South Nursery Manager - South African Restoration Project

Nursery Manager - South African Restoration Project

About Us

Imperative is a global carbon project development company that aims to be in the top decile for quality in the carbon projects market. We have a build-own-operate model and specialise in the design, development and operation of carbon credit projects that help combat climate change while promoting biodiversity conservation, economicgrowthand social development in the countries in which weoperate. With a strong commitment to environmental and social responsibility, we areseekinga highly skilled and experienced

Nursery Managerto join our dynamic team.

Position Summary

We areseekingan experienced, resilient, and resourceful Nursery Manager to lead the operation of our commercial

Spekboomnursery near Jansenvillein the Eastern Cape, South Africa. You will direct the production of 20–30 million high-quality

Spekboom(Portulacariaafra) plants per annum using the Ellepotpropagation system. This is a foundational role in a pioneering native forest regeneration project that aims to produce over 300 million native

Spekboomplants to restore a planting area of 100,000 hectares, spread over a total project area of more than 1 million hectares.

This is not a traditionalstand-alonenursery management role. You willbe part of an Integrated Project Team (IPT) that brings together a company-side team of administrative, horticultural, supervisory and quality-control staff, supported by the Head of Horticulture, and a service-provider arm,who is accountable for day-to-day nursery operations. As Nursery Manager, you will hold overall accountability for integrating these two arms into a single, high-performing operation.

You will report directly to the Nursery Director and will be a key leader in achieving the project’s ambitious goals.

Key Responsibilities

1. Leadership and Team Management:

• Provide strategic leadership to the nursery team, fostering a collaborative and positive work environment.
• Oversee the recruitment, training, and development of staff, ensuringexpertisein plant propagation, cultivation, and quality control.
• Lead theteam, providing direct line management to the Service Provider’spersonneland directing the company-side team of horticulturalists,propagationand quality-control staff.
• Implement robust communication and management systems to effectively lead an integrated team across the company and service-providerarms.
• Empower and mentor supervisors to build their capacity for independent site management.

2. Plant Production and Quality Control:

• Implement standardized, efficient
  
  Ellepotpropagation and cultivation processes, from cutting procurement through to dispatch, to ensure consistent quality and meet production targets.
• Maintain a robust Plant Quality Index (PQI), applying screening and rogueing at all defined intervention points to ensure the health, vitality, and uniformity of plants.

3. Inventory Management:

• Utilisinga best-in-class digital platform (MyCrops),manageplant inventory, including batch traceability, tracking stock levels, conducting regular audits, andoptimizingstock turnover.
• Implement effective inventory control measures to minimize losses and waste.

4. Compliance and Environmental Stewardship:

• Ensure compliance with relevant regulations, permits, biosecurity requirements, and environmental standards governing plant nurseries in South Africa.
• Promote environmentally sustainable practices in plant production and nursery operations.

5. Budgeting and Financial Management:

• Manage the nursery operating budget and, with the support of the project controls team,trackand report costs against it.
• Implement cost-effective measures without compromising the quality of plants and services provided.

6. Infrastructure Maintenance:

• Oversee the maintenance…