Horticulture Expert

**Plant Area Expert (Permanent position)**

**Full-time, permanent (working four weekdays and one alternate weekend day)**

**(time and 1/2 for working weekends and bank holidays)**

**About Perrywood Garden Centre & Nurseries Ltd**

Perrywood is an independent, family-owned garden centre and nursery run by the Bourne Family. Both our Tiptree and Sudbury centres are surrounded by beautiful countryside. Our mission is to offer a memorable garden centre experience; delivering wow customer service and giving our employees and customers, a reason to smile.

**Rewards and Benefits**

In addition to your salary, you will receive the following benefits:
**o Discount** - From the start of your employment you will receive 10% discount on specific items. Following a successful probation period, the discount increases up to 20% discount on specific items and after one year’s service up to 40% discount on specific items. (some exceptions apply)

**o Annual Christmas bonus**

**o Part-uniform provided**

**o Employee Assistant Programme** - a confidential personal and professional support service available to all employees and their immediate families 24/7, 365 days a year.

**o Training & development**, as required. We have an e-learning scheme called GROW, and also take part in other training with product suppliers and external trainers

**o Company sick pay** - following a successful probation period employees are entitled to 10 days paid sickness (part-time pro rata)

**o Access to our Retail Discount Scheme** - savings on retailers including Tesco, Pizza Express,M&S, Waitrose, Argos, Apple, Currys PC World, Thomas Cook and 100’s more
- **Workplace pension**
- **Free parking**

**Key duties**
- You will undertake daily watering and stocking up of the outdoor and indoor plant areas.
- You will create dynamic displays, which encourage customer sales.
- You will confidently answer customer queries, and be knowledgeable about planting combinations and looking after plants.
- Assist with the building of displays and picking customer orders.
- Maintaining the cleanliness of the garden centre and stock areas.
- When needed you will assist in other areas of the business and nursery production.
- Receiving of deliveries and stock transfers.
- Maintain healthy plant stock.

**Your capabilities**
- Good plant/horticulture knowledge essential
- whether that’s in the form of a relevant qualification, experience of working in a garden centre, plant retail or similar environment.
- Good verbal communication skills, and customer service skills, confident in dealing with members of the public.
- Ability to give instruction to Plant Area Assistants on plant care, maintenance and watering.
- Able to follow instructions from your supervisors, and work on your own initiative.

**Requirements**:

- You’ll need to work alternating weekends and bank holidays.

**Job Types**: Full-time, Permanent

**Salary**: £11.00-£11.50 per hour

**Benefits**:

- Company events
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
- Referral programme
- Store discount

Application question(s):

- Do you have an RHS qualification or equivalent?
- Due to our rural location and limited access to public transport your own transport is preferred.
- Tell us about your horticulture/plant expertise.
- Tell us about your plant knowledge.

**Experience**:

- Plant knowledge: 1 year (required)
- Customer service: 1 year (required)
- Plant retailing: 1 year (required)

Work Location: In person