Nursery Manager

POSITION SUMMARY: Chesapeake Natives seeks a full-time Nursery Manager to lead daily operations of our nonprofit native plant nursery located in Rosaryville State Park, Upper Marlboro, MD. This dynamic, hands-on role is ideal for an energetic, self-starting professional who thrives in taking ownership of projects, demonstrates strong organizational and project management skills, and brings a genuine passion for people and native plants. The Nursery Manager serves as the primary liaison to volunteers and community members, overseeing a largely volunteer-run operation that grows more than 150 native plant species from local ecotype seed collected throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Responsibilities include managing volunteer coordination, plant production, sales and customer engagement, inventory systems, the online store, and social media, while ensuring the nursery continues to advance its mission of promoting resilient landscapes through locally adapted native plants.

The ideal Candidate is passionate about growing local ecotype native plants, has

excellent people and management skills, and should have a greenhouse or nursery background in the production and planting of native plants. We have a great nursery team and we would love to hear from qualified candidates who would like to work in the unique historic environment of Rosaryville State Park.

ABOUT US: Chesapeake Natives’ mission is to propagate. promote and protect native plants of the coastal plains and piedmont that form the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. We aim to restore home and public landscapes and park lands in this region with local ecotype native species (LENS) that best contribute to biodiversity, our best natural defense against the impacts of climate change. Local ecotypes are grown from seed with local provenance, wild seed that we seek out to gather and protect. We grow and distribute to the public a wide diversity of LENS from our volunteer-powered nursery in Rosaryville State Park in Prince George’s County, MD.

We are resourcing and building a native plant movement, local community by local community, that is rebuilding critical native habitat to save our planet.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manage day to day operations of nursery
• Recruit, train, and supervise a crew of volunteers to fulfill the necessary daily tasks related to species production, plant sales, and site maintenance
• Manage plant production and maintenance needs
• Maintain watering, soil, and weed control needs of the entire nursery
• Work directly with Board members and senior volunteers to meet necessary production and sales goals
• Work with Sales Manager to maintain accurate inventory for entire nursery in our Point of Sale, Square.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with community partners and local organizations to support the nursery’s mission. Coordinate and participate in outreach, educational programs, workshops, and other events.
• Participate in fulfilling plant orders, generating invoices and/or receipts and labeling (as required)
• Monitor and maintain the nursery’s operational budget, track expenses, and submit receipts
• Manage and prioritize the daily and weekly tasks for yourself and your crew
• Other duties as assigned by Board of Directors

EDUCATION, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience in a relevant field (Preferred)
• At least 2 years experience working with plants, experience with local ecotype

native plants is a plus

• Prior supervisory experience working with volunteers
• Familiarity with Google Suite and Square
• Disciplined self-starter, capable of working independently as well as part of a team

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Frequent weekends. Tuesday-Saturday schedule during peak season (April/May &

September/October)

• Year round outdoor work in all types of weather

BENEFITS:

• Paid Time off (10 personal days, 10 sick days, 11 federal holidays), and a week long

“end of year” break in December

• Health Care Stipend
• Professional Development Opportunities

HOW TO APPLY: Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter in attachment form to jobs@chesapeakenatives.org with the subject line: “Nursery Manager” Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

BENEFITS:

• Paid Time off (10 personal days, 10 sick days, 11 federal holidays), and a week long “end of year” break in December
• Health Care Stipend
• Professional Development Opportunities