General Manager

Position Title:
General Manager
- Midwest

Department: Operations

Reports To: Chief Operations Officer

FLSA Status: Exempt

Compensation: $145,000 - $165,00 Annually

Position Summary:

The General Manager
- Midwest provides leadership and operational oversight for Bailey’s Midwest/Eastern operations, including Illinois, Minnesota, and Georgia. This role leads day-to-day operations through the Production Leadership Team to align operational priorities, staffing needs, production plans, quality standards, and business goals.

The General Manager works closely with the COO and key business partners to support operational excellence, financial accountability, safety, compliance, continuous improvement, and consistent execution across assigned locations. This role is responsible for building accountability, developing leaders, supporting a positive workplace culture, and ensuring the effective use of people, land, equipment, plants, and other nursery resources to produce high-quality nursery stock profitably and sustainably.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Operational Leadership

• Provide leadership and operational oversight for the company’s Midwest/Eastern operations.
• Lead the Production Leadership Team across assigned locations to align operational priorities, staffing needs, production plans, quality standards, and business goals.
• Maintain a hands-on leadership approach and strong communication across assigned facilities to understand operations, connect teams, and support consistent execution of company goals.

People Leadership and Culture

• Lead through managers by setting clear expectations, building accountability, developing leadership capability, supporting succession planning, and aligning teams across locations.
• Promote a positive workplace culture that supports safety, accountability, excellence, growth, and the company’s Core Values.

Production, Assets, and Continuous Improvement

• Ensure the effective use of nursery assets, including people, land, equipment, and plants, from planning and propagation through planting, harvest, storage, and shipping.
• Support the consistent production of high-quality nursery stock in a profitable and sustainable manner.
• Promote efficiency and continuous improvement through improved processes, yields, automation, technology, continuing education, and Lean manufacturing principles.

Financial and Business Accountability

• Provide leadership for operational financial accountability, including budget planning, labor cost management, productivity, capital planning input, operational forecasting, and profitability goals.
• Monitor expenses, payables, financial reports, operational metrics, and other business information to support effective decision-making.

Documentation, Compliance, and Risk Management

• Establish and maintain consistent, centralized documentation, including Standard Operating Procedures, property information, regulatory or legal information, and other key operational records.
• Partner with HR, Safety, Compliance, and operational leaders to support regulatory compliance, employee relations consistency, safety expectations, seasonal workforce needs, and operational risk management.

Cross-Functional and Strategic Partnership

• Partner cross-functionally with key internal stakeholders to align labor, production, inventory, customer demand, safety, financial goals, and overall business priorities.
• Collaborate with the West Coast General Manager and leadership team members to develop, understand, communicate, and execute long-term operational strategy.
• Stay engaged with the greater industry, customers, vendors, neighbors, and appropriate organizations to learn, progress, and promote the nursery.

Required Qualifications: