Daintree Native Nursery Manager

About the role

The purpose of this position is to help protect and conserve the unprotected lowland Daintree Rainforest through reforestation and to provide excellent native trees for restoration services and partners in the region. The Nursery Manager will manage the nursery and nursery staff and support Rainforest Rescue's conservation and community engagement efforts in the wider Daintree area.

Key responsibilities

• Managing nursery staff, including seed collectors and general nursery workers
• Staff training, mentorship and development
• Engaging and supervising volunteers
• Seed collection and propagation, ensuring appropriate provenance
• Plant maintenance, watering, pest and weed management
• Managing plant orders, inventory and dispatch
• Managing the nursery as it ramps up to its design capacity of 150,000 seedlings per year
• Maintaining nursery facilities, equipment and assets
• Managing WHS, risk and biosecurity requirements
• Collaborating with Rainforest Rescue staff and external experts to optimise nursery operations

About you

• Demonstrated experience in a native plant nursery, horticulture, plant propagation, ecological restoration or a related field
• Practical knowledge of seed collection, propagation, plant health and appropriate provenance
• A relevant qualification in horticulture and/or nursery production
• Experience supervising and developing staff and/or volunteers, including training, mentoring and day-to-day work planning
• Demonstrated ability to manage nursery production workflows, including plant orders, inventory, dispatch, facilities, equipment and competing operational priorities
• Working knowledge of work health and safety, risk management and biosecurity requirements in an operational workplace
• Strong organisational, recordkeeping and reporting skills
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated commitment to sustainable nursery practices and Rainforest Rescue's values
• First Aid Certificate required

About us

Rainforest Rescue is an environmental charity with headquarters in Northern New South Wales and rainforest properties in Far North Queensland and Tasmania, including a native nursery in the Daintree lowland rainforest. Our vision is to Protect Rainforests Forever. We work to protect vulnerable rainforests, restore damaged and fragmented habitat through reforestation, conserve the biodiversity and cultural heritage of rainforest, and learn from the forest by sharing and raising awareness.