We have an exciting opportunity for a dynamic, organised and hands-on person to join our client as an Assistant Operations Manager at their beautiful, rural site near Woodbridge in Suffolk. This full-time, permanent position is working in a small, busy and dedicated team of nature enthusiasts!
The job would suit an experienced person with impeccable organisation and administrative skills, who is capable of planning and multi-tasking, as well as delivering exceptional customer service. You’ll need to enjoy rolling your sleeves up and mucking in as part of a small team to benefit the business as a whole.
This role is offering a salary between £26k-£30k per annum depending on relevant skills and experience. It will involve working from 8am-4pm or 9am–5pm Monday to Friday depending on the time of year and is a permanent position. There is regrettably no opportunity for hybrid or remote working, and this role is offered on a full-time basis only.
The Company
Our client is a well-established business, boasting one of the largest ranges of hardy nursery stock in the country as well as having an extensive botanic collection. They are specialist growers of a large range of rare and unusual plants and are located on a 30 acre plus site with a workforce of around 15. Our client is committed to growing genuine English grown and English provenance native trees and hedging and have a fantastic reputation within their industry.
The Job
This role has a dual focus; to both effectively manage office operations for the business as well as supporting the Operations Manager in their workload. The Assistant Operations Manager will be the main point of contact for all customers and will be responsible for processing their orders and organising deliveries and overseeing planting schedules, where required. This may be in a face-to-face capacity, over the phone or via email. Some orders may be dealt with there and then, whereas others may take months from point of sale to delivery and planting. You’ll become adept at managing and driving service standards and efficiency in the end-to-end process.
Working closely with the business Owner, Operations Manager and HR and Accounts Manager, the duties will involve:
Ensure an efficient service to customers from the point of initial enquiry, through to plant selection (which may involve sending photographs to customers)
Raising of invoices & checking payments
Organisation of collection, whether by in-house delivery person, or by dispatching to courier or haulier
Managing planting schedules for customers as appropriate
Providing regular updates to customers, ensuring they are kept informed throughout
Using Microsoft Access database to record plant stock movements and pricing
Processing the results of the annual stock take
Be welcoming and polite to customers, whether in person, over the phone or via email and help direct their enquiries as appropriate
Attending Friday meetings with Operations Manager to discuss and de-brief about the week and plan the week ahead
Miscellaneous tasks to assist the business and its customers, i.e. – making tea now and then, helping customers load their vehicles with plants (nothing too strenuous!), taking photos of plants for customer reference amongst other duties as part of a small team
Requirements
This position would suit somebody who has considerable experience in a commercial office administration setting and is used to multi-tasking administrative duties with customer liaison and support to management. The ideal candidate will be a diligent and organised person, IT confident and able to prioritise, self-manage and use their own initiative.
This role is working in a horticultural business, in the Suffolk countryside and would suit somebody who is fairly at home in nature and is happy to wear chunky boots and comfy casual clothing on a daily basis! The office space is old but beautiful and idyllic, as is the rest of the site.
In terms of additional required skills and experiences, the ideal candidate will need to have:
An enthusiasm for plants and trees and be willing to increase their knowledge, including being comfortable learning and working with Latin plant names.
IT literacy, good document control and digital filing practices and familiar with emailing photographs and creating invoices.
Excellent organisational skills
Good sense of initiative, with the ability to think on their feet and be able to prioritise effectively
A good standard of spelling and grammar for professional communications
Ideally, an interest in environmental issues
An understanding of commercial operations; efficiency, and organisation to ensure customer satisfaction without compromising on quality standards
Willingness to contribute to, and be part of a happy working environment by being a good team player
Friendly and professional nature with good interpersonal skills
The ability to offer exceptional levels of customer service
In Return
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a well-regarded nursery in the beautiful Suffolk countryside. It’s a function which will be key in the continued success of the business. We are looking for somebody who isn’t just seeking a job, but instead is looking for a long-term career opportunity in which you can put your stamp on your position and make a valuable contribution to a small business.
The position comes with an annual salary between £26k-£30k per annum depending on relevant skills and experience.