Plant Inspector jobs in Greenville, NC

We are Plant Delights Nursery/Juniper Level Botanic Garden, a perennial plant nursery established in Raleigh in 1986, offering unique, rare, well grown, and properly named perennials to passionate gardeners around the world. Despite being best known as a nursery, we actually exist for our work as a private 28-acre botanical garden and plant research facility focusing on ex-situ plant conservation, plant exploration, breeding, and making plants available via propagation. We are a family-owned company with a mission to support research, education and the exploration of plants through the sales of unique perennial plants. 

Our nursery and garden provide an opportunity to work indoors and outdoors year-round, so we have a casual dress code, a diverse staff, and a friendly working environment.

Benefits:

• Health, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance options
• Simple IRA with company matching funds up to 3%
• Paid public holidays
• PTO and Vacation days

Job Description

The ideal candidate must have the abilities to perform the following duties:

Crop Production and Scheduling

• Monitor MoreSense current year sales reports (catalog on-line (olc) codes) weekly to determine both immediate and future production needs.
• Monitor future year catalog coding reports monthly in MoreSense and schedule purchases and on-site production needs appropriately.
• Create nursery worklist by adding quantities and dates needed to MoreSense based on above sales and catalog coding reports
• Go over nursery worklist daily in MoreSense to assure that all to do items have been checked for accuracy.
• Monitor nursery worklist to ensure that target production dates in MoreSense are being met. If not, notify the nursery manager immediately. This also requires regular communication with nursery grower and nursery production supervisor when information is not in MoreSense
• Ensure that plants are produced in the proper and most economical method per MoreSense
• Send dig list to garden curator, field production supervisor, and garden manager at least 2 weeks prior to month needed for in house production digs for nursery propagation.
• Visually check crops before adding to nursery worklist. Check with production supervisor regarding timing if needed.
• Schedule check items reports in MoreSense to monitor crop status as needed.
• Run check items report weekly.
• Monthly seed refrigerator inventory and ghse 1 seed pot inventory check to ensure appropriate quantities are available for production needs.

Plant Ordering

• Source and order plants via purchase orders for needed quantities, from proper vendors and during needed time windows according to MoreSense database.
• Create purchase orders for all plants/seed ordered.
• Follow through with incoming plants/seed (ship dates, quantities and sizes, pricing) and confirmations
• Monitor crop costs/size availability changes, and notify nursery manager of any significant vendor increases
• Supply all needed permits for foreign orders (Small Seed Permit, Plant Import Permit, CITES permit, Restricted Plant Permit)
• Ensure that all import permits are renewed on-time.
• Coordinate with inventory control  specialist as needed to ensure accuracy before ordering plants.

Plant Receiving

• Receive incoming orders and distribute plants to proper nursery location.
• Notify grower & IPM specialist (or nursery manager) as soon as new plants arrive and are staged, so they can be checked for quality, moisture, trueness to type, and for pests.
• Monitor purchase orders weekly to ensure on-time deliveries. Notify nursery manager of any availability changes.
• Coordinate with accounting department when plants are received/approved and are ready for payment by promptly submitting all receiving paperwork.
• Assure cost data (plant cost, shipping cost, production cost) for each plant ordered is promptly entered in MoreSense database.
• Update POs based on vendor availability feedback.
• Run outstanding PO report weekly to ensure no overdue shipments and close and/or cancel POs asap.
• Coordinate and follow-up on vendor claims as needed (for damaged, diseased, or viral plants and incorrect quantities or plants) Supply photographs and coordinate with nursery manager to receive credit or replacements.

Qualifications

This is a detail-oriented position that requires:

• The ability to work well with others
• Good communication with staff and vendors
• Good organizational and task prioritization skills
• Good record keeping and problem-solving skills
• Good knowledge of botanical taxonomy
• A solid understanding of containerized plant culture.

A degree in botany/horticulture or a related field preferred. Previous experience in nursery purchasing or inventory management is also preferred.

Standard Business Hours: Monday - Friday 8 am - 5 pm eight open nursery and garden sales weekends each year

Send cover letter & resume with a detailed description of work history along with 3 professional references jobs@plantdelights.com