Operations Manager - Arborglen

Flower Power; Sydney; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Flower Power's Glenorie nursery seeks an Operations Manager to lead daily plant production. You will oversee propagation, potting and production teams, align schedules with weekly crop plans, coordinate materials and equipment, and drive lean improvements to boost productivity while maintaining plant health and safety.

You will partner with Growing and dispatch teams to meet store demand, ensure quality, and deliver on time, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Experience leading production operations in a commercial nursery, horticulture business or similar manufacturing environment.
• Strong plant knowledge across propagation, potting, crop production and irrigation systems.
• Proven ability to improve productivity via lean methods, workflow design and performance measurement.
• Confident leadership with planning and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead propagation, potting and production teams; coach supervisors and staff.
• Plan weekly labour allocations and daily targets; translate crop plans into schedules.
• Coordinate materials, equipment and plant movements to ensure smooth workflow.
• Identify and remove delays, waste, and unnecessary handling; drive improvements.
• Monitor safety, quality and productivity; report results to General Manager.

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Plant knowledge

Leadership

Problem solving

Safety compliance

Tools

Irrigation systems

Propagation equipment

Job description

Location: Glenorie, NSW
Reports to: General Manager
Employment: Full time

The Operations Manager leads the day-to-day production of plants at Arborglen, Flower Power's wholesale nursery. The role ensures propagation, potting, plant movement and production support activities run safely, efficiently and to plan. It requires strong plant knowledge and a practical approach to lean manufacturing: improving workflow, reducing waste and downtime, and helping teams produce healthy, saleable plants on time.

Key responsibilities

Production and people leadership

Tum crop plans and weekly requirements into clear schedules, labour allocations and daily targets.

Lead the propagation, potting and production teams, setting expectations and coaching supervisors and team members.

Coordinate materials, equipment and plant movements so work is ready to start and flows smoothly between production stages.

Work with the Growing and shipping teams to align production timing, plant quality and store demand.

Lean improvement

Identify and remove delays, unnecessary handling, rework and material waste.

Improve potting line performance, changeovers, workplace organisation and equipment utilisation.

Use production data and team feedback to find root causes and implement practical improvements.

Establish simple, consistent work methods while maintaining plant quality and safe work practices.

Plant and quality knowledge

Apply sound knowledge of plant varieties, propagation methods, growing stages and seasonal production needs when planning work.

Ensure plants are handled, potted, labelled and moved correctly, with accurate variety and batch identification.

Recognise quality or crop health concerns early and work with the Growing team to resolve them.

Balance productivity targets with plant health, presentation and readiness for sale.

Safety and reporting

Maintain safe work practices across machinery, manual handling and nursery operations.

Monitor output, labour productivity, downtime, waste and completion against the weekly plan.

Report results, constraints and improvement actions to the General Manager.

What success looks like

Weekly production targets are met with consistent plant quality.

Labour and equipment are used effectively, with fewer delays and changeover losses.

Plants and materials move through the nursery with minimal unnecessary handling.

Production records, labels and inventory movements are accurate.

Teams understand their priorities and contribute to continuous improvement.

Experience and capabilities

Experience managing production operations and teams in a commercial nursery, horticulture business or comparable manufacturing environment.

Strong practical plant knowledge and an understanding of propagation, potting, crop production and irrigation systems.

Demonstrated ability to improve productivity through lean methods, workflow design and performance measurement.

Confident leadership, planning and problem-solving skills.

Ability to work across growing, potting, and dispatch systems teams.

Commitment to safety, quality and accountability.

Flower Power is an equal opportunity employer.