Position:  AG Exempt

Reports To:  Marketing Manager

PLANT TRIALS MANAGER

Full-time with average week 40 hours; must be willing to work additional hours as needed (whatever it takes to accomplish goals and objectives).

• -Design, install, and maintain display, trial and demonstration gardens at both growing locations
• -Accession, maintain, evaluate trial plants and plant collections
• -Maintain open lines of communication with plant suppliers, universities, botanic gardens and arboreta
• -Manage and maintain positive relationships with the new product network of breeders, genetics companies, and plant finders
• -Manage Gardens Department staff (including interns) in executing day-to-day tasks
• -Interface with Sales, Marketing and Operations to assure successful launch of new product introductions
• -Administrate the royalty process (quarterly, semi-annually and annually), both incoming and outgoing
• -Work with Marketing Manager to develop and manage Gardens Department plant budget
• -Represent North Creek’s new product offerings via webinars, lectures, sales meetings to customers, and workshops
• -Perform additional duties as required

Job Knowledge:

• -Extensive gardening, garden design and native plant knowledge, with emphasis on ecology

Job Success Factors:

• -Strong time management and organizational skills are essential
• -Effective listening and communication skills; can organize thoughts well and express them in a clear manner
• -Invest the time and effort to do a good job; take pride in accomplishments
• -Exercise initiative; is a team player; has a positive “can-do / will do” outlook
• -Keep supervisor appropriately informed
• -Ability to work weekends or after hours when required
• -Maintain a clean working area (“starts clean, works clean, finishes clean”)
• -Work in a safe manner, reporting any unsafe conditions or safety incidents
• -Follow and sustain LEAN Flow or Working Smarter program in day-to-day tasks
• -Follow Systems Approach to Nursery Certification (SANC) practices in day-to-day tasks and strive for continual improvement of our facility practices and internal procedures

Skills / Qualifications:

• -Ability to direct others in the completion of tasks
• -Strong computer skills—proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite is required; experience with working in Adobe Creative Cloud platforms helpful
• -Experience and comfort with public speaking and creative writing
• -Ability to work in all weather conditions at tasks that are sometimes physically demanding
• -Knowledge of perennial plant propagation helpful