Vice President of Operations

The Plant Company; Stuarts Draft (VA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Travel up to 10%

Job summary

The Plant Company in Stuarts Draft, Virginia, seeks an experienced commercial horticulture operations leader to join the Leadership Team as Vice President of Operations. This role combines strategic leadership with active management of production, planning, purchasing, inventory, shipping, logistics and continuous improvement.

You’ll translate demand into coordinated production plans, set clear performance targets, coach managers, stay close to the work, and partner with Finance on budgets and

Qualifications

• Significant operations leadership experience in commercial horticulture, including greenhouse, nursery, tropical foliage, floriculture, young plants, bedding plants, or comparable large-scale live-goods production.
• Proven experience at Director/VP/COO level leading multiple operational functions and managers.
• Strong understanding of living inventory, crop timing, availability, shrink, seasonality, labor, space utilization, and product flow.
• Demonstrated success developing leaders, strengthening accountability, and improving operational and financial performance.

Responsibilities

• Executive responsibility for Production, Supply & Execution Planning, Purchasing, Inventory & Warehouse, Shipping, Logistics & Transportation, and Continuous Improvement.

Skills

Operations leadership

Commercial horticulture

Leadership development

Strategic leadership

Financial acumen

ERP systems

Education

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

Help Shape the Next Stage of Growth at The Plant Company

The Plant Company (TPC) produces premium tropical houseplants for retailers nationwide from our state-of-the-art, controlled-environment operation in Stuarts Draft, Virginia. As a proud Proven Winners® leafjoy® partner, we’re building the people, processes, and systems that will support our continued growth.

We’re seeking an experienced commercial horticulture operations leader to join our Leadership Team as Vice President of Operations. This role combines strategic leadership with active involvement throughout our greenhouse, production, warehouse, and shipping operations.

You’ll work closely with our Leadership Team to strengthen operational performance, develop managers, and connect long-term production planning with changing customer demand.

The Opportunity

Our inventory is alive. Crop timing, availability, quality, labor, space, and seasonality all influence what we can deliver-and when. As TPC moves through a period of rapid growth, operational success depends on developing our people, strengthening processes, and building systems that can grow with the business while maintaining quality, service, and profitability.

We need a leader who understands the pace and complexity of a growing company, asks thoughtful questions, and takes time to learn our people, processes, and constraints before making significant structural changes. You’ll help build an operating organization that supports growth while keeping teams responsive to daily business needs.

What You’ll Lead

You’ll have executive responsibility for Production, Supply & Execution Planning, Purchasing, Inventory & Warehouse, Shipping, Logistics & Transportation, and Continuous Improvement.

Your priorities will include:

• Connect demand to execution. Translate approved demand and sales plans into coordinated production, capacity, labor, purchasing, inventory, and fulfillment plans.
• Improve operational performance. Establish clear expectations and measurable results across safety, quality, service, productivity, inventory, waste, cost, and profitability.
• Develop strong leaders. Coach managers, clarify responsibilities and decision authority, address performance gaps, and build dependable leadership depth.
• Stay close to the work. Maintain a visible presence throughout the operation, listen to employees, identify root causes, and ensure improvements are sustained.
• Strengthen financial results. Partner with Finance and department leaders on budgets, labor costs, inventory, working capital, and capital investments.
• Build systems that support growth. Improve processes, ERP use, reporting, and accountability while reducing dependence on founders for routine operating decisions.
• Lead across the company. Work with Sales, Growing, Finance, R&D, and Human Resources to make decisions based on the greater good of the organization.

What You’ll Bring

• Significant operations leadership experience in commercial horticulture, including greenhouse, nursery, tropical foliage, floriculture, young plants, bedding plants, or comparable large-scale live-goods production.
• Proven experience at the Director, VP, COO, or comparable level, leading multiple operational functions and managers.
• A strong understanding of living inventory, crop timing, availability, shrink, seasonality, labor, space utilization, and product flow.
• Demonstrated success developing leaders, strengthening accountability, and improving operational and financial performance.
• Strong financial judgment and experience using ERP systems, operational data, and KPIs to guide decisions.
• The ability to lead strategically while remaining hands-on, approachable, and effective in a growing organization.

Experience leading operations through rapid company growth, serving national retail customers, managing replenishment-driven supply chains, and applying continuous improvement methods is highly valued.

A relevant bachelor’s degree is preferred but not required. We place greater weight on commercial horticulture leadership experience and demonstrated results.

What Success Looks Like

Success means stronger managers, reliable planning and execution, clear accountability, and measurable improvements in safety, quality, service, productivity, and profitability. It also means building trust across departments and helping teams make sound decisions that support TPC as a whole.

Why TPC

At TPC, we believe "together we grow stronger." Our culture is guided by Caring About People, Plants & Process; a Growth-Oriented Mindset; Customer First; and a "Can Do" Attitude with Accountability.

We operate on the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), using shared priorities, scorecards, and regular leadership discussions to turn plans into action.

If you bring significant commercial horticulture experience and want to help shape the future of a growing company, we’d like to hear from you.

On-site | $150,000-$200,000 annually, depending on experience | Travel up to 10%

The Plant Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer.