Job Description

DUTIES

• Producing and managing the annual budget for the operation of the nursery.
• Ensuring the delivery of healthy quality seedlings, and agreed species mix and quantities, are delivered to the field for planting to agreed timelines.
• Taking primary responsibility, working with the General Manager and R&D Manager, for ordering seeds and any clonal material required from identified and agreed international sources (taking responsibility for the logistics of delivering the material to site).
• Propagating (from seeds as well as cuttings) Eucalyptus hybrids (the company’s principal commercial crop) as well as Acacia, Pine and other species as required in accordance with the agreed budget.
• Propagating modest quantities of Teak to be planted as stumps (Teak forming a small proportion of the company’s planting mix in Ghana).
• In cooperation with the R&D Manager propagating clonal hedges and bulk out to deliver agreed quantities of clonal material to the field.
• Taking responsibility for ordering consumables (such as fertilizers) and maintaining sufficient stocks so as to allow the smooth operation of the nursery to high quality. Likewise take responsibility for arranging agreed nursery infrastructure development (such as maintaining / expanding shade net areas / irrigation, building stores etc).
• Managing and training the nursery team building high levels of morale and take primary responsibility for recruitment and any disciplinary hearings necessary.
• Ensuring the operation of the nursery to Forestry Stewardship Council standards including high standards of Health and Safety (including maintaining an incident register etc.).
• Taking responsibility for the maintenance of the nursery, keeping the site in good working order. Keep the nursery site neat, tidy and presentable.
• Maintaining proper records of seedlings produced, water consumption, staff attendance and other records necessary to be able to assess the efficiency of the nursery which is run as a cost center. Utilize such data to help improve operational efficiency.
• Reporting quantitatively to management on a monthly basis on the performance of the nursery.

MANAGERIAL

•  Be assertive, have well developed management skills, and be able to motivate and control the nursery team.
• Capable planner, have good time management skills and be comfortable working to a budget and taking responsibility for nursery resources and infrastructure.
• Identify the signs of disease and pest infection, and have the judgment and decision-making capability to respond to such issues.
• Results oriented and have the numeracy, literacy and administrative skills to ensure that detailed records are kept and timely and accurate reports are made to the company’s management team

TECHNICAL

• Propagation and cultivation of the tree seedlings required to fulfill the company’s annual planting program.
• Management and maintenance of the company’s nursery infrastructure, including the irrigation system and stores.
• Management and responsibility for the company’s nursery consumables and tool stocks.

• Record keeping and reporting to the General Manager. Working in close cooperation with the company’s R&D Manager and Silviculture Manager.

Required Skills or Experience

• A relevant College or University degree is essential (ND Horticulture, B.Com, and B.Sc.

• At least 5 years proven experience as a plant nursery / horticultural operator in a commercial, results driven, environment (where there is requirement to deliver quantities of healthy seedlings to the field on a consistent daily basis).
• Sound working knowledge of MS Excel and Report writing skills.
• Strong integrity and ethics and firm understanding of corporate responsibility reporting.
• Well-developed interpersonal and communication skills, both oral and written communications; sound presentation skills. Sensitive to cultural differences with the ability to understand and adapt to these as a means of maximizing output
• Ideally having experience of Eucalyptus species and clonal propagation.
• Understanding and experience of fertilizer application rates, modern nursery methodologies, pests and dieses prevalent in common commercial species