Chief Operations Officer - Anderson's Garden Center

BEST Human Capital & Advisory Group; Virginia Beach (VA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

401k with 4% match

Company vehicle

Employee discounts

Performance-based bonus

Job summary

BEST Human Capital & Advisory Group is seeking a Chief Operations Officer to oversee two garden centers in Virginia Beach and Newport News, VA. The role requires directing daily operations, managing two on-site restaurants, and driving profitability through strategic leadership and staffing.

You will develop budgets, oversee KPIs, and ensure exceptional customer experiences while coordinating with owners and executive leadership. A strong horticulture or related business background is essential.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in retail management with multi-location oversight.
• Experience in garden center or horticultural retail.
• Restaurant experience is a plus for supervising two on-site venues.
• Willingness to travel between two locations (Virginia Beach & Newport News).
• Strong leadership, customer service, and problem-solving abilities.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily operations of both garden centers to ensure consistent processes and service.
• Develop and implement operational strategies to improve efficiency, profitability, and customer satisfaction.
• Hire, train, supervise, and evaluate managers and staff to promote engagement and performance.
• Schedule and allocate staff resources to meet peak business demands, including weekends.
• Drive sales through merchandising, seasonal promotions, and high-quality customer interactions.
• Monitor sales data and KPIs to identify growth opportunities and adjust strategies.
• Ensure plant health, inventory rotation, and merchandising standards are met.
• Partner with vendors, growers, and suppliers to maintain product quality and availability.

Skills

Leadership

Business acumen

Plant knowledge

Organizational skills

Communication

Weekend availability

Education

Bachelor’s degree in horticulture or related field

Job description

BEST Human Capital & Advisory Group | Full time

Chief Operations Officer - Anderson's Garden Center

Virginia Beach, United States | Posted on 11/03/2025

Reports To: Owner

Location: Virginia Beach, VA or Newport News, VA

Primary Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Oversee daily operations of both garden centers, ensuring consistency in processes, policies, and customer service standards.
• Develop and implement operational strategies that improve efficiency, profitability, and customer satisfaction.

Staff Management & Development

• Hire, train, supervise, and evaluate managers and staff to promote engagement, accountability, and performance.
• Schedule and allocate staff resources to meet peak business demands, with emphasis on weekends.
• Drive sales performance by ensuring effective merchandising, seasonal promotions, and high-quality customer interactions.
• Monitor sales data and KPIs to identify growth opportunities and adjust strategies accordingly.
• Ensure plant health, inventory rotation, and merchandising standards are consistently met.
• Partner with vendors, growers, and suppliers to maintain quality and availability of products.

Financial & Business Management

• Develop and manage budgets, sales forecasts, and expense control measures for both locations.
• Provide regular operational and financial reports to ownership/executive leadership.

Compliance & Safety

• Maintain compliance with company policies, industry standards, and local/state regulations.
• Ensure safe working environments for employees and customers.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in horticulture, agriculture, business administration, or a related field. Or equivalent experience.

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years in retail management, with multi-location oversight preferred.
• At least 2 years of direct experience in a garden center, nursery, or related horticultural retail environment.
• Restaurant experience is a plus as the employee will be overseeing two high-volume restaurants inside of the garden centers in both Newport News and Virginia Beach.

Skillset

• Strong leadership and people management skills, with the ability to inspire and develop teams.
• Excellent business acumen with proven ability to meet sales and profitability goals.
• Solid knowledge of plant care, horticulture, and garden retail operations.
• Exceptional organizational, communication, and customer service skills.
• Ability to work weekends and extended retail hours as required.

Attributes

• Proactive, adaptable, and able to work in a fast-paced and constantly changing environment.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to lead and motivate a team.
• Passionate about providing consumers with an epic experience.

This role requires regular weekend work, as weekends represent the busiest periods for retail operations. Flexibility to travel between both locations (Virginia Beach and Newport News) is required.

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience.
• Performance-based bonus potential when meeting KPI requirements.
• An aggressive 401k with a 4% match.
• Employee discounts on products.
• Company Vehicle for traveling to and from sites.

All inquiries are confidentially protected and appreciated.