Nursery Manager – Horticulture

Wynn Al Marjan Island; Ras Al Khaimah; On-site; AED 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the UAE seeks a highly skilled Nursery Manager to oversee operations at an offsite nursery facility supporting a luxury resort. The role involves managing plant cultivation, ensuring quality standards, and leading a team while integrating sustainability practices. The ideal candidate will possess extensive horticultural experience and leadership skills, focusing on innovative nursery operations that align with the resort's aesthetic and environmental goals.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7–10 years in professional horticulture.
• 3–5 years managing a nursery at commercial scale.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily propagation and cultivation of plants.
• Ensure compliance with UAE agricultural regulations.
• Supervise a team of horticulturists and gardeners.

Skills

Horticulture

Sustainability

Leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture

Postgraduate diploma in Nursery Operations

Tools

Microsoft Office

Horticultural software

Job description

General Purpose We are seeking a highly skilled Nursery Manager to lead the daily operations and strategic planning of an offsite nursery facility supporting the Wynn Al Marjan Island resort. This role involves propagation, cultivation, and delivery of ornamental, native, and seasonal plants, including large palms and arid-tolerant species. The Nursery Manager is responsible for production scheduling, inventory control, plant health, and stakeholder coordination with the resort’s horticultural, landscaping, and events teams. The ideal candidate will blend hands-on horticultural expertise with leadership and sustainability-focused nursery operations.

Technical Oversight and Nursery Operations - Oversee daily propagation and cultivation of a wide variety of plants including date palms, native shrubs, seasonal flowers, and ornamental foliage tailored to the resort’s design language and seasonal displays.

• Design and manage growing schedules to ensure continuous, on-time readiness of plant material across maturity stages.
• Ensure optimal environmental conditions across greenhouses, shade houses, and open nursery zones using smart irrigation, ventilation, and fertigation practices.
• Monitor and adjust soil conditions, nutrient programs, pruning regimes, and planting densities to align with growth targets and aesthetic quality standards.
• Conduct routine quality inspections and initiate corrective actions for pest/disease outbreaks, nutrient deficiencies, or environmental stressors using IPM methodologies.
• Operate and maintain greenhouse infrastructure, irrigation systems (drip, mist, manual), temperature/humidity controls, and water filtration units.
• Ensure safe and efficient storage, handling, and use of chemicals, fertilizers, compost, and growth media.
• Integrate sustainability principles into daily routines, including composting, re-use of organic materials, and water conservation techniques.
• Maintain real-time digital inventory of live plant stock, seeds, containers, soil inputs, and consumables; rotate stock effectively to reduce waste and aging.
• Coordinate scheduled deliveries with resort landscaping, events, and engineering teams for planting campaigns, landscape refreshes, and event support.
• Prepare and deliver operational reports on plant readiness, inventory movement, pest control actions, and system performance to senior horticultural leadership.
• Adjust nursery protocols based on weather forecasts, seasonal demands, and local climate anomalies to safeguard stock.
  
  

Compliance, Safety, and Quality Standards - Ensure all nursery operations comply with UAE agricultural regulations, health and safety standards, and company environmental policies.

• Maintain comprehensive documentation of treatment records, water usage logs, and input application data.
• Oversee calibration and safety checks of equipment including sprayers, tractors, trimmers, and greenhouse systems.
• Uphold the resort’s visual and botanical standards through rigorous quality control procedures at each stage of propagation and pre-delivery.
• Support biodiversity initiatives through selection and propagation of native and ecologically resilient species.
  
  

Technology, Sustainability, and Innovation - Use horticultural software or spreadsheets for planning propagation cycles, tracking stock movement, and logging growth data.

• Apply data-driven scheduling to align with forecasted plant demand and optimize production planning.
• Explore innovations in propagation methods (e.g., tissue culture, air layering), nutrient formulations, and climate adaptation techniques for UAE conditions.
• Introduce low-input or drought-tolerant varieties to support long-term environmental resilience and reduce irrigation dependency.
• Collaborate with resort sustainability teams on greening targets, waste reduction, and native species integration.
  
  

Interdepartmental Coordination and Planning - Liaise with the resort’s horticulture, events, and landscaping teams to align nursery output with landscape design briefs, event schedules, and seasonal planting plans.

• Communicate proactively with procurement to secure seeds, inputs, and hard materials with sufficient lead time.
• Attend planning meetings and contribute to resort-wide greening, beautification, and biodiversity strategies.
• Coordinate with Engineering for infrastructure maintenance and ensure nursery systems (irrigation, power, ventilation) operate without disruption.
• Work with finance and administration to manage nursery budgets, vendor payments, and reporting metrics.
  
  

Team Oversight and Staff Development - Supervise a team of horticulturists, gardeners, and general workers across propagation, maintenance, logistics, and quality control functions.

• Assign daily roles and oversee execution with focus on productivity, plant quality, and safe work practices.
• Conduct training in nursery operations, safe chemical handling, equipment usage, and environmental compliance.
• Promote a collaborative work culture and implement structured onboarding, mentoring, and performance feedback programs.
• Coordinate with HR and HSE to ensure all staff comply with labor law, safety standards, and internal codes of conduct.
• Ensure workforce readiness for high-volume periods including seasonal campaigns, VIP events, and emergency stock replenishment.
  
  

Qualifications Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture, Botany, Agriculture, or Landscape Management preferred.
• Postgraduate diploma or certification in Nursery Operations, Environmental Management, or Sustainable Landscaping is an advantage.
• Certifications in Integrated Pest Management (IPM), plant propagation, or greenhouse management desirable.
  
  

Experience

• Minimum 7–10 years in professional horticulture, with at least 3–5 years managing a nursery at commercial or institutional scale.
• Demonstrated experience growing and managing diverse species under arid climate conditions.
• Familiarity with UAE-native and desert-adapted plant material, including palms, ground covers, and seasonal varieties.
  
  

Technical and Digital Skills

• Proficient in nursery infrastructure operations including irrigation, greenhouse controls, and mechanical tools.
• Comfortable using Microsoft Office, stock management tools, or nursery-specific software for planning and reporting.
  
  

Language and Communication

• Fluent in English (spoken/written); Arabic is an advantage.
• Skilled in cross-functional communication and stakeholder alignment.
  
  

Other Requirements

• Physically capable of working in nursery conditions including outdoor heat, humidity, and plant handling.
• Able to respond to operational priorities during peak landscape refresh or seasonal changeovers.
• Strong alignment with sustainability values and long-term ecological landscape goals.