Job description
Full Time, Permanent
Start date – To be agreed subject to notice period.
We are looking for an enthusiastic, people-focused Retail Manager to lead the team at Blaise Plant Nursery, located within the picturesque and historic Blaise Estate in North Bristol.
Blaise Plant Nursery is a well-loved part of the local community, offering a wide range of high-quality plants, grown on-site by our dedicated team. The nursery supports Bristol’s parks and green spaces, and provides residents with plants, garden supplies, compost and expert gardening advice. Set within the beautiful surroundings of Blaise Castle Estate, the nursery combines horticultural excellence with a welcoming, community-focused retail experience.
This is a brand-new hands-on leadership role that blends day-to-day retail operations with warm, knowledgeable customer service and a genuine passion for plants. You’ll oversee a small, friendly team and play a key role in the continued success and growth of our thriving nursery shop.
What you’ll be doing
1. Leading the daily operations of the plant shop, ensuring a smooth and welcoming customer experience
2. Creating and managing staff rotas, including holiday and weekend cover
3. Supporting, motivating, and supervising a close-knit team
4. Serving customers with expert product knowledge and friendly, helpful advice
5. Managing enquiries for hire and the delivery of workshops for our new onsite bookable repurposed glasshouse
6. Maintaining plant health, presentation, and stock levels across the shop
7. Handling administrative tasks, including performance reporting and stock control
8. Contributing ideas for marketing, local partnerships, and initiatives to grow sales and community engagement
What do I need to have
9. Experience in retail or customer-facing roles, ideally with team leadership or management experience
10. Experience managing stock and retail systems, including the use of EPOS (Electronic Point of Sale) systems for inventory control, sales tracking, and reporting
11. Organised, proactive, and confident in running a small team
12. Warm, approachable, and committed to delivering excellent customer service
13. A genuine love of plants, gardening, and outdoor living – horticultural knowledge is a strong advantage
14. Hands-on and willing to lead by example, actively involved in daily operations
15. Comfortable working some weekends and bank holidays is essential
Key Responsibilities
16. Oversee the horticulture retail operations, whilst creating a unique customer focused environment
17. Planning plant & garden product offers
18. Identifying new opportunities to drive sales
19. Ensuring all health & safety regulations are followed
20. Recruitment, training, and development of plant nursery staff
21. Record keeping, analysing costs, and management of budgets
22. Planning & costing of staff schedules
Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details on the role and the eligibility criteria for application. If you have the knowledge and experience to undertake this role and the vision and ambition of the plant nursery, we look forward to hearing from you.
Why Bristol City Council?
At Bristol City Council, we go that extra mile for our people; we offer a work environment which is fast moving and supportive, giving you the chance to use your skills and develop new ones within a high-profile organisation.
Join us and you’ll receive an excellent rewards package including membership of the Local Government Pension scheme, and a generous annual leave allowance. In addition, you’ll be working in a supportive environment where you’ll have the chance to make Bristol a better place and contribute to its future.