Native Plant Nursery Manager

Save The Bay’s mission is to protect and restore the Bay for people and wildlife. We are the only regional organization that integrates political advocacy, wetland restoration, and education to shape a healthy and resilient region. We are a team of passionate, creative, strategic, and collaborative people, dedicated to the urgent work of building Bay Area resilience and hope in the face of the escalating impacts of climate change.

Over two decades, Save The Bay has become a Bay Area leader in the science and practice of habitat restoration, focused on tidal marsh transition zone habitat at landscape‑scale for recovery of endangered species and ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change. We enlist thousands of volunteers annually to restore the shoreline and educate Bay Area students to be the next generation of Bay stewards through hands‑on experiential education and online learning.

The Native Plant Nursery Manager plays a crucial role in accomplishing Save The Bay’s habitat restoration goals, annually propagating more than 30,000 native wetland and transition zone plants. The manager directs the maintenance, growth, and design of container plant and division bed nurseries at three locations around the Bay, leads high quality nursery and restoration volunteer programs, and implements strong science and best management practices to ensure high plant survival and resilient habitat.

The Nursery Manager reports to the Habitat Restoration Director, supervises the Nursery Fellow, and works closely with other Save The Bay staff and restoration site partners.

This position provides an exciting opportunity for an experienced native plant nursery professional to contribute to the health of San Francisco Bay wildlife, clean water, and resilient shoreline communities.

REPORTS TO: Habitat Restoration Director

SUPERVISES: Native Plant Nursery Specialist

The Native Plant Nursery Manager is responsible for nursery maintenance and propagation activities, field activities at restoration sites, and leading volunteer nursery and restoration programs. The Nursery Manager also documents and reports on nursery activities, assists with grant reporting and technical documents describing nursery activities and other office tasks.

Lead all aspects of native plant propagation, all nursery operations and maintenance, including weed control, integrated pest management, phytosanitary operations, irrigation, and other tasks:

• Manage region‑specific seed and cuttings collection for all restoration project sites
• Maintain healthy plants and a clean nursery environment; maintain nursery equipment and purchase necessary materials and supplies; maintain demonstration gardens at each nursery
• Plan and design strategies and facilities at PAB and MLK nurseries to meet the highest phytosanitary Best Management Practice (BMP) standards; actively maintain relationship with California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) partners and participate / prepare for biannual BMP reviews
• Maintain seed cleaning station, storage, and inventory at nurseries and in office, including bulk annual seed; renew seed collection permits and nursery licenses; apply for new seed collection permits when needed
• Maintain detailed records of nursery activities, including comprehensive Salesforce database of species information, propagule stock, and propagation methods; provide written documentation and reporting on nursery activities for grant reports and technical documents
• Maintain effective communication with landowners and partners at nursery sites; oversee contract grows for external partners

Lead volunteers and Save The Bay staff in nursery and restoration programs:

• Develop appropriate field and nursery experiments and mentor field staff
• Communicate about nursery and restoration work with the public through volunteer programs, social media posts, and other opportunities; represent Save The Bay at conferences, nursery network meetings, and outreach events
• Hire and supervise Specialist and Nursery Fellow(s); provide adequate training for the…