying heavy objects.

About Us

About Tohono Chul Park
Tohono Chul is a 49-acre public garden in Tucson, Arizona whose mission is to enrich people’s lives by connecting them with the wonders of nature, art, and culture in the Sonoran Desert region and to inspire wise stewardship of the natural world. Founded in 1985, Tohono Chul has been a celebrated destination for locals to global visitors and is deemed “One of the World’s Ten Best Botanical Gardens” by Travel + Leisure Magazine.

Mission
The mission of Tohono Chul Park is to enrich people’s lives by connecting them with the wonders of nature, art, and culture in the Sonoran Desert region and inspiring wise stewardship of the natural world.

Values
• Love of the Sonoran Desert region: its natural history and its cultural heritage.
• Love of Tohono Chul and respect for what the Park means to visitors, supporters, and staff.
• Responsible use of all-natural, human, fiscal, and temporal resources.
• Respect for all people, their beliefs, and cultures.
• Excellence and integrity in all undertakings of the park.
• Dedication to lifelong learning, with a special focus on living in harmony with the Sonoran Desert and the respectful interactions of people with their environment.
• Accessibility and outreach to the community in experiencing the resources of Tohono Chul

Duties & Responsibilities

Primary Responsibilities
• Personnel Management: Hiring, training, scheduling, and leading staff to ensure excellent customer service.
• Operations & Merchandising: Overseeing daily setup, creating attractive plant displays, and maintaining proper signage and inventory.
• Plant Care & Quality Control: Inspecting plants daily for health, watering, pruning, and managing pest/disease control.
• Assist with propagation: Coordinate with the propagation department to assist in plant cultivation as needed. Uppot and care for backstock in retail inventory. Create decorative potted arrangements for customers.
• Sales & Financials: support the development of the sales and marketing strategy, evaluation of competition, driving sales, controlling budgets, managing purchasing, and using POS systems to process transactions and inventory
• Customer Service: Addressing customer questions regarding horticulture and resolving complaints efficiently.
• Other duties as assigned

Administrative
• Accurate pricing, invoicing, and submitting monthly budgetary reports to the Director of Guest Experience
• Coordinates schedules, trains, and guides volunteers in watering and plant advising.
• Other duties as assigned

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Education and Experience

Qualifications
Required:
• Three years experience in retail including managing POS systems, purchasing, inventory, stocking, guest experience, and working with vendors
• Experience collaborating with a team while being open to coaching and direction
• Informative and engaging customer service
• Plant care expertise
• Passion for plants/horticulture and/or botany
• High school diploma or equivalent
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite
• Must meet all physical requirements
Preferred:
• Academic knowledge or experience in horticulture/botany
• Experience working with volunteers
• Knowledge of Sonoran Desert plants
• Working knowledge of plant taxonomy
• Knowledge of the art, natural and cultural history of the Sonoran Desert region

Additional Information

Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and reach with hands and arms. The employee frequently is required to walk; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and talk or hear. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, anything greater should be done with assistance.

Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to outside weather conditions. The employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts, fumes or airborne particles, pesticides, or other chemicals. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Application Instructions

Submit a resume, a letter of interest, and 3 references to humanresources@tohonochul.org